Interview, New Fire Music

“ROCK THIS WAY” WITH JENNIFER ALVARADO

Posted on by NFM Team
11
Jul
Jennifer Alvarado is a singer/songwriter from Vale, North Carolina.
 
Her first EP project titled ”Playing with Fire” was released in April 2021.  She is currently working on a country pop album titled “Songbird” that will be released in Summer 2022.  “Songbird” is a two part collection of songs that shows Jennifer’s growth as a writer and is sonically much different than her earlier projects. Her second single from the “Songbird” project, titled ‘’Rock This Way,” will be released in June 2022.  Her music has a country sensibility with a pop current running through it.  Her voice is smooth and passionate with a sweetness and power that merge seamlessly into satisfaction for the listener.  Her sound is a mixture of country, pop and blues that reflect an eclectic blend of influences.
 

She has been recognized locally for her songwriting and was named ”One to Watch” by Nashville Songwriters Association in Spring 2021 and Spring 2022.  Her songs “IDWYB” and “Filthy Water” were Top 10 Finalists for “Best Pop Song” and “Best Modern Country Song” for the Spring and Summer 2021 World Songwriting Awards.  She was just recently named  the “2021 Country Artist of the Year” by Indie Star Radio.  Her song “Curious” was a Finalist for “Best Pop Song” for the Winter 2022 World Songwriting Awards and won “Best Pop Song” for the Indie Songwriting Awards in Winter 2022.  Her song “Rock This Way” was just named “Best Pop Song” and “Best Overall Song” by the Indie Songwriting Awards in Spring 2022.  She is currently nominated for five International Singer Songwriter Association Awards, including “Female Vocalist of the Year”, a Josie Award for Female Music Video of the Year for “Filthy Water”, and a Carolina Music Award for Country Female Vocalist of the Year


We love your new fire music! How did you come up with the concept for the song?
 
“Rock This Way” was written after a few weeks of writer’s block.  I decided to change up my writing process and look at my favorite Classic Rock songs for inspiration.  I’ve always liked creating writing challenges for myself and for this one, I wanted to pay tribute to as many songs as I possibly could and the song lyrically still makes sense.

What is your favorite part about  the song? 
 
Most of my songs come from a raw emotional place.  So my favorite thing about “Rock This Way” is the fact I just wanted to write a song for fun.  I played it at my show last night and I love watching people just sway along to it.  The beat of it is fun and then the little 80’s rock anthem elements and references give it that nostalgia that everyone can appreciate.

What were you most meticulous about on your latest song? 
 
I wanted to pay tribute to the Classic Rock genre without completely making a rock song.  I am Country artist at heart.  Yes, I lean toward Country Pop and that’s where I want to land because I know that is what works for my music, so I wanted to keep that sound while still making my love for Classic Rock known.  I think my producer and I achieved what we set out to do.

Your latest collaboration, how did this come about?
 
When I first started sending my music out, one of the first station’s that really supported me was Indie Star Radio.  The Whythouse, a band out of Canada, heard my music on the countdowns and reached out to me late last year.  We worked on a song called “Starz Collide.”  The song is very much an opposites attract type theme song.  Chris with The Whythouse, had written the chorus modeled after his relationship with his wife.  And then I wrote the verses modeled after my relationship with my husband.  It was one of the easiest writers I’ve ever been part of.

Who did what on the song? 
 
For “Rock This Way,” I wrote the lyrics and music and all the vocals, including the crowd, are me.  Usually I create a rough draft and send it to my producer Ricky Rodriguez.  We have been working together for nearly eight years and so I trust his opinion with songs.  He really liked it and thought there was something special about it and suggested we work on it.  Ricky usually plays the guitars and bass on my projects.  We have used multiple drummers over the years.  Jason Singleton is playing on this one.  He is an amazing drummer and he completely brought this song to life.

What was the writing process like?
 
“Rock This Way” was a different process than pretty much all my other songs.  I had come up with the chorus melody first and from there decided, what if we make this a Classic Rock tribute song?  So from there I made a mental list of some of my favorite songs and thought about key references from each.  I had probably ten songs initially that I really wanted to concentrate on, but that list quickly expanded.

What kind of mood was set in order to create the magic?
 
I try to write daily, so for me at that time, I wanted to just enjoy writing.  Because it had been a few weeks since I had written anything, I was incredibly frustrated with myself.  That day in particular, I was trying to alleviate any pressure from the situation and try my best to not put expectations on the outcome.

Is there a critique you’ve gotten on the single that you worked through and it’s made the overall work better? 
 
Honestly I have gotten mostly really positive feedback for “Rock This Way.”  For the most part, people understood what I was trying to accomplish.  I had to explain to one person that my intention was not to create a “rock” song, but to simply pay tribute in my Country Pop way.  I had one song evaluator completely miss the concept and not understand the context of the lyrics.  To be completely transparent, I ignored that one.  Ultimately with this song, I wanted to be proud of the end result.  That’s taken a lot of years to get to.  I used to receive evaluator’s comments and completely fall apart if they said something negative and felt like I had to completely rewrite the song.  Now I can simply read the comments, glean what I need to from it, and forget the rest.  I understood where the evaluator was coming from with their thoughts; however, it was also clear they didn’t read the backstory of the song’s creation.  If you truly believe in the song and are proud of it, it no longer matters whether others do.

What are you most excited about for fans to hear on your latest single?
 
My biggest hope is that fans have fun with the song.  One of my favorite things about the Classic Rock genre is the crowd involvement.  You listen to songs like “Pour Some Sugar” or “Free Fallin’” and you know people are just waiting for the chance to join in.  That’s what I wanted with “Rock This Way.”  Also, it’s kinda a game to see if you can pick up on the references as you listen.  You can test your theories by listening to the Spotify exclusive playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1gkKner5ljQwwaxozWOMio?si=75e4c806d068431a

What has been the best feedback so far?
 
For me, watching people sway along or sing along when I play the song live is the best feeling.  Even though the song is new to most people, its references make it seem familiar and it evokes a response.

Leave us with your favorite fire lyrics of the song?
 
“Don’t let the sound of your wheels while they’re turning ever drive you crazy.
You gotta keep on, never stop believin’ and hold me baby.”
 
 
 
Official Website – www.jenniferalvarado.com
 
 
Instagram – @jenniferalvaradomusic
Tiktok – @jenniferalvaradomusic
Facebook Music Page – www.facebook.com/jemmusic12
Twitter – @guitardiva12

 

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