Alex & The Seabass are a collaborative Soul/R&B duo made from Alex Sandford and Sebastian Yoma. The pair hail from opposite corners of the world yet they came together to create music that reflects their unique personal and musical experiences. They recently released their new EP, ‘Monologue,” and from that EP their song “The Benefit of It” is a spectacular way to introduce yourself to their music.
For fans who have never heard your music, can you pick three words to describe it?! If three words just aren't enough..then tell us more!!
I would probably say raw, honest, and soulful. Raw because the composition and recording was very spontaneous. It only took a couple of live (no overdubs) takes in the studio to find the sound we were looking for. Honest because our lyrics convey real thoughts and emotions, and that's always been very important to us. We want our music to be completely ours, and that means it has to come from an honest place. And soulful because we want to create music that comes from our hearts. Music is nothing without soul and passion, and we make sure that each song we write has both.
When you are writing a song, where do you draw inspiration from? Or what topics do you like to write or sing about?
The way we write is very unique. I (Sebastian) write the instrumental part to the songs. I take care of the groove, harmony, rhythm, time, etc. I usually start with the bass. I find a groove I like and go from there to write drums, chords, etc. When I'm finished I record a demo for Alex (vocals) to sing over a write lyrics. (Alex) When I'm writing lyrics, I usually start with a melody, and that tends to influence the tone of the song, and the lyrics follow that. Sometimes there will be a certain word or phrase that I think sounds inspiring and I'll write a song based around that. I'd say many of my lyrics tend to be about finding inner strength, which is something I've found in the past few years.
Okay, this a fun question. When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing?
I really enjoy cooking. Specially food from my country, Chile. I also like to read, watch series and movies. Go on walks and breathe. But then I can't help to listen to a lot of music and practice, practice, practice!
If you were to create your favorite playlist of other artists music, what would your top 3 songs be? And, what artists have influenced your music the most?..
That's a very hard question! The music I decide to listen to depends on how I'm feeling that day, the mood. My top 3 songs today would probably be "Hero Town" by Vulfpeck, any song on Anderson Paak's "Malibu", and Jamiroquai's "Space Cowboy".
Can you tell us what song you've written that is the most emotional and describe the meaning behind it?
(Alex) I think the song I've connected to the most is "You've Got The Sunshine." The lyrics describe the feeling of meeting someone that has such a positive light and energy, and the complicated emotions that come with the admiration/envy you have for that person when you struggle to feel that way yourself.
What is your dream gig? Is there a gig that you really want that would be the ultimate show for you?
I don't know if I have a dream gig. As long as the band is playing shows, I'm happy. I've got to say that it would be cool to play a gig where all the fans knew all the lyrics and were singing along with the band on stage, and having a great time of course.
Are you working on any new material right now or what's in the works for the upcoming year?
Yes, we are. Me and Alex are trying out some new stuff for this coming year. We are trying to go more acoustic, smaller ensembles, less instrumentation, and more space. Definitely going in the studio in a few months.
Tell us where fans can access your music.