Five Questions With Alex Whorms

Ajax, ON-born, Hamilton, ON-based artist Alex Whorms has released a video for her newest single, “Too Many Love Songs” off of her upcoming album, Burgundy which is set to be released on September 20, 2019.

“The words ‘I’ve written too many love songs / in the face of my fear / since I’ve been with you’ are a realization I was clinging to a high-profile relationship and ‘cool’ lifestyle I wasn’t truly comfortable with,” says the classically trained pianist and vocalist of the new track off her forthcoming sophomore release, Burgundy — available September 20, 2019.  “Things like binge drinking, partying hard, being in a relationship with a lot of PDA, and trying to be popular in general never felt right to me, yet there is a lot of pressure to act this way in social situations. Especially in university, I felt as though I needed to follow these stereotypes in order to fit in. The line ‘why do I feel like a winner in someone else’s shoes’ pretty much sums it up.”

Whorms directed the video, and first felt inspired to write the track at a party, it was a natural fit for the video to depict a similar scene.

“At the party I attended in real-life, I was there with my boyfriend. I noticed we acted differently in front of our friends to look ‘cool.’  I was fascinated by that. In retrospect, working on music in a more serious way over the last two years has helped me become more confident in myself,” she reflects. “I no longer deal with the insecurity I expressed in this song.”

Check out the video below and find out more about Alex via our Five Questions With segment.

Care to introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello! I’m Alex Whorms (pronounced “warms”). I am a pianist, singer, and songwriter based in Hamilton. My second EP, “Burgundy”, is coming out on September 20, 2019, and two singles are out now – “Sunset” and “Too Many Love Songs”.

Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.

My music can be described as piano-pop with orchestral and indie rock influences. I am often compared to Sara Bareilles, Regina Spektor, Ingrid Michaelson, Sarah MacLachlan, and Vanessa Carlton!

I was a classical pianist and a musical theatre performer before I started songwriting, so my songs tend to be big and layered, with detailed piano parts and lyrics made up of my quirky inner-monologue.

Do you have any upcoming shows? For someone who has yet to see you live, how would you explain your live performance?

The official release concerts for “Burgundy” are on Sept 27 (Jillard Guitars in Hamilton) and Sept 28 (The Diezel Room in Oshawa) with my band; and I play solo in Toronto on Nov 27 at The Painted Lady for their Songwriters’ Round. More dates in other cities will be announced soon!

I usually perform as a 5-piece band with myself on keyboards and vocals, accompanied by drums, bass, guitar, viola, and backup vocals. Using different combinations of all these instruments, my band and I create a lot of contrast between songs, so the show is always moving. You’ll hear smooth grooves, sentimental ballads, and upbeat songs to clap, tap and sing to.

I also enjoy solo performances, where I get to play embellished piano parts and make use of cool keyboard effects.

If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?

“Sunset”! It’s a cinematic anthem for a broken heart.

Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?

Sarah Slean, Laila Biali, and Arkells.

Connect with Alex Whorms:
Website
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