Alessia Cara chats 'Love & Hyperbole', collaborating with John Mayer, thoughts on Chappell Roan, and more
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00:00How are you?
00:01I'm good.
00:02How are you?
00:03I'm good.
00:05It's been a minute.
00:07Congrats on on life so much good things happening for you right now.
00:13Oh my gosh.
00:14I know it's it felt like I've been gone for so long in like a weird way.
00:17I guess I kind of have been but I'm excited to be back.
00:19Well, you make your presence known.
00:21I mean, Love and Hyperbole.
00:22I love this album.
00:23It sounds you've never sounded better in my opinion.
00:26But before we dive into this album and this new tour, I can't help but mention like,
00:33it's been 10 years since here in Scarce, you're beautiful.
00:36It seems like so much time has passed, but none at all at the same time, if that makes
00:40any sense whatsoever.
00:41I mean, these are songs that I play every morning on my show in Philadelphia.
00:45What does that mean to you?
00:47After all these years?
00:48I mean, these songs still mean so much to everyone.
00:53It's crazy.
00:54It's and thank you for playing them.
00:56So I appreciate it.
00:57It's honestly like, so wild, because you know, you don't even think like people are going
01:00to hear these songs like once or care about them once, let alone like, year after year
01:05after year.
01:06And it's so interesting now seeing like, people out of my demographic that are younger that
01:11are like discovering these songs again.
01:13And it's interesting, like, I feel like it's becoming scary to say like, almost like nostalgia
01:20music for some people, like the same way that I feel about like early 2000s and like 90s.
01:25It's crazy that it's become that but I'm like, Oh, my God, am I my vintage now?
01:29Like, am I approaching vintage status?
01:33But no, it's so cool.
01:34I'm just so glad that like new people are discovering it and that it's still meant means
01:38so much to people, you know, because you, you don't know what it's what it's gonna be
01:42when you when you are making this stuff and when you put it out.
01:44So it's really nice.
01:46Yeah, it's kind of crazy that people consider like classic music, like, you know, late 90s,
01:50early 2000s.
01:51I'm like, wait, what?
01:52I know, right?
01:53It's like, yeah, they're like, yeah, like oldies, you know,
01:56Yeah, like, like NSYNC and Britney.
01:57I'm like, wait, what?
01:58Oh, how old?
01:59How old am I getting?
02:00This is crazy.
02:01Let's fast forward 10 years.
02:04You know, it's been a week now since the album has been out.
02:07How does it feel?
02:08This new project, this new baby, like it's out in the world.
02:11How does it feel?
02:13Feels great.
02:14Yeah, already a week postpartum.
02:19It's wild.
02:19I can't believe it's been a week like it's just flown by flown by when I set the date
02:23for like, you know, the new year, February, it felt like so long from then.
02:28I was just like, oh, my God, this is going to take so long to get here.
02:31And it's flown by.
02:33But I just feel so happy that it's out.
02:35I've been sitting on this music for so long.
02:37And it's my favorite music I've ever written.
02:40So I'm just so happy that like people get to hear it now.
02:44Yeah, I mean, from first listen, there was a few songs that jumped out.
02:47I mean, fire.
02:49It's so obvious.
02:51Slow motion, slow motion might be my favorite.
02:53Song sounds so good.
02:55Is there a certain song that stands out for you?
02:58Like you couldn't wait for your fans to hear it or, you know, something special for you?
03:04I mean, honestly, all the ones you mentioned, like all the singles that we've released
03:07are some of my favorite songs on the album, which is so nice.
03:10It's so nice when they get to align, like the singles that you choose being your favorites,
03:14because usually my favorites are always like the weird deep cuts.
03:17So this is so nice to have like so many of my favorites be like showcased in that way.
03:21So, yeah, those ones.
03:24And then there's like a few other ones that I love, too.
03:25There's a song called Drive that I really love.
03:27There's a song called Clearly that I really love.
03:31It's hard to pick, honestly, because there's so many on this album that I truly, truly love.
03:36Clearly, that's another good one, too.
03:37It's a perfect way to end the album, too, in my opinion.
03:40And then you got the guitar riff, the solo from John Mayer.
03:44How did that come to fruition?
03:46I've seen that man perform live like over a dozen times.
03:50He's insane.
03:51How did that all come together?
03:52He's amazing.
03:53He's one of my favorite artists ever and one of my favorite musicians ever.
03:57So I always had him in the back of my mind, you know, for maybe one day,
04:01like doing some sort of collab.
04:03And I didn't want to use the card until it felt like it was the right song.
04:08And so once I wrote Obvious, I was like, this would be so cool, you know, for John Mayer.
04:13But I just like didn't say anything for a while.
04:15And then it kind of came time to turn in the song.
04:17And there was like this empty space in it that I had to either choose to like write
04:21something to or just leave it or I didn't know what to do.
04:24And I was like, a John Mayer solo here would be just spectacular.
04:27So I just like bit the bullet and asked.
04:30I was like, you know, fully expecting him to politely decline.
04:36So I was fully prepared for that.
04:37And it was the complete opposite.
04:38We went in the studio then a couple days later.
04:41And he just like, you know, played something incredible on it and was so quick.
04:46And just like is absolutely the most one of the most talented people I've ever seen.
04:50So it was so cool to, you know, to have his stamp of approval,
04:54but also like his stamp of like talent on my song.
04:57It felt really cool.
04:58That's amazing.
04:59Who else are we manifesting for like a future collab?
05:02Who's put it out there?
05:04Oh, my gosh.
05:05I always like shoot for the stars.
05:06I have like these like manifest the ones like Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks, the Stevies.
05:14I love them all.
05:16Who else?
05:17I love Chris Martin of Coldplay.
05:20Amazing.
05:21There's so many people I'd love to work with.
05:23He's on another planet.
05:25Chris Martin, he's he's one of my favorites, too.
05:27He's unreal.
05:29So good.
05:29Yeah.
05:29And his voice is like one of the one of my favorite voices in music ever.
05:33So that would be unreal.
05:35You got 14 songs on this album.
05:37How many songs did you write all together?
05:39Were there a lot of songs that, you know, maybe be a part of a deluxe album in the future?
05:44How many songs were scrapped?
05:46Um, there were I wrote, I believe about 46, I think was what I 46 songs for the album
05:52narrowed down to 14.
05:53I can't do math.
05:54So I don't know how many.
05:57There's a there's a reason I'm an artist, not a.
06:00But yeah, there's gonna be a few for hopefully a potential deluxe.
06:03There's some stuff that I want to definitely keep that just didn't feel right for like the
06:08original body of work that I would love to maybe put out in the future or on a deluxe
06:12or something, you know, because there were great songs that I unfortunately had to to
06:17cut, not because I didn't love them, just because, you know, they just didn't feel right
06:20for this.
06:20But I would love to use them elsewhere.
06:23Maybe.
06:24Yeah, I'm always wanting more.
06:25I'm greedy.
06:25I'm like always think about that deluxe version, like SZA just released her deluxe version
06:29of her album.
06:30It's so good.
06:32Speaking of the Grammys, obviously, you won Best New Artist 2018.
06:37The Grammys just passed Chapel Rowan.
06:39What are your thoughts on on this year's Best New Artist?
06:43Oh, my gosh.
06:44I love her.
06:45Love her.
06:46I felt like she was going to win that because she just I mean, has like her artistry is
06:51just like so beautiful and so well crafted.
06:54So I felt like she would win it.
06:56But there are so many other people that I was also rooting for.
07:00Like that category was like the most stacked I've seen.
07:02Like I was like, I genuinely don't know who I would pick.
07:06Like there are so many incredible artists this year that have just like have been working
07:10for years that have finally like, you know, broken through.
07:14So I thought it was great.
07:15I'm so happy for her.
07:16And I'm so happy for everyone in that category who's had like such a wonderful year.
07:21And so many of them that I know personally to them like been putting in work, you know,
07:25I've seen so many of these artists music in the past, like, and how hard they've been
07:29working.
07:30So it's so nice to see them have like, their, their chance to break through.
07:35But yeah, love Chapel.
07:36She's wonderful.
07:37Yeah, she's having such a run.
07:40The song you wish you wrote.
07:41I love asking this question.
07:42Like you've been, you know, working hard on this project in the studio grinding.
07:46Is there a song that you've heard recently that has given you inspiration?
07:50You're like, oh, I wish I thought of that first.
07:52Oh my god.
07:53Yeah, I always think that there's so many songs.
07:55Oh, this is so good.
07:56Like listening to music as a fan is wonderful.
07:58And then listening to music as an artist is torture because you're like, oh, you just
08:01have that like, you know, but it does make you want to be better.
08:05There's so many great songs.
08:06There's honestly, this entire album, there's an artist named McGee, who is like, kind of
08:11popping off now.
08:12And he has a song called Are You Looking Up that I wish I wrote for sure.
08:17Who else?
08:18There's so many.
08:19I mean, good luck, babe.
08:20Speaking of Chapel again, what a beautifully crafted song.
08:24That whole album is wonderful, too.
08:25It's like filled with songs that are great, but probably Are You Looking Up is like my
08:29top right now.
08:30Yeah.
08:31And you're getting all set for this tour.
08:33It's happening by Philadelphia in a couple months.
08:35It's coming up fast.
08:37Are you excited to get back on the road?
08:39Are there tour must haves for you as you embark on this journey?
08:45Yes.
08:46I feel like I really need to prepare myself this time because I don't really take care
08:51of myself as much as I should on the road.
08:52I'm always like losing my voice.
08:53I'm always just a little bit of a disaster on the road.
08:56So I'm like, really prepping this time.
08:58I'm going to bring like all my vitamins, my, you know, my ginger shots to keep my immune
09:04system up.
09:04There's like a bunch of things.
09:05I'm going to get like a playlist for the bus, a bunch of books.
09:09There's like things that I need to put in place to really just like stay healthy and
09:12good.
09:14But I'm I'm very excited.
09:15I think it's going to be super fun.
09:17And my brother, my brother is going to come out with me.
09:20So we've never toured together.
09:21So that's so cool.
09:24Yeah, he's awesome.
09:25He's like a videographer, editor, director.
09:26So he's going to be on the road with me capturing all the moments.
09:29Oh, that's so much fun.
09:30I'm looking forward to Philly.
09:31Do you have any fun Philly memories?
09:33Or is there any like spot you have to go to see?
09:37Reminisce.
09:38Reminisce.
09:39There is.
09:40I love Philly.
09:41Honestly, I love being there.
09:42The food there is always so good.
09:43I mean, not to be cliche, but the cheesesteaks absolutely spectacular.
09:47Unfortunately, my favorite place, I believe, burnt down.
09:51It's back.
09:52It's back.
09:53It's back.
09:54James, they just they heard you were coming back.
09:57And they're like, we got to get our affairs in order.
09:59Oh, my gosh.
10:00It's back.
10:01I love that.
10:02Oh, my God.
10:02They did it for me.
10:03Thank you, James.
10:04Thank you so much.
10:06That's such great news.
10:08Because I was asking about it the last time I was there.
10:10And then like just after my last tour, like after COVID, I was I messaged Keith,
10:16who used to work at Def Jam, who took me there the first time.
10:18I was like, what was the name of that place?
10:20And he said it burned down.
10:21I was so sad.
10:22So I'm so glad that I just what a roller coaster of emotions.
10:25I know it's been a long, cold two years with them shutting their doors.
10:29But they're back and like they're better than ever.
10:31Like they've expanded.
10:32So they've come prepared for your arrival, for sure.
10:35Glad they did that all for me.
10:37I really appreciate that level of support.
10:40We're excited to have you back in Philadelphia.
10:42And just so excited to have your music out in the world again.
10:46Love and Hyperbole.
10:47This album is special.
10:48Fire is such a great song, too.
10:51Thank you so much for hanging out.
10:52And we can't wait to see you in a few months here in Philly.
10:56Oh, my gosh.
10:57I can't wait.
10:57I can't wait to be back and have the new and improved gyms.
11:01You guys play the show.
11:02It's going to be so fun.
11:03So thank you so much.
11:04Awesome.
11:05Thanks so much, Alessia, for some time.
11:07Appreciate you catching up.
11:08Good to see you again.
11:09Yeah, see you soon.