Songwriter James Alphonse Thrives On His Solo Career With Electropop Single “What You Really Want”
As a singer-songwriter, if you have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of bands to expand your scope like today’s artist, definitely take it. On our latest trip up to Toronto we are checking out “What You Really Want”, the latest track from songwriter James Alphonse. Starting off his musical journey partly out of jealousy, Alphonse began his first steps as a musician singing long before he picked up the guitar. Fun fact, he actually began learning and struggling heavily with the guitar as a lefty, and once he switched to righty his skill level skyrocketed. Once Alphonse finally took the path towards a solo career, he started to develop his sound and the industry recognized him for it. With mentors like Nick Blagona (The Police, Deep Purple, Beegees) and Mark Daum (inventor of the piantar), Andre Kaden Black (Fefe Dobson, Francesco Yates) and Tal Vaisman (working in a variety of capacities with groups like 21 Pilots and Imagine Dragons), Alphonse has crafted a solo debut EP and won numerous awards. More recently, he was actually a finalist in the Unsigned Only competition and a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition!
“Although I hate to admit it, I partly started singing because of the low-key jealousy of the attention my cousin got from singing in plays. I started taking it more seriously after I learned that practicing with my dad’s lefty guitar was the real reason I couldn’t play. I tried a righty, and – what do ya know – I’m playing “Lean On Me” at the school play! After years of being in rock bands, having my best friend replace my whole band and telling me I only think I’m a good singer because my mom says I am and eventually proving him (at least slightly) wrong with a few music nominations and awards, I decided to go solo as a pop artist…”- James Alphonse
Once you put a broad view of the indie music world under a microscope, you can tell that formulas are developing quickly that have a much higher chance of success. On the flip side, there are artists like James Alphonse who skate on the edges of the formula but add their own twist to make their mark. Even though as a solo artist he doesn’t have a huge collection under his belt, it is clear that he is not just a fresh musician but has a fantastic team of veterans in his camp behind him. While we initially didn’t expect to bop to “What You Really Want” as much as we did, Alphonse’s injection of electro-rock elements into the track definitely catch our attention. What we truly appreciate is the track’s message, a response to all of the naysayers who doubted him early in his career. “What You Really Want” preaches its message to fellow creatives: keep a positive outlook and remember to balance what the fans and you want to make.
Make sure you check out “What You Really Want” on Soundcloud below!
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Who am I? Just some guy who decided to start writing on the Internet years ago and now operates his own brand and site. Owner/Operator of Modern Neon Media, I make all kinds of niche content to suit my interests at the time. DIY Enthusiast, Brewmaster extraordinaire, and avid freak for geek culture. Follow on my socials for a more “on” version of me.
