Post by Alex Vipond on Apr 12, 2013 8:33:00 GMT -8
Sitting in the suite of Alex Vipond at the Dorint Kongress Hotel in Mannheim, it's easy to see why audiences love him. He is a dynamic, grounded, very centered individual whose trials and tribulations with his work have not adversely affected his outlook.
RS: You were signed with Geffen, but left and started your own record label. What motivated you to do that?
Alex: I went through five years of fighting with labels in order to start my own. I wanted to be able to make music the way I envisioned it and to have the power to do so. Many of the labels wanted me to make such different sounding music than what I was writing and I believed in myself enough to know that I would be able to release my music with the sound I wanted and it would be successful.
RS: One of your songs was featured in an episode of The Vampire Diaries. How did this come about? Did you watch the episode just to hear your song?
Alex: The director of that episode was also the director of my music video for ‘Tonight’ and he really wanted to use that song in the episode. I did actually watch that episode to hear the song and thought it sounded great and went with the scene perfectly. It’s always exciting to hear my music in TV and Film.
RS: The video for Tonight was released on YouTube, how was filming it? Do you have a favorite part of the video?
Alex: Filming that video was awesome. It’s the first video I got to write and have a say in 100%. We filmed everything in double time, so all the acting and band performance were done twice as fast and then we went back in and slowed it all down to get that effect we wanted. I’d say one of my favorite parts of the video would be when the rose color changes and when I bite my lady, whom I was dating at the time. It turned out exactly as I wanted it to and I am very proud of it.
RS: You were dating; did you not just get married?
Alex: I did, not to that lady though. My wife and I married… It’s kind of funny but we got married twice. We had all these wedding plans going on and it was just crazy and we just looked at one another and decided a trip to Vegas was in order. We still had the wedding, a month later for our family and close friends. So we have two anniversaries to celebrate, one in December and one in January.
RS: Was it love at first sight?
Alex: [laughs] It was definitely something. I met her at a bar; or rather saw her at a bar where I was playing. It was just one of those things where I happened to have my guitar with me and the mood struck, so there I was, playing solo, acoustic in this bar and she walked in… With another guy but that didn’t stop me. It was epic, our eyes met and I just knew I had to know her.
RS: That’s sweet and obviously things worked out. Was it a long courtship? How did you ask her out?
Alex: It was actually kind of... stalkerish on my part. She left, and I actually followed her home. Once I knew where she lived I went to Walgreen’s and bought some sidewalk chalk. Left my name and number for her out front. And not really a long courtship, I mean we met in November, about the fourteenth I think and we were married, the first time, December 23rd. But yeah, things definitely have worked out.
RS: It has been noticed that you have tattoos. What relevance do they have for you?
Alex: Well, the first one I got was like sixteen, seventeen years ago, on the inside of my left wrist and it’s a Kokopelli, which is the spirit of music. The second one I got just a few years ago, and it’s just black script that runs up the inside of my right forearm, that says Donate Life, which as you may be aware is a very fine organization that works to bring awareness to the need for organ donation. It has personal meaning for me because someone close to me was in dire need of a transplant and I was doing everything I could to raise awareness toward the cause. The most recent one is a tribal design on my left shoulder blade that depicts a dragon in the form of a treble clef. Dragons are power and fire and … it’s musical so, that’s the meaning for me.
RS: You’re out touring right now, how’s it going? Any more future tour plans?
Alex: The Unstoppable Tour is going great! All of the feedback has been better than I could have ever imagined it and lots of stations are already starting to play the single even though it doesn’t officially impact radio until the 22nd. Future touring plans are slowly starting to take place and I will be sure to update everyone once I know more!
RS: What can fans expect from you in the coming months?
Alex: In the coming months, fans can expect to hear the songs on the radio, see the video, and they can expect to see me here in Germany. We’re doing a shoot in Italy, all acoustic, in various spots around the country and we’re also doing France and the UK.
RS: Anything else you would like to add?
Alex: Go buy the album at Amazon and iTunes if you haven’t already and check out @alex_vipond on twitter for updates. And don’t forget, Donate Life!