Q&A: Alton
A SINGER COMMITTED TO SELF EXPRESSION - Alton’s latest album, For The Interest of Time, combines R&B sounds with an electronic edge. The album showcases Alton’s growth as a writer and his ability to create a melody that flows effortlessly, but flows together like a perfectly paced soliloquy, each beat bleeding into another. A meshing of a personal narrative and creative, soulful production, Alton makes his spot known in the industry, marking himself as a powerful force in any of the many areas he specializes in. The young producer/singer-songwriter recently sat down with The Luna Collective to discuss his new album, creative influences, and his passions beyond the music industry.
LUNA: Would you mind introducing yourself?
ALTON: Hello, I’m producer and singer-songwriter Alton. I’m currently broadcasting my thoughts from Norway but I’m usually based in California or Tokyo. I have a very modest sticker collection and my favorite vegetable at the moment is spinach.
LUNA: Take us through the creative process for For The Interest of Time?
ALTON: It started off with a desire to get my mind off of my schoolwork. I currently attend a collegiate music program where I need to commit every second of my entire weekday into classwork– so to cope with that, I decided to lock myself inside my studio every weekend. I would come up with a bunch of weird sounds and pray to God that they would make sense together. When creating the tracks, I kept in mind that I wanted the narrative for my first EP to be a bit personal, so that I could properly introduce myself as an artist and a person but without creating borders that might alienate the listener.
LUNA: Do you find yourself having a common theme in your music? Is there a common theme in For The Interest of Time?
ALTON: When I write, I’m never afraid to bring in my broad influences and let them clash to create a hybrid of genres and styles. I actually physically feel wrong when I make something that I know is overdone. It’s a compressing sensation located near my sternum and my arms get tingly too. I also strive to not give a shit about song length and structure because that shit is super dated. If it sounds good, it's good. And I feel like I’m actually making something if I think outside of a mold to fill in. I’d rather spend an absurd amount of time trying to come up with something I’ve never heard of than pretend to enjoy the track I’m not proud of.
LUNA: Who are some musical and artistic references for you?
ALTON: Definitely Pharrell Williams and Kanye West. They represent the traits of a great producer that can embrace the balance of weird and familiar for a broader audience. In terms of artists, I’d say Gorillaz, Hundred Waters and The Avalanches because their sounds are so iconic. I enjoy artists that have a very specific sonic palette and can still kick ass while they’re at it.
LUNA: Which song means the most to you from the album?
ALTON: “Our Theme Song” hands down. I know its gonna be the outcast song of the project but it was spawned from a very low point in my life and personally there was so much to take away from my first breakup. I even mixed it in a way that was uncomfortable to listen to and the recording to me sounds like it's saying “ugh, whatever”.
LUNA: Outside of music, what are you most passionate about?
ALTON: I’m really passionate about photography and pretending to know what I’m doing on Instagram (@altonotla). In the end, it's just a bunch of desaturated photos on it’s warmest setting.
LUNA: What do you want 2020 to bring you?
ALTON: I want 2020 to bring me lots of great music ideas so that I can share it with the world. I also want to learn how to use photoshop.
CONNECT WITH ALTON SATO
SPOTIFY
