Broken Having just released her debut album 'Broken and Beautiful' Kate
Alexa is well on her way to becoming one of Australia's top young
singer/songwriters. Kate's musical journey began at the early
age of 16 when her first single, 'Always There', was featured on
channel 7's popular TV series 'Home and Away'. 'Always There'
Reached number 16 on the Aria singles chart, quite a feat for such a
young
artist.
Now just 18 and Kate has already seen 4 of her singles hit the top 40 in
last
two years - these include ALWAYS THERE, MY DAY WILL COME, ALL I HEAR,
SOMEBODY OUT THERE. Kate's talent as a young singer/songwriter has been
highlighted by the immense support shown by her fans and the industry
alike.
The music industries guide 'Music Network' has chosen 2 of Kate's
singles
as premier picks. Both 'All I Hear' and more recently 'Better Than You'
were
named Music Network's singles of the week (over such international
artists as
Gnarls Barkley, Fergie and Janet Jackson).
The past year has seen Kate perform on a host of high profile Australian
TV
shows (i.e. the footy show semi-final, TRL, MTV, Sunrise, channel V's
What U want, Video Hits, Mornings with Kerri-Anne,
Channel 10's The Big Night In).
Such performances have seen Kate's strengths as a
performer grow immensely.
Kate's debut album, 'Broken and Beautiful' is the tale of a
young girl finding her place in the world, making mistakes,
believing in herself, and not being afraid to take chances
and revel her true feelings.
"I will reveal everything I feel" Kate sings. "Want you to
see every part of me broken heart".
'Broken and Beautiful' is packed with pop hits, including
her 4 top 40 smash hit singles, the wonderful 80's
inspired pop of 'Glass Slipper' and 'Under The Influence'
and the beautiful ballad, 'In Your Eyes'. The album is the
culmination of a journey that starts with a four year old
girl, singing into her hairbrush in front of the mirror. "I
was always into performing" Kate recalls, "and I realized
that music was what I wanted to do with my life".
Kate's songwriting comes from a real place "I am who I am" Kate states.
"This is my journey".
Beautiful
Highlights along the way have included tours with Jesse McCartney and
the Backstreet Boys. "There I was singing for
12,000 people at Rod Laver Arena" Kate smiles "I used to go there all
the time to see concerts and then I was there, on
stage. It was an absolute dream come true". Kate's talent as a
songwriter is reflected through the fact that she co-wrote
all the tracks on her debut album. The result is a real album that real
people can relate to. It's Kate's story and it's your
story. It's 'Broken and Beautiful'.
Debut Album
What can you can expect from this? Honesty in her lyrics, and honesty in
Kate's delivery on and off stage. It's not like KATE TO BE
SOMEONE SHE DOESNT WANT TO BE Kate's songs are written about her life,
and they are tales we can all relate to, about a broken
heart, a struggle to achieve dreams, about embracing life and
acknowledging death.
Kate Alexa knows what she is and what she is not, and that to us is the
very essence of what kind of person Kate Alexa is, in reality
she is just like you and just like me - BROKEN and BEAUTIFUL!
Track By Track
SOMEBODY OUT THERE
I believe what I'm feelin inside
Long distance love.
"When I wrote Somebody Out There, I had just started a new relationship.
I was in LA, writing, and my
somebody out there was back home in Australia. One line sums it up for
me: A thousand miles, a million
smiles, how many more to go? I was thousands of miles away, meeting lots
of people, but I couldn't wait
to get home. Of course, you can look at this song another way that
there's somebody out there for
everyone."
ALL I HEAR
When you turn it up, I just tune you out... la, la, la, la, la
See you later.
"I'd just come out of a bad relationship. You know when the other
person's driving you insane and you get
to the point where you're so over it, you no longer listen to what
they've got to say? I wrote this song with Reed Vertelney and Lindy
Robbins. I started
singing the melody, 'La, la, la, la, la...', and we all decided, 'That's
pretty much what the song is about', so we kept it. I asked the subject
of the song if
he'd heard it, and he said, 'Nah, I've never heard it.' But he added: 'I
don't care, I just hope it all goes well for you.' Which was really
nice. There are no
bad feelings ' we just didn't work as a couple."
I LET GO
Nothing seems to scare me any more
Safe in your arms.
"This is about being in a great relationship. You know, when you feel
safe with someone, they give you the confidence to do things you've
never done
before."
WE ALL FALL DOWN
And in the end it's always worth it
Finding your place in the world.
"I wrote a lot with Reed Vertelney and Lindy Robbins. They've both had
plenty of hits Reed has worked with Michael Jackson and Destiny's
Child, and
Lindy co-wrote Nick Lachey's What's Left Of Me but they're the most
humble people and so easy to work with. My mum dropped me at the studio,
and
I said, 'Come in and meet them, they're really cool.' When we were
walking in, mum tripped on a stone and fell over. Jokingly, I said, 'We
should write
a song called We All Fall Down!' So that's where the song came from, but
it's not what the song's about. It's about the fact that we all make
mistakes.
You're not the only one. We're all so beautifully imperfect."
NAKED HEART
I will reveal everything I feel
Honesty.
"I realised that if I was going to write songs, I had to be honest and
write about my life. People need to be able to relate and understand
your music.
I'm not afraid to show my feelings. This song is about giving yourself
to someone else."
MY DAY WILL COME
Trust the way you feel inside.
Believe in yourself.
"No matter how hard things get, don't give up. Your day will come."
GLASS SLIPPER
And it's not like me to be someone I don't wanna be
Be true to yourself.
"People have different opinions about how they want you to be, what they
think
is right and what they want you to do. But I am who I am. I could never
be a
manufactured pop star. I have to make my own decisions."
UNDER THE INFLUENCE
I wake up with the morning sun and think about you
Love!
"This is definitely about a very good relationship. You know when you're
so head over heels? They
drive you insane because you're constantly thinking about them. You're
under their spell, under
their influence."
BETTER THAN YOU
And I finally see the truth
Broken hearts do mend.
"I was coming out of the All I Hear relationship and going into the
Under The Influence relationship. I've always loved this song."
IN YOUR EYES
Both of us are falling fast
That look...
"This is my soppy love song! It's about that connection..."
BROKEN & BEAUTIFUL
I'll be the one who'll hold your hand while you bleed
We"re all delicate.
"I met a guy in America named John Kalodner. He's a true music legend,
having worked with everyone from Aerosmith to Bon Jovi and Cher. He
said:
'I've got this song that'll be perfect for you.' I told him I wrote my
own songs, but I'd love to hear it. I could relate to it straight away,
and everyone loved
the title. People are so vulnerable and delicate and we go through so
many things losing people, broken hearts... But we survive. We're
broken and
beautiful."
NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG
Why pretend that everything is wonderful?
Keeping it real.
"I wrote this with Matthew Gerrard (who co-wrote Delta's Lost Without
You and Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway) and Robbie Nevil, who had a big hit
with
Just Like You. On this day, I decided, 'Everyone writes songs about
love, I'm not gonna write another love song!' Stuff happens in
relationships, so
there's no point lying about it. You've got to be honest with yourself."
ALWAYS THERE
Things happen and no one knows why
Loss.
"Writing this song was my way of trying to come to terms with the sudden
death of a friend. It was such a sad time, but it inspired me to write
what I
was going through. It's a very precious song. It helped me cope, and it
means a lot to me when I hear that the song has also helped other
people."
I TRIED IT ANYWAY
Nobody finds what they wait for
Stand up for yourself and what you believe in.
"In some ways, this is a similar song to My Day Will Come. Something can
be right in front of you, but you
don't see it. You have to take that chance and see what happens. You
can't sit there and wonder for the rest of
your life about what might have been."
