Interview: Alexander Mountain We Fall Down

A singer/songwriter from East Sussex and a self-taught musician, greatly inspired by the musical works of Bon Iver, Gabrielle Aplin and BANKS, Alexander Mountain has been writing since adolescence but only in the confines of the four walls he calls his bedroom.

How would you best describe your sound and who have been your biggest influences?

I think when describing what my ‘sound’ is, it can really differ depending on the song. I would say all my material fits in an overarching umbrella of indie folk, but when I write I don’t necessarily write for a particular genre in mind, I just write what comes naturally to me. I get inspired by many artists and songs but I would say my biggest influences were definitely the early works of Bon Iver, Gabrielle Aplin, BANKS & Dermot Kennedy.

Tell us about the inspiration behind your single, ‘We Fall Down’.

‘We Fall Down’ was written about my experiences with people’s opinion on my lifestyle and not living in a socially-acceptable way. Whilst many of my friends were getting married, buying houses, having children I was just living my life as it came. At points, I felt pressured and worrisome that my life wasn’t as ‘together’ and I felt very lost and out of place. However, over time I came to the realisation that there were things I wanted to do, things I wanted to achieve and I didn’t need someone else’s approval to do it. Contrary to what ‘social rules’ teach us, there isn’t necessarily a right way to live, and our lives are so astronomically short. We do not know when our time is up, which is why I strive to live and make most days count.

Are you planning any more releases in the near future? Maybe an EP or an album?

I have a ridiculous amount of songs in my repertoire that I haven’t even gotten round to recording yet! I have this awful tendency to start them, leave them halfway and begin a new project, which probably isn’t the most wise. However, there is one song, which is also slightly different to the first two releases, as it has more of a country-‘twang’ to it, that I can totally see being the next single at the very least. I hope to have it out before the end of year, but who knows? Maybe I’ll just record a whole EP and be done with it!

What about your other plans for the future? Are you planning any tours or live shows?

Unfortunately with the pandemic, there are no concrete plans right now, but as soon as the opportunities begin to arise again, I will be sure to play some live gigs around the UK.
To finish with a standard interview question: where do you see yourself in five years?
I hope to have at least one EP out by then. I mean, It’s hard to determine where I will be. Five years is a considerable amount of time, but whatever life throws at me, I’ll be ready for, and hopefully still growing as an artist. In an ideal world, I would love to be doing music as a full-time career.