WILLIAM ALEXANDER Interview by Frankie Alvaro Photography by Alexandra A. Brown
Long Beach multi-instrumentalist William Alexander Marquis released his record Girls Basketball earlier this year, and within weeks it had graced the pages of NME, shown up on countless blogs and provoked a storm of phone calls from PR people and record labels. So why is it that after playing music for 20 years and five releases with his previous band the Meanest Boys, his first solo record under his Christian name William Alexander is the one attracting the non-stop attention? Let’s find out! Where did your musical talent come from? I can’t really say. I can say using the words ‘musical talent’ when describing me feels a bit odd. I don’t have a lot of confidence in my technical ability when it comes to playing instruments. I can play guitar and keyboards, but I feel like it’s all bullshit. I just fake it. I never truly learned to play any instruments, and I can’t read music at all. I took guitar lessons as a kid, but as soon as I learned power chords I quit! It was like … ta-da! That was all I needed. My strength is definitely on the creative side, like songwriting and melody. I think it’s just natural talent though, and a genuine love of music. I remember being kind of obsessed with music when I was younger, and when I started playing guitar I began to understand song structure a lot more. I understood early on too that your heart has to be in it. If your heart’s not in it the listener can tell and it’s worthless. That was a big advantage realizing that so young. When you are ‘faking it,’ do you ever feel like people can look right through you? Do you get self-conscious when you’re on stage? I get a little self conscious about it. I guess as long as you’re selling it—as long as I’m confident in it when I’m playing it and confident about the music when I’m recording it and put it out, I think that comes through. Anyone with a real technical ear could probably listen to it and tell that what I’m doing is pretty basic on a technical ability level, but I think I have such a good ear for tones and the sounds that I come up with that the final product really comes across as being something sincere and enjoyable to listen to. Do you remember what songs or musicians made you feel like their hearts were truly in the music that they were making? Roy Orbison was someone I listened to when I was younger—there’s something so powerful about his voice and it’s just so emotional that you can hear how sincere he is when he would sing. I instantly just loved his voice and his music—and the power and sincerity that came through. Do you ever feel that the music you make you make has so much emotion and so much of your soul in it that you almost tear up when listening to it? Because that much of your heart is in it? I definitely tap into something where I can get really lost and be putting something out there that’s very true to who I am. There’s moments where … Yeah, I think I’m brain dead right now. Want to get stoned? 28
That will probably make it worse. What’s the question again? I’ve definitely felt exposed. And felt that I’m putting a lot of myself out there through the music. I don’t know that I’ve ever teared up to one of my own songs. There’s definitely other songs that have brought me to that point, where it’s such a deep song that I connect so deeply with it. I try to be very honest with myself and not be restricted by anything when I write so that it is truthful to who I am, and I think it comes across as very sincere. When you got into punk, did you get super into punk? Oh yeah! All the way. Have a mohawk? I had spiked hair, started sewing patches onto my jackets, and stopped showering. [laughs] I probably went a good … I don’t know, sophomore year of high school without showering. I’m kidding—not that long but there were long streaks where you could smell me coming for sure. I drank a lot. Smoked cigarettes. Drinking 40s under bridges? Yeah, definitely! I know you have a Screeching Weasel tattoo that makes a lot of people very excited. I have a few music related tattoos. ‘Son of a preacher man’—an ode to my father who is a preacher, but to Dusty Springfield as well. I have the notes to ‘It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)’ with a songbird, too. What kind of music was in your home growing up? At that time it’s hard to say. My mom was super into this flamenco guitar player. I can’t remember his name at the moment. He was really popular. Stuff like that. Nothing close to what I was listening to. Do you feel that flamenco artist had any influence on you? I don’t think so—maybe something to move away from. [laughs] It had a bit of an opposite affect. No one in my immediate family plays music but they definitely appreciate it. I remember playing 8-track tapes in the family car. Beach Boys, Motown stuff, old country music. My dad loves soul music and that definitely took hold on me. It’s probably my favorite music still to this day. I just saw Brenton Wood play a few months ago—he was incredible. I’m a devoted listener of the Art Laboe show. You definitely have the best Art Laboe shirt on the planet. What do you love about Art Laboe? Do you think the world would be a pretty different place if he never got famous?
What I love about him is how dedicated he is to sharing music. Specifically the kind of East L.A. soul music that he championed, and still champions. He’s so passionate about it. He’s like in his 80s and he’s still on the radio every night sharing these songs. I’ve never called in personally but it’s one of my favorite things to listen to him read the dedications. He’s this older man, reading this dedication from Spider to Crazy Eyes conveying their love for each other. And there’s something so great about that. I knew a girl growing up who cheated on her boyfriend and called in and apologized to him on the air. She recorded it on a cassette and played it for me. That’s awesome! How would you describe your own voice? A cross between Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra, and Gilbert Gottfried. That is so sexy. I tend to sing pretty softly, and that’s mostly because I record songs in my bedroom in my apartment building. I can’t be that loud so I have a pretty soft voice. I don’t know who it really sounds like. I’ve never gotten direct comparisons before from anyone about who my voice reminds them of so I don’t know. I’d say it’s beautiful? Magical? I think it’s beautiful and magical! Sounds like an angel singing through the clouds down to earth? Do you think people can make love while listening to your music? Ooohhhhhh! Would you want people to make love while your record is playing? Do you want your voice to be that smooth? I definitely want to be the soundtrack for some romantic occasions! I’ve never done it. You’ve never made love while listening to your own music? No I haven’t! That would be the weirdest thing ever. Holy shit! No—I don’t think I could ever do that. That would be fucking intense! Has your family been supportive of your musical endeavors? Definitely. If I have shows, they go. I think my dad has a creative side he was never really able to express or pursue, so he was supportive of me being able to express and pursue it. I could image him being pretty proud of you. Especially because you’re not making death metal or something to freak out the squares. It’s all beautiful music. Yeah, they’re able to listen to it, understand it and enjoy it. And you said your dad is a preacher?
Oh yeah. There was definitely some gospel music being listened to growing up. I remember around Christmas time standards being played. Bing Crosby and the like. Were there rules to what you could listen to? Or what he encouraged? He wasn’t into me buying Metallica or Guns ‘n’ Roses. I remember going to a friends house and him playing me Anthrax Attack Of The Killer Bs and knowing I couldn’t go home and listen to it there. There’s a song on that album called ‘Starting Up My Posse’—the chorus turns into a punk blast and he just rattles off every curse word imaginable, and I knew I could never listen to that at home. That was up until I could start buying my own records. Once you’re buying your own music, did they become more lenient? Or were they still on you for listening to ‘the devil’s’ music? They were open to me listening to what I wanted to listen to, and weren’t as critical— and were a bit more supportive. Who had the most influence on you musically? Getting into punk bands when I was in junior high. It’s right when I was learning how to play guitar and I realized I could actually play these songs I was listening to. That was a great feeling. Like, ‘I don’t have to know how to do a guitar solo and I can still start a band!’ Which I did shortly after. It was the attitude, not your ability to play. I guess that really stuck with me—ha. I had a pretty good ear for figuring out songs. Well, three-chord punk songs. When did you realize you could sing? Probably not until my early twenties. I had been singing in bands in high school, but I didn’t really enjoy it. It was like an ‘If you’re writing the songs, you have to sing them’ type deal. Then as I got out of high school I started listening to more and more experimental stuff. The college rock of the time. A lot of those guys had really unique voices, like Isaac Brock or J Mascis. It made me realize that you don’t have to have a ‘great voice’ or a ‘pretty voice’ to be an incredible singer. You just have to know how to use your own voice and have confidence in it. I started implementing different techniques when I would sing until I found myself becoming really comfortable with it. How did you figure out your own voice? Experimenting with different volumes and inflections. From screaming in punk bands in high school, and singing in bands after. Figuring out my range. I was able to hone into the strongest part of it. I’m still using different voices and I’m discovering the different personalities. The song determines how I sing. I do like where my voice is at now. INTERVIEW