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Online bonus: Alexa Joel interview

All in the (Joel) Family

How have things changed for you since "Sketches" came out?
Well, it's really been pretty incredible. The response has been so warm, and there just has been a lot of interest from the press and all of that. It's funny because when I started to go into the studio and record this as an EP, I really thought that it was just going to be something that my band and I would listen to and maybe I would sell it after a few little local shows or something. But I really didn't know that Target was going to pick it up or any of that. I'm just floored by that, and it's just really great. But a lot has changed since then. We recorded that last May, so my sound is much different now. It's a little bit funkier, a little edgier. I have a keyboardist in the band; we have a new guitarist, and there's a lot that's changed since then. And I think I've definitely matured as a performer. I'm actually going into the studio soon to record more demos, so I'm just keeping everything rolling.

Are you working on a full-length album now? It sounds like you're definitely headed in that direction.
Oh, absolutely. Trust me, I'm very anxious because I know that people are anxious to hear something beyond "Sketches," and I'm anxious to give it to them because most of the songs I actually do in my shows now aren't even from "Sketches." So, yeah, probably in the next couple of months I'm hoping to go into preproduction for the album, and I'm hoping to come out with the album early next year. That would really be the goal.

I know you find yourself constantly changing your musical influences. Who is currently on your playlist?
It's really an eclectic range of people right now. It's really like super all over the place. You know, it's funny, because I always try to have a bit of a rock element and a bit of a soul element to all of my songs. So I've been really influenced by The Outfield lately and Journey. I've always loved Billie Holiday, but I've recently started to get into Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Roberta Flack. I'm really a fan of trying to mix it up. I get really bored easily, so I'll be listening to a rock song one minute and then a jazz song the next. I'm kind of all over the place right now.

What is it about those older artists that particularly inspires and influences you?
A big part of it is that I grew up with that kind of music. I always think that my dad's songs are really very classic, as well. And I think because he was influenced by that type of music, and always playing it around the house, that this sort of sound was just ingrained in my head as a little girl. He just always liked the sound of timeless, classic music and good melodies and just well-written music -- music that isn't necessarily cool or any of that, but definitely is timeless. I think just growing up with it, and my dad has inevitably influenced me a lot, and because that's the kind of sound he strives for, I think that's the kind of sound I strive for, as well.

Now that you have started your own career, do you find yourself seeking a lot of advice from your dad? And, when you do, what does he tell you?
Oh, yeah, all the time. I mean, not as much like specific musical questions, because he's so good that I often go, "Oh, what would my dad do here?" when I'm writing a song. But I don't want to ask him, because then that would sort of be cheating [laughs]. But I mean for career advice, totally. He's always saying, "You've got to protect your songs. Go with your intuition." And he always says, "You just have to really treat your songs like they're your babies and protect them because people are going to try to change them or make them more commercial or make them something they want. And you always have to do what you want and trust your own ears and your own instincts.

Do you feel that, so far, people have given your music a fair reception and not unduly compared it to the music of your father?
[Laughs] To be honest, it depends on the review. My dad is always, like, "Don't read the reviews." But, of course, I read all of them. For the most part, I feel like people have been really cool and really just judging me on me and judging the performance within itself. But every now and then I get that, "Let's see what these celebrity offspring are up to." I get popped into that category of "pop's little girl" or "the piano girl," and little phrases like that get a little frustrating when you are trying to do things in your own right. But, overall, I'm actually pretty grateful because I know the reception could be even harder on me, and people really seem to be giving me a chance and judging fairly and receiving me very warmly. So I feel kind of fortunate for that.

It seems inevitable that comparisons were going to be made between you and your father. Was this something that ever caused you to consider not embarking on a career in music?
In the beginning it was almost shocking for me because I would do these shows and, you know, when you're first starting out as a performer, you're just trying to get through the show. But when I started to get better and get really comfortable in my own skin, people would come up to me after and go, "Me and my friends came because we thought you were going to be a joke. We just thought it was going to be something to laugh at. But you were actually pretty good. So, I'm sorry, but we're fans now." [Laughs] And I'm like, "Wait, you came to make fun of me, and now you're a fan?!" It's a lot to kind of digest. My father always said, "It doesn't really matter what gets them there. As long as they walk away from it liking the music and respecting you, then you've sort of done your job." So that's the attitude I've kind of taken, and I kind of laugh at it now. I used to really take it to heart and be like [in a sad voice], "You came to make fun of me." But you have to laugh at it because, if they walk out buying your CD and saying, "You're great! I'm really sorry," it's almost like they leave with a guilty conscience, and you're like, "OK, well, I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Speaking of your fans, is it strange to have people memorize your songs and come up to you and tell you how much they like your music? That aspect must still be kind of new for you.
It's really cool having so many fans on MySpace write me. Every now and then, I'll start a song ... and I remember this especially happened when I did two shows in [New York City] because that's my hometown -- I'm going to be received well there -- but people were really into it at the shows ... and I would start a song and they'd say, "Oh, yeah, 'Now It's Gone.'" And they would know what song I was starting, and that felt really cool. The best shows are always when people are really into it and respecting the music, and that's a big part of why I do this. It's not just for the music, but for the fans and just for people to be able to enjoy it.

Speaking of your performances, I read somewhere that you fainted onstage. What was the story there? And was that even true?
That's so funny, because it was around the time when my mom was getting a divorce and it just happened to be a really crazy week for me. I call it the "breaking out week," because I was on the "Today" show that week; I did the show at the Nokia Theatre where all the labels were there. It was a very, very high-pressure week for me, and now I'm kind of used to that kind of thing, but I wasn't used to it at that point. So I was stressed out. Then my show at the very end of the week [happened] and I was just totally exhausted. It had nothing to do with my mom, and the press made it like, "She's stressed about her family and the divorce." [Laughs] It really had nothing to do with that. I was just tired and low on sleep, and I fainted right before I went onstage, which has never happened before.

From what I read, it conjured up this dramatic image of you being in the middle of a song and then just slumping over onto the keys.
No, not at all. I didn't even go up onstage. It was about 10 minutes before the show, and I just fainted. It was sort of a freak thing, and I don't think it's ever going to happen again. I've done about 100 shows at this point. I had to kind of explain it because I had people on MySpace writing me saying, "I heard that you have this fainting condition, and I heard you're freaking out about things and that you're having a nervous breakdown." And I was like, "No, no, no, no, I just fainted."

Earlier, you mentioned your mother's divorce, and I know the song "Now It's Gone" was directed at her ex-husband [Peter Cook]. Was that a difficult song to write and deal with that situation head-on like that?
No, that wasn't a difficult song to write at all because I was so in the moment, and it was sort of right after I found out what was going on. I'm so close with my mom, and she's such a wonderful woman, and she only deserves the utmost respect. You know, having that protective instinct as a daughter, when somebody disrespects your mother, it's kind of like that was very, very natural for me to write that song. I'm really glad I did, because it was a healthy way for me to express all of that extreme anger I was having. It came right out in a day, so that was pretty natural.

When you're not involved with music, what do you like to do in your spare time?
Most of the time I'm rehearsing and, these days, a lot of the time, I'm on the phone with my manager dealing with my career. [Pauses] That sounds nerdy. But I love watching movies with my boyfriend. I live with my boyfriend in Brooklyn. So we're pretty low-key. We just like hanging out at the house with my dad and watching old movies. I'm a big foodie, so I love discovering new, good sushi places or Mediterranean or Italian places.

You mentioned your boyfriend. Are you still dating your band mate Jimmy Riot?
Yes, I am, actually. In a few other interviews I kind of didn't say anything, but everyone pretty much knows on MySpace [laughs]. So, yes, I'm dating my bass player.

Does that make the process easier or harder to work so closely with someone you're in a relationship with?
Oh, so much easier. I think it makes it so much easier when you have that musical connection with the person. I can actually come up with most of the songs in my head. I don't write them on the piano, so I go to him and he figures it out on the bass, and then he can sort of help me teach the rest of the band: my guitarist, drummer and keyboardist. I'm like best friends with all the guys in my band. So we're just kind of one big family. It's great. Jimmy, my boyfriend, actually introduced me to most of the guys that are now my band members.

Be in the know about what's happening with Alexa Ray Joel -- and when -- on her MySpace page (myspace.com/alexarayjoel) and official website (alexarayjoel.com).