Canadian guitarist and singer-songwriter Paige Drobot has released her new single, Alien Girl. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
Described as a "genre-bending fusion of rock, nostalgic pop, doo-wop, and freakbeat," the song was recorded with analogue techniques in her home studio in Winnipeg.
"The lyrics that came out for Alien Girl ended up being about alienation and feeling out of touch with the people around me," says Paige. "It's old soul stuff with a modern twist."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
When I am not making music (or doing something related . . . my many art projects), I am mostly teaching music or gardening. I have a full schedule of guitar students and a full yard. Do you call it that in Ireland? Probably just a "garden" for the whole area. YARD is a sick band from Ireland though!
How would you describe your music?
I write whatever I am into that day, but I will zone in on my new record, which is a 45 RPM, fit for a jukebox, except that the lyrics are subversive in a different way than the music of the 60s. I had these two songs, that use some of the most classic chord progressions of all time, that really don’t fit on an LP as well as I think they work in this format. Alien Girl is a shot at early 60s, and The Clog, later. A "spot all the references" situation.
Who are your musical inspirations?
I am inspired by most things. I’ve had a lot of phases. I have a ton of records. I’ve always been obsessive about music, as long as I can remember, (and longer than that because others remember). You can cover a lot of ground in that amount of time. When I sit down to create, I allow myself to do whatever I want. I don’t try to make a particular type of song. This sounds totally not revolutionary, but you would be surprised, I’ve worked with a lot of bands over the years and got to see how many other folks work and been in group songwriting situations that I didn’t care for. Anyway, I write whatever I feel and am able to draw from many different eras and styles of music because I have listened to and studied it at some point. I am not the best student of life and music, but I am a busy one.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Ozzy.
What was the first record you ever bought?
The first CDs I ever bought were Spice World and Nirvana: Unplugged In New York, but the first records I ever bought were Bad Brains and Raw Power by The Stooges. I had grown sick of my inherited record collection and what I could find in the thrift store (though it has some great albums) and was ready to be punk now. I lived rural and it was not easy to access record stores so I would load up whenever I went to a city, also had some decent luck in thrift stores in the small towns.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Peach Mango by French Class is stuck in my head constantly.
Favourite lyric of all time?
This is the kind of question some of my nine-year-old guitar students ask, and I never have an answer for them either. My favourite colour is orange, though!
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
That sounds horrible to me, honestly.
Where can people find your music/more information?
My website www.paigedrobot.com and all streaming services.
Alan Corr
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