We’re excited to welcome the multi-talented Aleksandra Denda, an artist whose musical journey spans continents and cultures. From a young age, Aleksandra’s passion for music was clear, as she was drawn to the operatic sounds of Carmen before exploring various instruments, including the accordion, piano, and harp. Her love for music eventually led her to jazz vocals in high school, before pursuing a degree in Music Performance and Contemporary Writing in the US, the birthplace of the sounds that inspired her.
Having lived in places as diverse as the Balkans, the US, India, Spain, and Switzerland, Aleksandra’s experiences have shaped her music and identity in profound ways. Her work reflects not only her personal evolution but also her exploration of themes such as the immigrant experience, cultural exchange, and inner transformation.
In this interview, Aleksandra opens up about her journey as an independent artist, the challenges and rewards of juggling multiple roles, and how she finds balance amidst the demands of her career. She also shares insights into her creative process, the upcoming projects she’s excited about, and her vision for the future of her all-female band, ROSA.
Join us for a conversation that delves into the heart of music, identity, and artistic growth with the incredibly talented Aleksandra Denda.
Can you tell us about your journey as an indie musician? What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
My heart’s always been in music since a really early age. My grandma would find me glued to the screen at the age of two everytime she would put on a VHS of opera Carmen, and my parents took it as a sign. Later on I went on playing different instruments – the accordion, piano, even a harp, before settling in for jazz vocals in high school.
Therefore, music also played an important part of my life, the shaping of my identity and was something that was highly enjoyable and came easy. As a young adult, I was hesitant about choosing it as a career path, so I went on to finish my first Bachelors degree in Communications before pursuing my second degree in Music Performance and Contemporary Writing which meant moving to the US, the place where all the music that I loved and was influenced by came from.
How would you describe your unique style and sound as an artist? What sets you apart from other musicians?
My hunger for experiencing the richness of life, for cultures and its people, led to living in various place across three continents – being born and raised in the Balkans, then spending majority of my 20s in the US (Boston and NYC), spending a summer living and teaching in India, and then moving back to Europe spending time in two very diverse places – Spain and Switzerland, has exposed me to a myriad of sounds, influences, big and small cultural derivatives that I feel all had a impact on not just my sound identity, but how I perceive the world, how I interact within it and where I continue to find my place, as a human and as a musician.
Could you share some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an indie musician and how you overcame them?
I feel it’s a similar thing for most indie musicians without representation, all the juggling of different roles and responsibilities, learning things on the fly, being the manager, booker, band leader, graphic designer, producer and artist behind it all, while often times working other jobs to sustain yourself and your dreams, and all of this can be quite draining.
No wonder so many indie musicians are prone to burnout. I feel like once I accepted that I’m doing the best I can with what I got, while at the same time prioritizing my wellbeing and things that matter to me the most, I managed to find some balance. I accepted the cards I’ve been dealt with and tried to do the best I can with them.
What is your creative process like? How do you approach songwriting and composing music?
After studying Songwriting at Berklee, I feel like I’ve become quite a nerd when it comes to writing music. On one hand, I rarely intentionally sit down to write, ideas often come to me while I’m walking or just doodling on the piano. I never force the initiation of the song.
But then, I treat those song seeds with much care and analysis. I’d spend a good amount of time exploring where the song could go – musically, lyricaly; what am I saying and whom to, and how do all the song elements come together to serve the song’s purpose.
Are there any particular themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music? What inspires your lyrics?
As someone who’s feet touched many grounds and continents, I tend to speak a lot about the immigrant experience. Pondering about the sense of home, our interaction with other cultures, reshaping of our identities. Inner transformation has been my latest big topic – and thinking about all the things that reshape us – technology, loss, change of environment, knowledge.
And sharing these stories and messages with a dash of magical realism – that’s how I approached writing TIMELINE, I’m talking about the societal pressures, but I never mention the society, I rather represent it as this giant human with mouth full of daggers and huge arms that squeeze us and mold us. That way it feels more present, more intimate. Because everything that is a current culture is very much present in our homes, in our minds.
What are your long-term goals as an indie musician? Where do you see yourself and your music in the next few years?
I’m writing a new collection of songs tapping into this topic of the things that reshape us and looking forward to having a bit of a conceptual approach to that body of work that should come out in the next 2 years. Also, with my all female group ROSA, we have finished our debut album which will be coming out next year, and I’d love to be touring the world showcasing this music to people of various backgrounds.
Interacting with other musicians has always been fruitful, so I’m very much looking forward to connecting more with musicians in Switzerland and the surrounding places in Europe and expanding my network here.
Read also: Exclusive Interview With Kaylee Lauren
