Queer Canadian artist Xana emerges with energetic alt-pop sound to empower and inspire
Xana is a Canadian indie alternative-pop artist. Her genre-bending style of music encompasses pop-punk, indie rock and electronic vibes. With her multi-genre bending records like “Goddess”, “Complex” and “Kitchen Light” Xana creates world of authenticity that captivates listeners and lets them explode with emotions, throw tantrums and be dramatic together. Xana’s writing is honest, relatable, and unapologetic. Her high energy tracks grab listener’s attention with raw confessions and melodies.
Maria: How did you get into music? When was the day when you woke up and decided that this is what you want to do now?
Xana: Well, I think that I was always a little bit of a performer and a music kid. Even when I was a baby, I loved listening to music and singing and dancing. I liked to put on little shows and stuff like that before I even knew how to talk. So that was kind of always a part of me, but I think that from what I remember I had one of those Avril Lavigne tour videos that was on DVD. And I remember my parents got it for me for Christmas and I was watching it and I was just like “I'm going to be really big and when I grow up - this is what I want”. So probably when I was like six or seven I was like - “This is the life for me”. And then I've just been chasing it ever since.
Maria: What artists inspire you? Someone you look up to?
Xana: At heart I'm a fan girl, before anything. Taylor Swift and Halsey are my number ones, I would die for them. Taylor Swift taught me songwriting and then I found Halsey when I was in high school. I was kind of near the end of high school and I felt her music on a personal level. I connected with her and her message and just the way that she presented herself.
Maria: How would you describe the genre of your music?
Xana: I usually say anti-pop or alternative pop. If you look at my album “Tantrums”, for example, or just anything I've put out, it's quite versatile. I have songs like “Сomplex”, which are super badass-poppy songs and then there’s “Yellow” and “Cupid”, which are kind of more baladi and beautiful. And then I have “My Therapist Told Me” it's like pop-punk. So I kind of test the waters and I love every kind of music so I don't really want to box myself into one thing. So I feel like anti-pop or alternative pop kind of covers everything. It's all rooted in pop. I am a pop-girl at heart, but I like to kind of branch out and test the limits, you know?
Maria: Do you think your process of writing music has changed in any way since you started releasing your music?
Xana: I think that if anything, I'll probably start to notice that soon because of all of the music that I have put out. I've written most of it before I had half my album written, before I even put out “Goddess”. So a handful of those songs came since I've been releasing music, but it's usually the same thing. I usually start with either a melody idea or a lyric idea. And then I just see where it takes me. But now I'm starting to get back into a bit of a writing mode and trying to figure out what this next chapter will look like.
Maria: What was your process like for writing your song “Goddess''?
Xana: I was just really pissed off one day, and, well, actually for a long time. And there's just so much were happening in the world and in my personal life. I just sat down on my piano and I started writing it. I knew how I wanted it to sound like, I knew what I wanted it to be – this abrasive empowering “don't fuck with me” kind of song. I wrote it on my piano and I made sure that the melody would work with that vibe.
And it came pretty easily because it was coming from a very personal, fired up, place. And then I took it to my producer and he's one of the most wonderful people and totally always understands what I'm going for. So the production part of it came pretty easily too. And I was basically just - make it dirtier, make it more intense, make it more abrasive, go for it. That was the first song that I put out and one of the first songs that I recorded so it was pretty early in my process too, but I'm still really proud of that one. And I know it has impacted so many people. And even to this day, it's crazy how many people are still listening to that song every day, and still messaging me about it, telling me how it has affected them and how it's empowered them – it's insane. So yeah, I'm really really proud of that one.
Maria: As a listener, do you think you're more of a melody person or a lyrics person?
Xana: I always said that I’m the lyrics person. Writing is where it's hot for me. And it's really funny because I never thought that I was good at making melodies or coming up with melodies. But then I just had to tell myself – “Look at all these songs that you're writing that are all really good. And you came up with those melodies. You are doing it both”. So yeah, it's funny.
And usually, lyrics come first when I'm writing. Sometimes there's a melody first, but usually it's lyrics and then I work a melody around it.
Maria: What is your favorite song to perform live?
Xana: Well, I haven't actually played any live shows yet. So that's something I'm working on planning right now. But I did do a bunch of songs off of tantrums live with a band. We did some recordings and I'm putting those out now. There's still a few more that are gonna come out. “Complex” was so fun just because it's such a sexy and powerful song. And it's a lot of fun. And I go crazy and unhinged at the end, which is my favorite part when I can just get weird. So I would say that one for now.
Maria: What advice do you have for someone who would want to follow into your footsteps?
Xana: Right now I would say that you really have to be your number one fan. It has to come from you. You have to believe in yourself first and you have to be the one to go out and make everything happen and work really freaking hard.
But if it's your passion, if it's your calling, if it's something you've always been dreaming of and wanting your whole life, then it'll happen. If it's meant to be - it'll happen and you just gotta go get it.
But I believe in you. You can do it. And I can do it. You can do it.
Maria: What is the message that you would like to share for your songs?
Xana: It's funny I don't often think about being a queer artist. I never really sit down and think “Okay, now I'm gonna write a gay song”. I'm just writing from my personal experience and writing from my own life. I'm queer, so my experiences are probably going to be queer. But I think I like seeing how much the representation that I've put into the world now with my music and my music videos and everything, seeing how much that has helped so many people. And so I think that my number one thing that I want for my listeners is to live their life authentically as themselves. Show up as you are, be who you are, and be proud of that and feel all your feelings, and experience all your experiences. Enjoy this life while we have it.
Maria: If you can have your fans remember one thing about you what would it be?
Xana: I’d like them to remember me as someone who genuinely cared about our well being and our experiences through life and put in a lot of love. Put as much love out into the world as I could.