Music Spotlight: The Naked & Famous [Alisa Xayalith]
The Naked and Famous are an indie electronic band from Auckland, New Zealand, consisting of two members: Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers. They’ve been making music together for nearly 13 years and their new album, Recover, is set to release this summer. Recover is their fourth studio album, which focuses on the duo’s personal experiences, and their first release since 2016’s Simple Forms. We had the chance to chat with Alisa, so check it out below.
How would you describe the sound of your upcoming album, Recover?
‘Recover’ is a colorful collection of songs, bursting with warmth and optimism. It teeters on the edge of loss but ultimately ends in healing. The album title is a testament to us recovering ourselves, both as a duo and as individuals - for a moment, Thomas and I weren’t sure the band would live to see the year 2020.
What is your songwriting process, and has this changed since your previous work?
In some ways, not much has changed as Thom and I have always been the principal songwriters. The main difference, for ’Recover’, was the number of collaborators we brought on. Everything up until this point had been very insular, but we opened ourselves up to collaborative creativity for this record. I wanted 'Recover’ to take us somewhere new - I knew we had to evolve.
During this time of uncertainty, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, what advice would you give to others?
One size does not fit all - we may have to adjust how we operate, moving forward, and look to find a sense of purpose within that new paradigm. We should be easy on ourselves and adjust our expectations. As you said, this is a time of uncertainty, so maybe it’s a good idea to develop resilience to that.
What’s an interesting thing that people may not know about you?
I am a child of Laos refugees. My parents immigrated from Laos to NZ in the late 1970s, and I was born in NZ.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
I would have gone to University and studied fine arts.
What song(s) are you currently playing on repeat?
Christine and the Queens - People I’ve Been Sad
Lightning round! Describe each of the following with one word:
Who you are: Kiwi
What you value the most: Kindness
What you’d be if you were a food item: Fries
Check out their latest music video for “Come As You Are” right here and keep an eye out for their new album, Recover, out July 24!
