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Photo by Angela Ricciardi

A good vocalist can staple a song to your skin, make you feel it, a sensation of emotional grip that emboldens you. If thats type of pervasive song intrigues you, and your preferred textures are dark woods, worn leathers, luxurious but cozy, then Alexandra Savior is that lasso of lyricism, pulling you into a dream state, a happy captured. On "The Mothership," this LA-based artist calls us to her with a cowboy melody, a galloping rhythm, and her airy voice, whispery one moment, haunting the next, resolving in this eerie comfort, like a ghost guiding the way in a dark and stormy night. With this song impressing, we wanted to reach out to this mercurial talent, to dig into her upcoming work, pathing thru the pandemic & more: 

OnesToWatch: Why are you an artist? 

Alexandra Savoir: It wasn't really an option. I’ve since I was 12 that I wanted to be an artist and it’s the only thing that I can really do. 


Fate has forced this upon you. Okay, was there anything else that captured your interests when you were younger? 

No. I mean, I wanted to be many different versions of an artist. I wanted to be a Cheetah Girl. And then I wanted to be on Broadway, and then I wanted to be a painter, and then I wanted to be a writer, and then I found out I could sing, and people were like, you should do that.

Well, the nice thing is as an artist, maybe you get the chance to do all of those things. How long have you been creating music? 


I've been writing songs for 16 years. Since I was 14 and I'm going to be 30. I didn't really start taking it seriously until a little later. But the first song I ever wrote was when I was 14. 

Well, this will be fun, since I'm going to ask about your process and it's probably changed a whole bunch. So how do you go about writing a song? Do you start with melody or topline, colors, ideas, or all the above? 

Usually I start by messing around on my guitar, and then the lyrics and melody I write simultaneously. I often collect lines from conversations and TV in my notes app, so I go back to that for inspiration a lot. 

Are you writing a high volume of songs? 

For the album, I was writing a prolific amount of songs, but I actually haven't written a song in two years. 

Wow, so these songs are all that old. 

Yeah, so the last song I wrote was “Unforgivable,” which is the single that came out, and that I wrote in like August 2023, and I haven't written a song since then. 


Can I ask why you haven't written one song since then? 

That’s a good f*cking question. I don't know. There's just nothing in there. I'm heavily sedated, so that's probably the main thing. 

Valid. I love your art direction on the album, it seems very deliberate and poignant. Tell me about that. 

I had a concept for the visuals – I do collaging, and stop motions, and was really inspired by that. I saw a short film by this director and photographer named Angela Ricciardi. And she is also my good friend. We just really get each other, and it’s beautiful to not have to do everything on your own. 

Yes, it’s cool to see the intrigue of your lyrics visually displayed, which is not easy to do. Digging into your album, which you wrote a long time ago, how did you put this album together? Did the songs fit naturally together as a cohesive piece, or did you set out to tie them into an album? 

I finished my last record at the end of 2018, and began writing the next one in 2019. Then, when COVID hit, it felt like the songs were irrelevant, because everything is just so different. So I started over. It's a moment of my life. I felt that the record was finished in 2022, but I was having a hard time getting a signed because my label went out of business and then I just didn't have a label. But to answer your question, the only songs that were written later on were “The Mothership” and “Unforgivable.” We recorded them in a totally different way, too, so it’s interesting that they’re the first singles representing the project. 

So what is “The Mothership” about? 


It's not what it sounds like it's about. It's essentially about being in love and not caring if God comes down – the mothership is God – and ends the world and kills everybody, it’s okay as long as I’m with my love. 

Is that a dream state or did this actually happen? 

The world ending? I feel like we’d know. But, it’s a love letter. 

When you write about difficult topics, is this a form of catharsis or is it educational to yourself and everyone else around you? How do you use music? 


I would say it’s completely internal and self-involved. “Unforgiveable” is maybe the one song I’ve written with the audience in mind, and what I want people – and especially young women – to think and feel while listening to it. Whereas everything else on the record is very much me trying to understand how I see the world. 

That’s great. Some musicians willingly share, and others are completely diaristic, and it’s an interesting dynamic. I’d love to hear about what’s most exciting for you with this upcoming album. 

I wasn’t ready to share a lot of this album, as it was such a dark and sensitive time, and I was tender still. I really needed to detach from it to put into the world. I don’t know what I want or expect from it yet, but it will feel like moving on to put it out. 

That makes sense. What do you do to relax? Do you take long walks, step into alternate universes, do you cook? 

I walk a lot. I have a dog, I hang out with him. I love to go to the movies by myself. I also watch so much TV. 

Good TV or bad TV? 

I don’t know… both. 

I find it so scary to go to the theater alone, where do you find the motivation to do that? 

I am a terrible person to go to the movies with. I hate being late, I want to get the best seat. I want to see all the previews. I want to see Nicole Kidman doing her thing at the AMC. Don’t talk to me, don’t look at your phone. I’ve lost so much respect for people because I have such high expectations. 

Have you been to the Alamo Theater ever? 

I love the one Downtown. 

Your disposition feels very in line with the Alamo, I’ve seen them throw people out for going on their phones. I’m gathering some references to creative inspirations that you’ve mentioned, but I’m curious how you get inspired? 

I’m constantly seeking inspiration. I’m very fascinated in visual artists, and also the lives of female artists in general. Specifically female musicians who lived in a time when women were not given the respect they deserve. So I’m always wanting to know more about how people go through the world as artists and women. I watch a lot of documentaries and go to museums. 

Do you have a favorite era? 

I love surrealism, and women in surrealism.There’s such a misogynistic era of art, yet there’s so many potent and successful women in surrealism. And musically, I really like the 70s and 80s. 

I have two last questions. If you could take your favorite person – dead or alive – to your favorite place – real or non-existent – who would it be and where would you go? 

I’d maybe take Frida Kahlo to Studio 54. 

I think Frida would slay at Studio 54. Well, lastly, I’d love to know who your OnesToWatch are! Who are some artists that are up and coming and deserve more flowers? 

Yes, a singer called Poppy Jean Crawford. She’s the coolest and insanely talented. 

Love supporting our friends. Thank you so much for your time. 

Thank you!