Alicia Lena’s debut album is set to be released on May 10th 2010, It’s been in production for a couple of weeks and it’s finally finished. “I’m so nervous but I’m also more excited than I’ve been about anything in my life, It’s been a tough process and there’s been a couple of setbacks but it’s finally finished and I couldn’t be happier about it.”. She exudes confidence in her work but is also very aware that a lot of major artists debut albums have failed to chart successfully, “It’s not about getting the album straight to number one, I don’t expect that to happen, Obviously it would be nice for the album to completely blow up and if I’m honest I don’t think it will, I’m pleased with it but I hate to admit it but a lot of the time it doesn’t matter how good the album is, I think two of the major factors in having an album chart in the top ten are how well the artist is known and how much promotion is put on the album, That’s what I think anyway.”
She then took me to a local café across the road from the studio where she recorded her debut album.
“I’ve been here pretty much everyday at 12:35am for coffee since February, It’s a great little place.”
We take a seat in the Café and begin the interview

Q: Your debut album is set for release on May 10th how nervous are you about it?
Alicia: Yeah I’m a little bit nervous about it but I think it will do pretty well, Junction Records have been really good with me on this album, they’ve put a lot of money into studio time and they’ve been really good with the amount of promotion the album has had.

Q: So how are they as a record label?
Alicia: They’re pretty amazing, from day one they’ve been great. They were always there whenever I had any problems and they also just let me get on with it and make the album I wanted to make, there was no pressure on making my music more commercial than I was comfortable with and Max really helped a lot with making the collaborations happen, he made a few phone calls and we got everyone on the album who I wanted, So they were even better than I expected.

Q: Your debut single is New York Love Affair featuring Stephanie Fierce how was it to work with her?
Alicia: Yeah probably the greatest thing about the album was working with these different musicians and they really helped make me feel comfortable. Stephanie was amazing, she was coming out with vocals which I just didn’t even imagine were possible, She was real fun to work with.

Q: Do you have a long term plan for the album and singles?
Alicia: We have a pretty basic plan with the singles, The first three single’s are all planned out and that should hopefully keep the album alive in terms of sales but it’s not that important, I’m just happy to have the album finished and I can’t wait to tour for it.

Q: Your gonna be touring as a support act for various musicians what tours can we see you supporting?
Alicia: I’m supporting Tisha Jackson on the North American Leg of her world tour in June and July. I’ll also be supporting Miss Vanity on the Oceania Leg of her tour which I’m sure is gonna be a crazy experience. I’ll be looking for other acts to support on their tour after that so I’m likely to be supporting This Is Who I Am up until 2011.

Q: What will you be doing after the touring is over, can we expect a new album in 2011?
Alicia: I don’t know yet but I’ve already got a couple of new songs written which is obviously a good thing. I’ll make a decision after I’ve finished touring my debut album, But it’s definitely possible that I’ll begin work on a follow up in 2011 but there’s a chance it could be in the winter of 2011.

Q: You won’t make us wait too long for the follow up though will you?
Alicia: No, I won’t make you wait like 4 years or anything like that.

Q: The IMA’s are coming up soon, will you be attending?
Alicia: Yeah definitely, I’d love to perform at the IMA’s and I’ll find out soon but I’ll be there even if I’m not performing, It’s the major awards I wouldn’t want to miss it.

Q: Will you be going with anyone special?
Alicia: I don’t know who I’m gonna go with but I don’t want to go alone, I’m single at the moment and I’ve finished the album so I’ve got a lot more free time on my hands which means I can start focussing on myself now. It gets pretty lonely sometimes and I just want to find someone I can have fun with, my past relationships have been very serious and for now I just want to be with someone who I can have fun with and not have to worry about the future.

Q: So how are you still single, you’re a beautiful lady?
Alicia: Thanks, I don’t know why I’m still single, obviously I’ve been busy for the last couple of months and now with the album finished I’m ready to go out to party’s and enjoy myself without any worry’s, but I do hate being alone.

Well I’m sure you’ll find someone soon and I can’t wait for the album

Edited by user 06 April 2010 04:09:43(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

New York Love Affair tracklisting:
1 - New York Love Affair (Feat. Stephanie Fierce)
2 - New York Love Affair (Original Version)
3 - Kill The Runaways (Stephanie Fierce Cover)

Make sure to purchase your copy, from all good record stores or alternatively you can download it from Itunes.