KIWI BAND, ALAE
Kiwi band Alae are not just the next big thing, they have a dreamy, gay lead singer named Alex! By Marc Andrews
DNA: Your debut album, Henry St, has been receiving rapturous reviews.
Alex Farrell-Davey: Yes. It’s quite daunting and overwhelming.
The record has been a long time coming – some of these songs were written when you were teens!
One song in particular, Back In Town, is based on my parents’ separation and was in the works for a long time. It feels like only now we have a level of maturity… to look at a situation that’s close to home with an open mind.
Where exactly is Henry St?
It’s where we live!
Is it a good idea to be giving out your address? [Laughs.] I don’t know! But there are lots of Henry Streets in Auckland. A lot of experiences in that house led to some of the songs on
Henry St so it seems appropriate. It has a secret meaning for me, too, because when I was a kid my mum called me Henry.
Alae have been hailed as the next big thing. Is that a worry?
I don’t stress about it. This is what we want to do – we want to be musicians. We’ve found something we’re passionate about, so why not try to take it to the next step? We have a tour we’re trying to sort out, we already have half a new album written, and I have an idea for a concept album, too.
New Zealand punches above its weight in music. Why’s that?
We’re such a small country it probably makes us more endearing – “those little guys from New Zealand trying to make it overseas!”
Is this a good time to be out in the music business?
Because I’m gay it’s always been in the back in my mind. It’s about being comfortable with it and not talking about it that much because it’s not all of what I am. Though, I’m happy to talk about it.
Have you done any Pride or gay events?
We played The Big Gay Out, an event that happens in Auckland in support of the LGBT community.
Is it fair to say there’s a mix of sexualities in the band? I’m gay, Marika is gay, Allister is straight, and Jayden is on his way to getting married to a very Christian wife. We’re a pretty broad demographic! What connects us is the music. We’re all open-minded; we’re a group that encourages weird individuality. My sexuality is not what I think about when I am thinking about my feelings. I’m a plethora of feelings. Who are your musical heroes?
My biggest would be Jeff Tweedy from the band Wilco, singer/songwriter Josh Rouse and Carole King. She wrote some classic songs and that’s my genre. I don’t just necessarily like writing ballads, but songs that are timeless. Our music is about personal development, personal growth and figuring things out.
Has Lorde rung you up to ask you to write a hit with her?
I am waiting for that call!
Is there love in your life at the moment? There is not, which is not good. I’d be quite happy not to date a musician because there would be an air of competition. It would more likely be a really relaxed tradie, or a construction worker and I’d be, “Fuck, yeah!”
MORE: Henry St is released through Footstomp Music. For more go to alae.band, or find them on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Soundcloud.
I’m gay… but it’s not all of what I am.