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Singer, songwriter, actress, producer, philanthropist: Alexz Johnson has taken on a multitude of roles in the entertainment industry. Starting her career off as Annie Thelen in the Disney Channel original series So Weird, Alexz won the hearts of many and gained international fame from her role as singer-songwriter Jude Harrison on Canadian television series Instant Star. Following her graduation from the show in 2008, she released her debut album Voodoo in 2010 and her second studio album Let 'Em Eat Cake in 2014. Since then she's been involved in several projects including producing her music video for 'Ruthless Love', composing tracks for the independent short film The Dishwasher and, of course, writing new music for her fans to enjoy. Now, with her fans at the peak of anticipation for her upcoming album, Alexz and I have discussed what inspires her to create music and how she has chosen her latest projects. Many of us first discovered you through Instant Star. Looking back on your work over a decade later, how do you view that period in your life? I have so many fond memories from that time...I was young, and was very blessed to be given so much creative freedom to write and grow into the artist I am today. Would you be interested in participating in an Instant Star reunion or reboot? Do you still talk to any of your former co-stars? Sure! Laura Vandervoort (who played my sister Sadie on Instant Star) was actually in my last music video for 'Ruthless Love'. You produced and composed for the short film The Dishwasher and won the Best Short Movie Award at The Modcon London Film Festival. What new challenges did that experience bring? The experience was incredible. I was approached with the script and loved the content and story. Being in an ever changing industry, you learn different skill sets that can prepare you for future projects…Producing and creating a musical soundscape for The Dishwasher felt very natural for me.. Is producing something you plan on doing more of in the future? What about acting - is that something you'd like to do again? I’m open to whatever the universe brings my way! If I’m passionate about something, it sort of creates itself. You have a lot of fans throughout Europe. Are you planning on touring internationally? I would love to do another European tour...Maybe when I get some new music out there! Do you prefer to perform acoustically or with a full band? Full band! It’s just a nice vibe having some backup on stage. Is there anything special you do to prepare yourself for a show? Not really…Vocal warmups, warm water with honey...It's pretty boring, actually. Your brother Brendan has been working with you for the majority of your career. How was it to be behind the scenes directing the 'Weekend' music video for his band Dress Black? It was maybe one of the most hilarious days of my life! That was also a very natural progression...I love the band and their music and I showed them the treatment and they were in! The tricky part about that video was time coding each person’s “play”, as we called them. The bands interactions had to be on point! There have been several songs you've mentioned over the years that were never officially released. Would you ever consider releasing a compilation of outtakes and demos? Brendan and I have released quite a few through our Basement Recordings releases. You can find a lot of our demo material on iTunes. What do you consider to be your best song? What was the inspiration behind it? That’s a tough one.. I’m not sure I can answer that! What’s your favorite? In April, you released the EP Johnson & McAuley. Many fans commented on the differences between this and your past music. Does this EP suggest the direction you're going musically? Sometimes, it’s fun and refreshing to immerse yourself in something different and outside of your usual approach. Johnson & McAuley serves as an experimental collaboration with someone I look up to musically. I wanted to separate the sound from my solo music, and take people on a different journey. The number one question we’ve gotten from your fans involves your next album. When can we expect a release? Are there any plans in place for an upcoming single? That makes me really happy to hear! I am just starting the writing process for the next album as we speak…I have a lot of new experiences to pull from and I’m really excited about this next musical phase. How has working on this album differed from your past albums? I’m taking my time… What are your current inspirations that drive you to further your career? Shining a light in a world that can be so dark. I want to bring an authenticity to the projects I take on. My main goal is to affect people in a positive way and share with them a true part of myself. With directing, composing, producing, and writing, 2016 has been quite a busy year for you. What are some of your favorite moments so far? What plans do you have for the rest of the year? It has been a very exciting year, personally as well! Collaborating with so many talented people has been a highlight...I plan on continuing to do so! Where do you see yourself in five, ten and twenty years? Hopefully existing in a more loving world.. I hope to continue to be blessed in having the ability to create my work and share it.. If people could take one message from your music, what would it be? Honesty. We all appreciate you taking the time to do this interview. Are there any final things you'd like to say to your fans? Thank you for your support! I'm looking forward to playing live and releasing some new tunes in the near future! x Make sure to follow Alexz on her official social media pages!

Margarita Monet, lead singer of heavy metal up comers Edge of Paradise, has joined us today to discuss what drives their unique sounds, lyrical muses and their undying passion for metal. Hello Margarita, it's so nice to have the opportunity to talk with you! Likewise! Thank you so much for having me! In three words, how would describe Edge of Paradise's sound? Melodic, energetic and cinematic. Before joining Edge of Paradise, were you a part of any other bands? How was the band ultimately created? You know, I never imagined that I would be fronting a metal band. I grew up playing classical piano and performing in musical theatre; that's what I went to college for as well in NYC. When I moved to Los Angeles, I met our guitarist Dave Bates and we were both hired to work on a music project by a local producer. A month later we decided to form our own band, and that's how Edge of Paradise was born. Music is a huge part of me: I love creating, I love the stage and being in this band allows me to do everything I love. It's not easy, but it's pretty awesome! You worked with legendary metal producer Michael Wagener on Immortal Waltz - what do you feel he brought to the sessions that was unique, and how do you think he helped the band's sound to evolve from the previous record, Mask? It was such an inspiring and really incredible opportunity to work with Michael - he is legendary in his work and a super cool guy! We're looking forward to getting back there and recording some more! He really guided us and allowed us to grow into our sound. There are a lot of layers to the songs on Immortal Waltz and Michael really found the right sounds so every instrument has its own place. It's all about the music and doing the right thing for the songs. We definitely learned a lot from him! And we sound like a completely different band now compared to Mask - the biggest reason being because songs on Mask were already written by Dave and Robin McCauley (MSG) from Dave's previous band, Bleed. On Immortal Waltz, Dave and I wrote the songs together. What makes Edge of Paradise unique? I think it's where we come from. Dave is inspired by traditional heavy metal, and he's a monster guitarist, and I come from a classical and theatrical background. When all of those elements compliment each other in a song, we're able to create something unique! And our lineup is really tight, we're definitely one unit on stage and feed off of each other! John Chominsky is a solid drummer, he really holds everything together, and Nick brings great energy to the band, completing the Edge of Paradise puzzle. What lead you to become metal singer? Has it always been a dream of yours? It kind of happened by chance. When I met Dave, I hadn't discovered what I could do with my voice until I started to record Mask, and of course it's a never ending evolution. But I always dreamed of creating something of my own and sharing it with people. I've always been a performer so I'm really happy with what I'm doing. I also love to create art: I've made our website, posters, I create some of my own costumes like you'll see in our music videos. I love traveling and meeting people, and I'm excited for the future of this band! If you weren't involved in music, what career do you think you would've chosen? I'd be working on a time machine! When writing, do you take inspiration from real life or do you consider yourself to be a storyteller? Most of it is from real life, my outlook on life or certain issues, finding meaning in what happens in this world; saying something that I can't express in just words. Music is very powerful, you can really evoke some feeling and send a message with a melody, without having to say anything literal. Is there a song that you're most proud of writing? What was the inspiration behind it? I put so much of myself in every single song that it's hard to choose, but I'm super excited about our new song 'Alive'. It's going to be released in a few months, we just filmed the music video for it! The inspiration behind it is exploring what makes one feel alive. I've always wanted to live life so when I look back I'll have something special to remember, and the song kind of draws from that, whether its a human connection that makes you feel alive, experiencing nature or both. Whatever it may be, sometimes people take life for granted and it's important to remember that we're very lucky to be breathing, and it's up to us to make the best of our experiences! Especially these days, where we live pretty much in virtual reality created by all the gadgets, it's important to break away from that and breathe a little! You mentioned filming a music video for an upcoming song called 'Alive' - when can fans expect its release? How does it differ from your past music? Yes! We're very excited about it, we're planning to release in the beginning of fall. It's very different from our previous songs. Chuck Johnson produced the song and Jay Ruston is mixing. Some people who've heard the song said it's a bit of a mix of Rob Zombie and Ramstein, and the music video is sci-fi, so we can't wait to get it out there! Is there one song you wish you had written? If so, how has that influenced your lyricism? I really like songs that paint a picture, so when you listen to it, it really sparks your imagination and draws you into that world. So I try to do that with our songs, to really create an experience for the listener! Can you share any details with us about album three? The music is a bit heavier and more industrial, but it still sounds like us. We're experimenting with new sounds, and there are mostly faster songs on this one. Immortal Waltz is more mid-tempo with a few ballads; this next album is gonna be high energy, with lots of catchy hooks and driving rhythms! Just over a year ago you joined forces with Extreme Management Group. Has that changed how your write and record an album? Has it been a positive change for you? Not at all. That's purely from a business standpoint. You meet a lot of people along the way, some are a right fit, some are not. It would be cool if we could just deal with music and the creative part, but there is so much more that goes into being in a band. It's like launching a worldwide business - you gotta really brand it to be able to do this long term, so it's important that we surround ourselves with people that can help us grow this. We're working with more people on this, and we'll be announcing some additions to our team soon! You're currently on tour - what have been your favorite shows? Over the last few months we've been playing locally in California, we're heading out to the East Coast in August. We loved playing at Marquee 15, it's such a beautiful venue out in Corona, California. We're actually playing there on July the 16th for That Metal Show with Eddie Trunk, it's gonna be fun! Speaking of Eddie Trunk, you have an interview coming up with him soon. If you could interview two artists, who would they be and why? We're actually playing a show for that: Eddie Trunk is introducing us and then the three of them are doing their show after, so I'm not really sure what to expect but we'll see what happens this weekend! But if I could interview two artists it would be Bruce Dickinson and Robert Plant. They've had such long careers and have created some of the best songs out there. I have so many questions about their experiences, and they would have a ton of amazing stories! Also, I've always wanted to meet Ronnie James Dio. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to, but he is one of my biggest influences! Download the band's cover of the Black Sabbath classic 'Children Of The Sea' here! Some bands have rituals when preparing for a show. Is there anything special you do? Just a typical sacrifice ritual! Haha, not much, we just warm up with the instruments and hit the stage! Let's say you're performing at your dream festival, what other artists would be there? Any special collaborations you'd like to participate in? Well of course Iron Maiden will be there! It would be awesome to play with Volbeat: We listen to their music on the road and it would be fun to collaborate with them! I also really like Epica - they're great musicians! When you're not touring, what do you and the rest of the band like to do? Do you still sword fight? We rehearse and record, haha - not much free time! We like to get together at John's house, we're all really good friends and it's fun to hang out! But we're all always so busy. Part of it is living in Los Angeles is a rat race, and everything is really far from each other! I haven't been sword fighting much, we've just been so busy with the band, but I need to brush up on my skills. What is the best thing about being a part of Edge of Paradise? Creating something that many people around the world can enjoy and having the chance to go out and share the music with them at shows! Thank you so much for doing this interview with us! Are there any final words you'd like to say to your fans? I just want to thank everyone for the support! Keep an eye out on our pages: July 22nd, our music video for 'Shade Of Crazy' is premiering on Revolver and in August, we're heading out to the East Coast! You can check out the trailer for the video here: And we look forward to meeting as many of you as possible on the road! Have a great one! Make sure to check out Edge of Paradise on their East Coast tour this summer! And don't forget to check out their official social media pages!