Alison Wonderland: Eclectic taste is good, but making music is all about your ears

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/australia-culture-blog/2015/mar/21/new-faces-alison-wonderland

Version 0 of 1.

Her song I want U was one of 2014’s top tracks, she played Splendour and Stereosonic and her secret Wonderland warehouse parties sell out quickly. Alison Wonderland – real name Alex Scholler – was a principal cellist in the Sydney Youth Orchestra and played bass in an indie rock band before she taught herself to DJ and produce. Her dance tunes have been picked up by Annie Mac and Diplo, now she’s released her first album, Run, and is setting off on a US tour, starting with a sunset slot at Coachella. She talks about making twisted music clips, almost working with Wayne Coyne from The Flaming Lips and her plan to eat a cheeseburger in every US city.

Why did you call your album Run?Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve wanted to call my first album Run, so I didn’t want to let my baby self down. And it seemed to tie in with the whole record.

What does that title mean to you?Always moving forward, momentum

There are many collaborators on the album including Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips, Djemba Djemba, New York rapper Johnny Nelson and SAFIA’s Ben Woolner. Who was the best get?Apart from Wayne Coyne, everyone else on that record is my friend, so it was about making music with people I love. There are people on that record who I’ve known for a really long time, we’ve grown together as artists and so that probably meant more.

Did you enjoy working with Wayne?Kind of. I didn’t ever meet him so it’s not as cool as everyone thinks. We did it over email, and it’s not really how I prefer to work, I prefer to be in the studio with someone. But it’s very cool that he is on the record.

The video for U Don’t Know is full on – where did the idea come from?

My twisted brain. I was on a plane listening to the demo and that visual came into my head. It’s all about power play. Everything I visualised became real, which is super crazy.

Why did you decide to do all the vocals on the album? When I started making music, a lot of vocalists wouldn’t give me the time of day. I don’t have to be a Beyoncé, I can still sound like myself and write music that makes it work with my voice and why not do it? I try not to overthink it too much, I still don’t consider myself a singer, it’s about the song as a whole, so that’s just another element

You played the cello for many years. Does having a classical background influence you?I don’t know. Having an eclectic taste in music is a fortunate thing when making music [but] I don’t like to have it at the forefront of my mind when I’m working because that will limit what comes out of you intuitively. At the same time I know amazing producers that don’t have a classical backgrounds, so it’s all about your ears. My ears have been trained for a long time, so I guess in a way it has helped.

If you picked up the cello now, would you be able to play?Yes, not as well, but yes.

What do you think about the Australian dance music scene at the moment?It’s amazing, it’s a community and we all have a lot of respect for each other and hang out. The scene is very forward thinking and I’m fortunate to be a part of a time where it is flourishing. I feel like [some Australian producers] are taking risks in the best way, they are not trying to stay stagnant and safe, they are trying to move with what’s happening.

Where does your love of Drake come from?

I love hip hop, and Drake is different. I love his lyrics, his music and what he’s about. The album that got me into Drake was Thank Me Later and at the moment I’m listening to his mixtape. All of his songs evoke a different emotion every time you listen to them.

Whose career do you envy?There are no artists I envy. There are a lot I respect, but I have always made a point of sticking to my guns and doing my thing. I don’t really want to compare [myself to] what anyone else is doing. I never did this as a career, this is really my passion and I happen to be constantly around it which is enough for me.

Do you feel successful yet?No, I don’t ever want to say I feel successful because I feel like I won’t drive myself anymore. The minute I start thinking like that, it’s not good for me.

What drives you then?The fact that I’m not where I want to be yet. I didn’t know this is where I wanted to be last year, I just worked really hard and did stuff that I cared about and it led me down this path. I think pre-empting that would be the worst thing to do. If I think about it too much I’d go crazy, so I just try and be honest with what i’m doing.

Who are you looking forward to seeing at Coachella?

I really want to see AC/DC. [It’s] nostalgia really. When you’re a kid and your parents listen to it on the radio, so it makes me feel at home. There are a lot of artists I really want to see, and I want to see my friends play. A friend of mine from Norway called Trippy Turtle is playing and Chet Faker is playing.

What souvenirs are you collecting on your US tour?I’m going to try to eat every cheeseburger in every city. It’s not a souvenir, but I make a point where I find the best place to eat. I’m half living in LA at the moment so I know all the spots there already. In-n-out burger and Umami burger is really good, and there are a lot of good burger joints there.