Back to the grind: Featuring an exclusive interview with Aline Queen

Now that the Holiday consumerism fest is over, those of us that have their sights set on accomplishing projects can finally get down to it. Although, it may be a bit harder the first weeks with all that extra Holiday weight you maybe carrying around. For myself, it is a very difficult part of the Holidays having to drop everything and trying to celebrate with not even one major task out of the way. Although the New Year does bring us hope that we can make things better for ourselves and many believe how you enter the New Year is how you shape the rest of it.

As I'm sure you noticed by now, this a downtime for the entertainment industry as a whole. Show attendance and club events usually don't have as many numbers as they do in the months prior to the Holidays. The music industry actually shuts down and all business starts up again in the New Year, as there are many behind the scenes things happening and many trade shows in January, such as the NAMM show. So what is there to do? I have found that it is best to use this time to write more, record and plan ahead for the spring. The problem with being focused on what needs to be done is that we sometimes become too boxed in, or have the blinders on. It is good to go out and see other bands, and take the time to listen to some of the music people post up. I know that the backlash of the internet is the over saturation of music that is available to us. And we are pre-programmed to think that anything that is within the confines the mainstream media has to be good and anything is not is not worthy of a second look, or listen in this case. It is sad this mentality has filtered into the alternative scenes, after all it exists to give people something to enjoy that is not a trendy "fly by night" hit. Many talented people just choose to create music for fun, or haven't found their nitch yet. Seeing other artists perform, wherever at MSG (Madison Square Garden) or your local clubs should inspire you to keep performing and peak your curiosity. You never know what a song is about unless the songwriter reveals it. However, a song does give you a small peak into the writer's mind.

Recently I attended an event in New York City for fIXE magazine, which live music performances are not held every time at this monthly event. However, this event is unlike any other in NYC and the surprise that was in store me that night was a very good one. The live music performance that night was by Aline Queen, before that night I never saw or heard of Aline, but She is now an artist that I will never forget. Standing at 5'10" this Belgian bombshell has the looks and style of a run way model, platinum blonde hair and a catchy sound that is complimented by her powerful voice and stage show in which she overpowers all of her subjects (whether they are part of her act or looking on in awe from the audience). I was able to ask Ms. Queen some of the questions that her performance left me wondering, here is what she had to say:

How did u get started in music?

Aline Queen: "My mom gave me a CD player for my 11th birthday, so I started to listen to my own music in my bedroom and sing along. I was playing Edith Piaf, The Beatles, Pink Floyd... I was singing all the time and couldn't stop. It became very natural for me. So every time I started to sing in front of people, they were pretty amazed by my voice and presence so I quickly started to be involved in different music bands and perform live. I gave my first concert in a rock band when I was 13. I was singing and playing the guitar. It was a at first cover bands, but I quickly started to write my own songs and perform them. That was pretty fun and that's how I started to perform a lot. Then I actually started to open my horizons by learning the piano and other instruments, learning how to sing opera, singing in classical choirs, and learning classical composition."

Who are your influences?

Aline Queen: "My first influences were what my mom was playing at home: classical music and french songs. She was playing the piano at home and it was magical how the sound was resonating all over the place. It was very appeasing. My dad was listening to classic rock, and I performed a lot in rock bands as a teenager, so I guess that's part of my background. And as I studied classical music and opera, it has a lot of influence on me as well. But life and people are the main source of inspiration."

How did u come up with your stage persona?

Aline Queen: "It naturally came to me. I worked as a dominatrix, performed in operas and in rock bands, traveled a lot, love fashion and fetish wear, love science, so my persona is a mixed of all this."

How do u think your videos have effected your fan base?

Aline Queen: "My first video "Break Your Heart" was a way for me to tell people: "Hello! This is who I am, take it or leave it!". My second video "Princess Boy" is more about me being in love and in admiration with man who cross-dress and accept the part of femininity inside of them. My third music video called "Super Freak" will be about be proud of who you are and love yourself, even if you're not what's "normal". So I'd like to reunite people in celebrating who we really are and not being scared of loving ourselves for what we are, even if it seems bizarre."

What events/sights do you go to for fun or to "recharge"

Aline Queen: "I go to museum a lot. I love museums, it's fascinating. I do rock climbing and outdoor things. I recently started horseback ridding and I love it! I also love to learn new things and right now I follow a few different online classes, like classes on science, finance, languages classes etc. And also I love traveling. Traveling is my medicine. I need that to recharge. I need to be exposed to other cultures and other ways of seeing the world. Then all what we know or think we know becomes relative and almost insignificant. I then feel how small I am in the universe. There's always way more things that we can discover and know. It's pretty amazing and exciting and I guess it gives a purpose in life."

I hope all of you enjoyed reading this special insight into how Aline Queen came to be the Artist She is today. I assure that you will be hearing more about her very soon. However, don't take my word for ir. Please enjoy the videos that She spoke about and see for yourselves. Take Care, Nate