Q&A: Alisa Xayalith on Finding New Beginnings with "Roses"
NEW ZEALAND-BORN, LOS ANGELES-BASED ALISA XAYALITH, best known as the frontwoman of The Naked and Famous, is venturing into new creative territories with her latest solo release, "Roses." Marking her debut with Nettwerk, "Roses" is more than just a single—it's an intimate reflection of personal growth, resilience, and the power of hope. This lush, indie-electro-pop track weaves a metaphor of a garden, capturing the delicate balance between enduring life's challenges and embracing the beauty that comes from nurturing patience and faith.
From the gentle femininity of her sound to the deeply personal storytelling, Xayalith reflects on her evolution as both a solo artist and a collaborator, offering insight into what makes her music so uniquely her own. As she prepares for the release of her upcoming album and next single, "Boys & Guitars," Alisa Xayalith invites listeners to join her on this journey of transformation, resilience, and, ultimately, hope.
In our interview, Xayalith opens up about the inspirations behind "Roses," a song written during a time of self-doubt and metamorphosis that parallels the creation of her first EP, Superpowers. She shares the ways in which therapy and creative collaboration have helped her confront inner struggles, and how she's come to embrace a new chapter as an artist. Read our full interview below.
LUNA: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your new single? What does this release mean to you personally and what message do you hope listeners take away from 'Roses'?
XAYALITH: I wrote ‘Roses’ during the same time period as my first EP ‘Superpowers.’ I was filled with a lot of self-doubt and uncertainty around my capabilities as an artist and song-writer, I seem to ebb and flow in and out of this state, which I guess most people in the creative field can relate to.
Therapy has given me a lot of tools on how to dig myself out of the trenches and what better way than to write songs with people who I feel safe with to express myself however I need to.
‘Roses’ is a song about hope and resilience using a garden metaphor which felt very natural to me. I was sort of going through my own metamorphosis at the time. I like the idea of planting a seed and how something beautiful can grow when you have the patience to nurture and care for it. Eventually everything is gonna come up roses. ‘Roses’ marks a new beginning for me.
LUNA: As you were writing ‘Roses,’ what words were you using to describe the sound you wanted the end result to have?
XAYALITH:I wanted dreamy lush synth pads, layered pretty stacked vocals like in the choruses. An easy flowing Fleetwood Mac type drum beat with strumming guitars. I wanted my vocal to feel effortless and contained. Big emphasis on ‘effortless’ and going with what felt the best in the room.
At one point, the production was a wall of sound and we had to peel some things back in the end. I think we struck a perfect balance.
I wanted to explore the soft, gentle and feminine side of my artistry and ‘Roses’ reflected what felt true to me at the time. It feels familiar yet new at the same time for me.
LUNA: Tell me more about your creative process. Can you walk us through a typical day in the studio?
XAYALITH: My creative process has a bit more levity to it now than it used to. When I was younger, I put so much pressure on myself, partly out of great ambition and perfectionism because I care a whole lot about wanting to do well and do good work.
I used to judge myself so harshly. I’d be the most mean to myself and my harshest critic. Nowadays, I feel more connected to my inner child who just likes to play and explore without judgment which feels so freeing.
A typical day in the studio with collaborators would be taking the morning on my own to prepare ideas and song concepts of things I want to write about, and figure out what's on my mind and what's inspiring me in that moment.
Usually, I'd pull from an ongoing list of ideas from my notes app that I update sporadically. I listen to music and depending on my mood decide what kind of chord progression I want to begin with, tempo and maybe have a song reference in my back pocket for sonic reference.
The goal is to catch a great idea in the studio and I'd leave with a song by the end of the day. But also no pressure if it doesn’t come.
One thing I honed in on during the pandemic is learning how to record and edit my own vocals, it’s a helpful skill to learn and I would recommend every vocalist to do the same. You end up becoming self sufficient and it can free up the producer to focus on the track while vocals are being workshopped simultaneously.
I recently moved house so my typical day in the studio doesn't feel very typical at all. It’s going to take a minute to get grounded and in a flow. Moving is so disruptive! But, I’m excited about this new chapter in every single way.
LUNA: Did you stumble across any challenges during the process? What were they?
XAYALITH: Yes. Always. The life of a song writer and artist will be full of challenges till the end of time.
To find my people, I had to do a lot of writing sessions, sometimes it wouldn’t always be a great fit and that happens more often than you’d think. But it’s ok! It’s part of the process. One of the challenges is knowing when to pivot in a room and being able to communicate graciously. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t.
But eventually you find your favorite people to work with, who see you, understand you and are excited about what you want to make. When all the pieces click in place everything flows easy.
Finding your core collaborators is kind of like finding band members for a season who are down to help build your vision and bring it to life.
But a lot of my challenges were personal ones I had to work through in therapy. Self doubt? Check. Self imposter syndrome? Check. Freeze state as a type of coping mechanism? Check. Existential career crisis? Check!
LUNA: What have solo projects taught you that collaborations never required of you?
XAYALITH: I used to second guess myself a lot and looked to other people to tell me if my ideas were great or not. I think that’s what happens when you’re in a band, it becomes a normal reflex to defer to others rather than believe in my own ideas from the jump.
My solo project has taught me how to trust my own creative instincts which has allowed me to be a free spirit in the writing room. It’s a feeling that I’ve felt once before as a kid, when you’re in a state of play and ideas just seem to flow. I feel like I lost that part of me a few years ago. I’m so glad I found it again.
LUNA: You’ve collaborated with so many unique artists while maintaining your own sound! How do you collaborate with others in an authentic way while still making sure that your personal projects sound unique to you?
XAYALITH: Thank you. If I'm writing with an artist for their project, that is easy, I defer to their wants and needs. It’s really nice to write with other artists and songwriters, you can take a break from playing the central character in your own story and delve into someone else’s world.
As for remaining authentic to my personal project, I think having a strong sense for what I want to make is how and finding people whose music taste aligns with mine that I can lean on and to take songs to the finish line is how.
LUNA: Are there any particular artists or genres that influenced this single? In what ways?
XAYALITH: I’m an alternative indie girly pop forever. I think ‘Roses’ is a melting pot of all the things I love about a dreamy, guitar driven, synth pop song and the genre in general. It’s made up of sounds that make me feel excited and inspired. Pretty, feminine and soft which feels new for me.
LUNA: It seems you're no stranger to goal setting. What current personal challenges does this single complete for you?
XAYALITH: Honestly, you’re not wrong. I believe discipline is freedom and in this line of work, if i didn’t set personal goals nothing would get done and then I’d get depressed about not reaching my full potential.
It’s a constant thing to stay on top of, I thrive from having a routine and structured schedule to honor my creative reflexes and give space to them. I think it’s the perfect recipe to make sure you’re always growing, learning and feeding your soul. Also, massive shout out and gratitude to have a team of people who can take over the less creative tasks, like spreadsheets and admin.
With that being said, ‘Roses’ was my flag in the sand that marked the beginning of a new chapter.
I’m working on an album, there’s going to be more singles coming out. I'm on the train, the wheels are moving and all I have to do is keep up and make time to prioritize what's most important.
LUNA: How do you see your music evolving in the coming months or years? What are your hopes for the season 'Roses' brings?
XAYALITH: I hope this new season brings an abundance of possibilities. To continue to write songs that fulfill my spirit and give me joy and excitement, to further my reach new audiences who like and support what I do and enable me to keep doing this music thing. Like Caroline Polachek said, “potential is the drug.”
LUNA: What can fans expect from you in the near future? Can you tell us anything about the upcoming album?
XAYALITH: The upcoming album feels like an ode to love as I have known it and what I hope it’ll turn out to be.
Each song is like a love letter to some time and place in my life.
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