INTERVIEW: ALISAN PORTER
Fenway Frequencies DJs Gwyneth Moe, Margaret Corona, Holly Gustavsen, and Mia Anderson were joined by Alisan Porter for their final show of the semester.
Massachusetts native Alisan Porter is a singer, actress, and songwriter. Starting her career in acting and musical theatre, she went on to win season 10 of The Voice, and has continued to release music since. Her music blends soulful pop, folk, and rock. She released her latest EP “The Ride” this past June and is currently on her US tour, stopping in Boston at City Winery on 12/4.
Gwyneth Moe (GM): So nice to have you with us today
Alisan Porter (AP): Thank you for having me.
Margaret Corona (MC): How’s your how’s your day going? How was your show last night?
Alisan Porter (AP): The shows have been so great. We were in Portsmouth and we were in Gloucester, and now we’re on our way to Boston. We’re literally in the car right now.
GM: Performing at City Winery, right? And you’re originally from Mass, correct?
AP: I am. I’m a Worcester girl.
GM: How does it feel to play these shows in your home state?
AP: It’s really been so amazing. I mean, we obviously are loving the shows, but also having, like, super great time with family and some downtime before the holidays. So it’s just been very relaxing and so much fun, and having such a great time playing the shows.
GM: That’s so great. And you just released your EP “The Ride” this past June. Have you had any songs that have just been really fun to play on this tour?
AP: Oh, my God, all of them. But I would say, like, specifically getting the audience involved in singing The Ride, because there’s, like, some great backgrounds, has been the most fun.
GM: Oh how exciting!
AP: Yeah, it’s been really cool. I’m always, like, hesitant to do crowd stuff, because if it’s me, I’m like, hiding in a corner, but I’m very but I love seeing, like, the Jacob Colliers of the world, and like, you know, getting the audience involved. So I feel like that’s been something that I’ve loved.
Holly Gustavsen (HG): As an audience member. We love it when artists do that, too, for sure.
AP: Yeah, it just feels a little more intimate. And I want to make the audience a part of it.
GM: You grew up doing a lot of, like, musical theater and stage acting. How do you feel like that’s made you more confident in your performances?
AP: Yeah. I mean this, this time around, actually, I’ve done like, not a one woman show, but I’ve really incorporated a lot of different things. I read quotes to the audience members and kind of correlate them to songs. And I’ve just kind of taken a different approach. I want people to leave feeling like they’ve gone to therapy. So a little bit of music, a little bit of free therapy and some great storytelling. It’s been really cool to incorporate that. And obviously my background probably helped.
MC: I was going to ask, where do you source a lot of your quotes from? That sounds really cool.
AP: Okay, so I never did this until we played The Kate. We played The Kate and Old Saybrook. And I thought, well, it would be cool to get some Catherine Hepburn quotes throughout the set, and then every show since, I’ve just been kind of finding quotes that speak to me and that I think I can kind of use introducing songs and stuff like that. So I’ve just been finding them everywhere.
GM: For me, I feel like I was always like a Pinterest girl, are you also, do you find yourself on Pinterest finding inspiration?
AP: I don’t think I’ve gotten dressed without Pinterest, like it’s a scroll and a pic and a coffee situation, for sure.
MC: Yeah, that’s very fair. That’s very fair. Pinterest is my lifeline.
HG: I have a question. Then, is your Pinterest, like, one big board where you have everything, or do you like to categorize everything?
AP: Organized. I go as deep as, like, bathrooms and potential, potential greenhouse, like, It’s deep.
GM: I love that. I feel like Pinterest is a really underrated backbone of society.
MC: I agree, I get a lot of inspiration for my apartment food from it.
AP: Totally, yes as a mom. I mean, if I don’t know what to cook or put my kids lunches, I’m going immediately there, or TikTok.
GM: So Pinterest is a very influential factor in just some of the decisions you make every day. How would you describe your musical influences?
AP: Oh, my gosh. They are a range. I mean, I feel like the core of everything I do is definitely, like, based in the 1960s with like Janice or Joni Mitchell, or like, you know, old school Heart. But then vocally, I grew up with Mariah [Carey] and Whitney [Housten] and Celine [Dion], so it’s kind of like a weird merger. And then sonically and genre wise, I’m living kind of in the Bonnie Raitt and Patty Griffin and Brandi Carlile world. So I really am a blend of all the inspiration that I’ve grown up with and listened to throughout the years. And I kind of feel like it’s like a little bit of everything, but, you know, at the end of the day, it feels very organic and very authentic to me.
GM: And then you’ve been both in a band and out as a solo artist. How has working solo kind of changed your creative process? Or was there any change there?
AP: I mean, I’m a solo artist, but I am nothing without my band. I mean, one of the members is driving right now, and Shelly, who thinks back up for me, is doing, you know, all the dirty work she does all the set listing and figures out all the harmonies and makes notes for me so and I also play with one of my best friends from middle school. So he’s, you know, a huge part of what we do, and holds it down. We all really are such a cohesive group, and everybody has their own very important role to play. So it’s me as, like the name, but behind the name is definitely a whole lot of stuff going on that I could never do on my own. So I’m very grateful for the band.
GM: That’s awesome, and then back on to that set list. Because, I mean, you said one of your bandmates kind of goes around crafting it, but to you guys as a whole, what is one of the most important things you keep in mind when trying to make a set list?
AP: I mean, I think it’s like just a general flow of the show. And we always like to kind of start off with a thing, and then we have some really nice ballads, and always have to kind of circle that with something mid tempo. I think it’s just like we really care about the flow of the show. And of course, now with a lot of talking and storytelling, everything has to kind of make sense. So I think I just know when it’s right, and I know when, like, even in the middle of the set, sometimes I’ll be like, let’s switch this song with the song or something. Because I just, I think it’s important to just keep that vibe going all the time and make sure that it’s heart centered, and that everybody is, you know, in the flow with us. And if anything feels like it’s out of the flow, I think we try to manipulate it and fix it and make sure that it’s all going to work.
GM: I love going to shows, and I kind of like going into shows blind a lot of times to the set list, because especially if I’m a really big fan of that artist I don’t want spoilers.I kind of want to just be in the moment. So I think the setlist, and the flow of a set list, is just such an important piece of a live performance.
AP: Totally it has to be a through line and has to feel good.
GM: And then, of course, I can’t not mention this. So you won season 10 of The Voice. How is your experience on the show? And do you feel that your success there has helped you further your career as an artist?
AP: I think the show is a really insulated thing. I mean, it’s an amazing way to really understand yourself as an artist. And I think I left knowing exactly what I wanted to do moving forward, what worked, what didn’t work, you know? And, yeah, Christina was my coach, and obviously she’s a powerhouse and an icon, and she’s always been super supportive and loving. But I think at the end of the day, the show is like this very concentrated moment in time. And I think if you’re smart, you take. What you loved the most about that. And obviously the fans that come with you are the most important, and you just kind of grow with the things that work. I mean, we definitely always play Blue Bayou, and people love that. That was my blind audition song. And my goal is to take whatever happened there and make sure that people are still interested and still growing with us and hearing the new music. And you know, staying fans, remaining fans throughout the years.
GM: During your time on the show, was there ever a specific piece of advice that you felt has stuck with you?
AP: I mean, I think Christina used to be like, this is cool and all. But just never, you know, never stop, never give up, and always keep growing as an artist. And you know this is a stepping stone as everything in our industry really is. It’s like, whether it’s huge or tiny, it all can just move us to the next thing and the next thing. And that’s the goal. The goal is just to be doing what we love and staying busy and continuing to grow as artists and try new things. And I feel like I’ve been really, really lucky, and I’m also a mom, so balancing all of that has been I’ve been really lucky to be able to do it all, which is very hard, but very doable, and not without a lot of help. But I feel like, you know, Christina and I had that in common, and that was something that was very important to her. You’re a mom first, and you get to do this too, and it’s just the best of both worlds.
GM: Your musical career and balancing that with family life, like going on tour. How has that been? Do you still very much love being in the moment, or do you find yourself kind of missing family?
MC: Yeah, especially amidst the holidays and everything.
AP: I think it’s a little bit like the fear before I leave, but once I’m here and I know the kids are, you know, very well taken care of. My parents are amazing. My husband’s amazing, and, you know, I think this makes me a better mother, a better woman. And so I think going back to my kids, I’ll be refreshed and renewed and feel like I did something for myself, and therefore I’m a better mom to them. So for me, it’s really just about putting one foot in front of the other and going for it.
GM: And again, we got to touch back on your musical theater background. So recently, we’ve had Wicked, one of the biggest musical theater movies, I think, in a while, that’s come out. So we have a very important question to ask you.
HG: Have you been holding space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity?
AP: I’ve been holding space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity for like 20 years. Two of my closest girlfriends were Elphabas. Eden, Espinosa and Shoshana have been, and also one of my best friends, Adam Lambert, was a Fiero in LA so I’ve been living Wicked for a long time. I’ve never been in it. But I would love to. My dream role in the theater world is the witch in Into The Woods. So if anyone’s looking for somebody to play that role, I’m down.
MC: We’ll put in a good word.
AP: Thank you. Yeah, thank you very much.
GM: Do you have a couple favorite musicals, does Wicked fall in there? Do you have some other underrated gems that you think we should check out?
AP: I mean, I think Into The Woods is, like, the greatest musical ever. That’s definitely my number one. I think Company is a close second for me. And then maybe West Side Story is my, my overall favorite of all time. It’s the first musical that I ever did. So it holds a really special place in my heart.
GM: I feel like I don’t know musical theater is always just such an amazing experience to see live.
HG: Like, you can’t compare like, the movies to musicals like live theater.
AP: Totally, no, it’s definitely not.
GM: And live music, I mean, they’re so intertwined. And I think that’s why I love music the environment you’re experiencing with other people.
AP: Totally amazing. Yeah, it’s very special. Very, very special.
GM: And then, I think one of our final questions today, so you’ve previously described your recent EP as kind of the story of your life. So far, how would you say your musical style as a whole has evolved since your early releases?
AP: I think that this is kind of a circle back to the first record that I released, which is called Who We Are, where I really feel like I found myself for the first time. And then I think I experimented, especially after The Voice, with a little more you know, of the pop world and stuff. But my heart has always been in Americana Nashville music and I think whenever I’m being the most true to that, it falls back into that genre. So I think this is just a really good representation of the most authentic me style. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to stay in this world forever. You never know, but I’m pretty sure I’m comfortable, and I feel like it just makes the most sense. You can age well in, you know, not putting on, you know, my pop star clothes anytime soon. So I’m very happy to put a cowboy boot on, and and, and feel at home.
GM: I mean, music really, is honestly just the gift that keeps on giving. It’s such an experience to perform music. It’s such an experience for everyone to go see live music, and it’s something that you really, I mean, for so many people like you can do it. You can do it forever, really.
AP: I certainly hope so. I’m trying. I’m trying.
GM: But thank you so much for, I keep trying to say coming in today, but I guess I mean to say thanks for phoning in.
AP: Awesome, yeah. I hope to see everybody at the show tonight! It’s going to be really, really fun.
MC: So exciting, and break a leg and safe travel!
HG: Yeah, have a safe drive, you guys!
AP: Thank you. I appreciate it so much. Thanks. Have a good one. Take care. Thanks guys, bye, bye.