Exclusive Interview with ALESS ARIAS

Aless Arias is a musician from Western Sydney who performs indie rock. Her music is a representation of her life up to this point, with mellow vocals and intricate guitar work.
Her 2022 debut was long overdue despite her familiarity with the music world. Arias was the primary songwriter and guitarist for the alt-rock band Chicanery, whose song “Open Road” made FBi Radio’s Song of the Year List (2017). She is also a member of the New Age Noise Collective, a group of female artists and creatives from Western Sydney.

The song 45 Hours is a reflective examination of feeling trapped in your existing routine. It is the realization that there is so much more out there for you, but you are paralyzed by your mundane 9-to-5 routine. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

ALESS ARIAS: I grew up in Sydney in a pretty musical household – my mum was always playing music around the house and was super encouraging – she bought me my first guitar at 13. I started taking guitar lessons in high school then joined a band at 15. It was my first taste of writing music and playing live shows.

I officially launched the Aless Arias project in 2022, but I started writing for it around 2018-2019. I wanted to explore my own sound after being in a band – and here we are!

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

ALESS ARIAS: I took guitar lessons for five years and learnt the basics but have been teaching myself for the last few years. I also had a few singing lessons when I was a kid and am self-taught on the bass.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘ALESS ARIAS’?

ALESS ARIAS: Ever since I was 11, my favourite band has been Paramore. It was 2007 when I discovered them, and I immediately wanted to be just like Hayley Williams. I fell in love with emo music as a teen and that really inspired my songwriting.

Some of my main influences for the Aless Arias project are Phoebe Bridgers, Soccer Mommy, Slowly Slowly and Kings of Leon. I also love pop music too – I try to listen to as much music as possible, no matter the genre.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

ALESS ARIAS: I’d describe my music as indie rock with a twist. Crying but in a cool way. A little sad but a bit tongue-in-cheek too.

I try to be as honest as possible. I just want to write about the everyday moments of my life that others can connect to – things like my daily routine, relationships, friendships, my childhood. I’m just a girl in her mid 20s navigating life.

I love artists that can write one or two lines that evoke a very specific niche memory. My goal is to do the same – and I hope that resonates with my listeners.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as INDIE?

ALESS ARIAS:

I’ve dabbled in a few genres, so I think that’s helped me find my own sound.

First, I joined a band and we wrote alternative rock that was heavily inspired by emo and pop punk. Then, I decided I wanted to have a go at electronic music production and immersed myself in that for a few years. I wrote a bit of acoustic stuff too. Then, I picked up my electric guitar again and started writing whatever came naturally. That turned into the Aless Arias project!

6. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

ALESS ARIAS:

I’m an introvert at heart, so I would be lying if I said I didn’t love being in a studio, tucked away working.

But that being said, playing live shows is so so fun and the energy between the audience and the artist just can’t be compared! It’s the best. At the moment I’d probably pick interaction with a live audience, just because I’m really excited to start playing more shows.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

ALESS ARIAS:

I make music purely as a passion project, so I try to let that dictate my process. It’s easy to get caught up in the number of streams you have, followers you have, etc. I’m just focusing on writing the kind of music I love and doing it for the love of it. And hopefully something comes of it in the future!

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

ALESS ARIAS:

My creative process usually starts with just me and a guitar. I’ll play around until I find a chord progression that I like, then look through my journal or notes app for a line or two I’ve written that sticks out to me.

Once I have a song idea, I’ll write some more lyrics and get the basics of the track done. Then I’ll take the demo into the studio, refine the lyrics and build on the guitar tracks. I let it flow pretty naturally. I’ve been working with Tim Carr on my latest tracks – every studio session is super chill and we just add what we think is right for the song.

So far, all of my songs have been written by just me, but I’d love to collaborate with other artists in the future.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

ALESS ARIAS: Probably managing my music career with my day job. It requires a LOT of time management, planning and motivation. It can be hard to do both, but it’s really rewarding. It’s important to just stay focused and try not to put too much pressure on yourself.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

ALESS ARIAS: Probably my first live show in October! I didn’t have any plans to play live this year, as I wanted to focus on releasing a few singles and getting my name out there.

I was asked to play a show and said yes, even though it terrified me. I got a band together and we learnt my live set from scratch in just three weeks. I’m really proud of us for doing that. Plus the show reignited my passion for playing live and I can’t wait to do more of that next year.