Canadian singer / songwriter Alex Frew seen 2021 off to a flying start with the release of his highly anticipated debut EP 'Cobalt'.
Following on from introductory singles, 'Get Out Alive', 'Antisocial Love Song', and 'Something To Hold Onto', the EP brings together the bittersweet beauty of adolescence in a captivating tone. It narrates feelings that most are afraid to talk about - from heartache, self-growth, discovering one's self and the long journey to adulthood.
Alex brings a mesmerizing array of lyrics to the EP that his continuously growing fanbase will resonate with. A distinct urgency to live life in the moment and appreciate the present is a pillar on Cobalt, bringing forth the importance of not getting caught up in things outside of one’s control. The EP contains six tracks, and is truly a remarkable debut which showcases his mature perspective and raw self-examination. Emotion and truth speak volumes in this EP and is done in a beautifully dark and dreamy production.
We had the opportunity to chat with Alex as part of our Get to Know series...
Introduce yourself and tell us a bit about you!
"Hey! Thanks for having me. My name is Alex Frew, I’m 19 years old and I’ve just released my debut EP, entitled ‘Cobalt’!"
Where are you from and what’s your favourite thing about the place?
"I live in Toronto, Canada, where I was born and raised. Toronto is special for many reasons, but primarily, its one of the most culturally diverse and art-filled cities in the world, so it truly is a special place."
Who are your biggest inspirations, musically?
"I always struggle with this type of question, as I always feel I forget to mention some of my biggest inspirations each time I’m asked it. Off the top of my head, I would have to go with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, at least recently. I’ve been engrossed in lyrics recently, and the way in which they are able to spin their words into stories is something else altogether, so they hold a special place in my heart."
Who would be your dream collaboration?
"At this point I feel like I’ve repeated this dream hundreds of times, but I have to say Justin Vernon of Bon Iver/Volcano Choir. I truly believe he is one of the most gifted musicians we’ve ever seen, and working with him would be absolutely unbelievable."
What’s been your stand out moment so far?
"Honestly, given the current global situation, just finally releasing my record into the world has been the highlight for me so far. It took several years to put together, so it’s really nice to finally have it released."
You recently released your new single ‘9 Feet Tall’ which is part of the EP! How has the reaction been so far?
"So far so good! It’s difficult for me to gauge those metrics, but hopefully we can continue to build off of any momentum that comes our way."
Tell us a little about it!
"9 Feet tall was actually the first track written for the project, almost 5 years ago now. It was extracted from a voice memo I had made late one night, and was turned into the pop song it is today. I believe it went through something like 5 or 6 different production approaches until we settled on how it is now. Long time coming."
What is the story behind the lyrics?
"It was written about a cold night with friends, that made me feel just a little bit bigger than myself."
What can we expect from you for the rest of 2021?
"I’m already at work on the next music, so hopefully there will be new stuff within the coming year. In the meantime, check out my EP ‘Cobalt”, which is available on all platforms now."
'Cobalt' is out now.
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