#181 Corey Pryor & Ariell Alexis

Australia

25 Mar

Corey Pryor & Ariell Alexis are a father daughter special double episode as we hear how the teacher becomes the student and vice verser. Corey shares his success story with Grammy nominated Christina pop band The Newsboys in the 90's and Ariell talks about living in Nashville as a child and having entertainers as parents who inspired her own modern way of performing and producing.

These two have so much to share and to give and its great to have this dynamic in a conversation around songwriting and the music industry from America and in Australia.

Connect with Corey:

Connect with Ariell:

Transcript

Rae Leigh: Welcome to a Songwriter Tryst with Ariel Alexis and Corey prior

Corey Pryor: Well, hi. Well welcome. And Thanks for having us.

Rae Leigh: Yeah, no, I'm excited. And so this is my first ever father, daughter podcast, two songwriters, obviously different ages and different,

Ariell Alexis: ages,

Corey Pryor: That's a

Rae Leigh: different like style. And, you know, you bring your own thing to what you're doing, but I thought it would be really cool to hear from both of you what you, who you are and what you do as songwriters, but also how you've influenced each other.

And I'm sure it goes both ways in how you've influenced each other as songwriters. Corey is like, oh, not so much. I

Corey Pryor: No no no actually, actually It's kind of funny that she she plays me. some of the stuff that she produces and I go, oh gosh, How does she do that? That's kind of cool. And then I'm trying to emulate it. And I go I don't know how she does it. So I just wait for her to teach me, you know, the tables are turned finally

Rae Leigh: Yeah.

Ariell Alexis: tricks of the trade.

Rae Leigh: That is a goal of most parents that our children can do what we do, but do it better. My seven year old taught me how to do something on garage band the other day. And I was like, wait, what how'd you do that? But I'm not a producer. I record stuff. And then

Corey Pryor: Well, I think kids get the technology and I'm a nerd, I'm such, just such a tech techno nerd into stuff. But my boys they just pick up stuff. and they just know it I go, my God, cause they grew up with a device in their hand. So

Rae Leigh: it's intuitive. Isn't it? It's kind of scary

Ariell Alexis: evolution, of the generations, you know,

Rae Leigh: And as soon as you learn how to learn, like my daughter yesterday, she was like, mom, you're watching YouTube. I'm like, yeah. She's like you tubes for kids. I'm like, well, no, I don't see as YouTube too. But yeah, you can learn faster if you want. If you're really excited about something and children have all the time in the bloody world, so of course they're going to catch up.

All right. So let's start with my first question is who are you and where do you come from?

Ariell Alexis: So I'm Ariel, Alexis, and where I come from, it's quite an interesting story. I was born and raised in the south of America. So I was born in Florida and I grew up primarily in Nashville, Tennessee. My mom and dad, obviously my dad's.

Yep. My dad's sitting to the left of me and from the gold coast originally. And my mom was born in North Dakota. So obviously having, you know, two musical idols to look up to my life and growing up with my mom until I was about 14. I moved in with my father when I turned to that age. And it was all downhill from there.

No, I'm kidding.

Corey Pryor: Great.

Rae Leigh: you loved the gold Chrysler, like compared to Nashville. Seriously go, Chris is pretty good.

Ariell Alexis: Oh, it's, it's a little bit easy, but, that's always good, you know, to have both, both takes on culture, really, and to have the experience of seeing different types of people and how they live and different, you know, influences and music, and it's all, it all

Corey Pryor: definitely different music.

Cause when I lived in Nashville he didn't really didn't hear a lot of stuff that was European based and not a lot of Australian based stuff. And this is Keith urban.

Yeah. and I was over there on an Australian band and We knew all the Australian bands that were over there. Cause you just, knew each other. But yeah, just a diversity, I think Australia gets a lot more diversity because we get a lot of us staff, A lot of European, UK staff, a lot of Australian stuff. and even that other little country. New Zealand, we get some of that stuff. as well. But,

Rae Leigh: creeps in

Corey Pryor: it creeps in. where somehow there's a leak somewhere, but you know,

there's some great, actually some great brands from, new Zealand.

Rae Leigh: Yeah. We take the good ones and then we just say them from Australia.

Corey Pryor: Yeah. Yeah. Like Russell Crowe. I dunno if That was a good thing or bad

Rae Leigh: they do that in the UK as well. I think we've stolen that idea from them because they take like great people from Scotland and Ireland. And if they're amazing at something, they say, oh, they're

Corey Pryor: you too

Rae Leigh: They're from England.

Corey Pryor: You too. Don't they come from it from Liverpool

Rae Leigh: We'll claim. Yeah. You do a,

Corey Pryor: But Yeah. The diversity is great, but that's the thing. with, Nashville,

it's a great place to live. cause you are, it's a music town.

but Definitely. living here is Definitely. a better lifestyle, I

Ariell Alexis: Oh, absolutely. And you know, where, where I grew up, I was mainly in the city. So I was always influenced by RAF from such a young age. You know, I was so interested in little Wayne and Drake and, um, Rick Ross and for, you know, a girl like me at that age.

It's, um, I guess it wasn't unusual because it was pretty popular, but coming to Australia, it's not as popular and as a common, I guess, to be interested in that sort of genre. So I kind of repressed it, just because I didn't feel like it's me, it's who I am. But over the years thinking about it and exploring it, I'm like, actually I really liked that and I sound good doing that.

I'm really happy when I do it. So I'm going to pursue that.

Rae Leigh: That's good. That's exactly what you should do. Music should make you feel good if you know, if it doesn't make you feel good, it's probably not going to make anyone else feel Although be interesting if it did all right, I'm going to come back because I'm interested to continue. And this is where it gets complicated because we used to doing it with one person. But Corey, who are you and where do you come from?

Corey Pryor: Uh, Corey prior they come from? my mother's womb

originally Um Yeah, Australian born gold coast based, um,

lived, lived here and sorta started music when I was three. Instead of playing the

synthesizer Um, keys back in the eighties. And, um, there wasn't a lot of keyboard players around, so, uh, it was a fact, I was talking to a friend of mine who was

another keyboard player in the eighties and were just laughing that man, we were like,

him and me were tag teaming on just about every other band on the coast. um, which was great, great, fun, great experience. Um, and in that

I think at one point I was playing,

an eight bands and I played some, uh, like like you do your music nights,

You're a songwriter. There was a gold coast association of musicians. And we'd get together like every, like, three months and played everyone kind of showcase themselves, you know, different. And so one night I played in eight, eight different outfits. I was just on

stage all night. Um, and there was a manager there who managed a band called the news. And, um, as an Aussie band, it had just started to go over this or think about going to the states. And so I ended up joining those guys and, um, eventually went over to the states um, and performed with them for

uh, probably

totally about four and a half years, I think I played,

with them

um, three and a half years in in the states starting out at Atlanta. Then we moved to Nashville because our record label was there

a lot of, lot of great. I caught college, a lot of great fun. Um, worked with some of my idols that actually grew up listening to, I got to work with or tour with And yeah as a

guy called Steve Taylor, who I just loved his

his album want to be a clone.

And meltdown. this is, and this was the Christian and contemporary

music

industry.

So, um, it was kind of really

Rae Leigh: pretty big over there.

Corey Pryor: Oh, it's huge,

over there. It's huge compared to here because there is an industry over there. Um, over here, there's not really a big industry.

Um, Because

I just the demographics we don't have we don't have the numbers to support. It

Rae Leigh: just Hillsong.

Corey Pryor: just feels

like, well, they, yeah, they kind of, well before Hillsong was around this it was more the Christian entertainment music.

So, um, so that's what was really happening. And so Turn it over there made a few albums. One of, one of the last ones, I lost. one I worked on with the Newsboys on was,

nominated for a Grammy. And, um, we had a funeral, one hits on that. um, previous album we had two number one hits. So we kind of establish ourselves from being, from being like a festival band that would play in the afternoon to suddenly we were playing headlining festivals, which was a

great transition to be in from a band and touring was from like two or 300 people Suddenly you're playing to 2000, 3000 people. And that happened pretty quick.

Um, all the ducks,

were lined up with marketing media touring. I mean, one of the, the, tours we had, We had, we were a number one, the Outback around vocalist

What had a number two single and

our opening out had the number three singles

singles. So as a promoter, you cannot get a better tri-factor than that. You got the top three, three singles in the songs in the country and they're all on your bill, which is pretty amazing.

So it was a lot of fun. And, um, so I went from that, uh, and then I left the band. I was really getting into a lot of, dance music. actually. And back in the day kind of it was a nineties. So the European house is what I was really into. And I'd met, um, Danielle, which is Ariel's

mom. And

um,

we and she was a singer She's an amazing singer.

And, um, we kind of decided this outfit in stone, the Christian contemporary music, scene doing dance music. would just kind of taboo. And we got a lot of flack for it. You know, because oh, Christians don't.

dance. you know?

Rae Leigh: I went to a Catholic school and they told me that drums were from the devil and I was, I was a Pentecostal kid. So I was like, that's

Corey Pryor: yeah yeah

Ariell Alexis: Isn't it?

Corey Pryor: Oh yeah. I mean, rock and roll. I remember someone like someone giving me a book once

a rock and roll was off the D was off the devil. And I was like, oh

well

Rae Leigh: sex offender got banned from Southern countries because it was two 60.

Ariell Alexis: my gosh.

Rae Leigh: Put that sex to friend where I won't be able to keep my clothes on

Corey Pryor: Kenny, Kenny G Kenny G hidden dirty to us there.

Rae Leigh: so yeah. So you pushing the boundaries on Christian music in the

Corey Pryor: Yeah,

So that was a lot of fun. And I think the, the Newsboys were kind of sounded a little bit more when they first joined them, they were kind of like midnight oil or cold chisel. And then by the time I left them, they was setting, like Jesus Jones, EMF, and doing this kind of like chemical brothers prodigy kind of vibe.

So it was, it was a lot of fun, big transition for them to go into more loop based

and synth based stuff as

opposed to just being at rock and roll kind of, um, outfits. So I'm a bit of an influencer, which is a lot of fun. Um, yeah. And Then the dance thing, which, you know, I just loved that. I got signed to a little, um,

independent label out of LA, um, which was struggling because it was in that same market,

but

there were, they were releasing albums and pushing and they were really pioneering the whole kind of industry and the recording side of things.

And there's a few other bands?

that were doing it?

Um, Um, but we had some radio success with it. I sort of had it in that. band. So we had like a top 10 hit, which is really good, and, um, played festivals and people love to love that at festivals. Cause it was like, Hey, you're just, these guys are

you know, crazy. And we had pretty crazy stage antics. You know, I had a keyboard that was on a, like a massive spring. And so it was like, like a Pogo stick that I would ride.

It looked like I was riding a bucking bull and it was just, you know, always into a show. it was always in the

show.

Rae Leigh: You are an entertainer. I have

Corey Pryor: Kitara Kitara always played a Kita.

and then stuff

Rae Leigh: You have to explain what a Kitara is because I

Corey Pryor: tower is a it's a it's a keyboard that that's your strap on like a guitar and it's a little shorter and, you know, it gives you gives you the freedom to be anywhere. As, you know, the last gig I was running across some of the

Rae Leigh: you were on my dinner table on it, like standing on top of the table.

Corey Pryor: I did. I didn't

Rae Leigh: No. You didn't hear your drinks or anything? No, it was fine. I mean, I was worried for the champagne, but it looked cool, but there's a, there's a, um, there's like a neck on it. What's the neck do, is it just for looks or

Corey Pryor: no, actually that functions. Yeah.

So stuff like, um, you do your pitch band, you do your um, modulation sustained pedal octave up octave down

program

changes.

You can program anything to do anything these days. And so that's what that does And it's something to hold on to

when you do your big, you know, um, Pete Townsend windmill thing is you got to hold onto something, so,

Rae Leigh: okay All right. Sorry. I cut you off, but I just thought it probably needs to be explained because you don't see it or hear of it very

Corey Pryor: Not a lot in the eighties.

It was big. Um I haven't changed. Um, And yeah, so, th th so from that I went, then I went to, uh, um, Florida moved to Florida with Ariel's mom and,

Um, we birthed her during

that time,

but also also worked Um we started working freelance with, a few other producers and stuff, and I was producing at that time down there had a little studio and, um, sorta as working as a freelance keyboard player for a company called trans continental, which was run by Lupe Homan, who was a really bad con man I think he went to jail and died. And some of That was really bad, but he put together Backstreet boys,

in sync and a myriad of other boy bands and people like pink and, um, pretty spays involved with them with Donner, um, Donna, ride Her husband.

I can't think but I was, So I was kind of involved around that crew, which was really good to see that got to that whole pop market, um, and all the S all the, all the

at the same

time, still working with. Um, Sozo wi, which was the name of the band dance band, And then we

changed it to go more

in a secular may go more mainstream. And

we just dropped the being a duo and decided going as Daniella. which is your mom. So

Um, that was a interesting going, Just

kind of create her more of an artist. And so I could just have the freedom to do a bit more of what I needed to Yeah,

Ariell Alexis: I didn't know that Daniella,

Corey Pryor: Daniella

Ariell Alexis: left that bit out.

Corey Pryor: Check that out.

You didn't know, I've got the pictures to prove

Rae Leigh: she might, I want you to Google it.

That, that was always going to be a longer story, obviously, but that's

Ariell Alexis: You've had a couple more spins around the world

Corey Pryor: decades to explain.

Rae Leigh: I mean, you know, anyone who could drop Grammy into a story, it has to be heard. So, yeah. Respect. We got time though. Right.

Corey Pryor: you got plenty of time. You probably, you probably do it a few times over

Rae Leigh: All

right. So my next question is usually goes into, like, when did you first write your first song and that inspiration to even do that as a process? What was that like for you?

Ariell Alexis: Oh my gosh. I have to think back to my first song. I think I started writing more in poetry and I was topping English as well.

So just anything persuasive writing essays, you name it. Like I was that nerd. I was like, let me do this. Cause I have a way with words and communication. So I kind of dabbled in that and, um, it wasn't until I think I really moved here that I started looking into the song, writing a bit more as you know, I was always doing covers in America and that was just the thing everybody was doing.

But when I moved here and I started writing poetry and kind of just feeling an emotion, I would expand on that. And sometimes it comes through melodies and I hear that. Everywhere all the time. I can't turn it off when I'm sleeping, I'll wake up in the middle of the night to jot it down. But my first song that I can really remember, I think I was I'm actually at home and, you know, my dad had a home studio and he had a keyboard that would always sit at and no one would be home that, that, you know, began getting lunch or doing something.

And that was my time where I'd just go and let everything loose on my keyboard. It didn't really know how to play properly. It just kind of learned the chords as I went. Um, and I just kind of smashed out the couple chords and I listened to the way they kind of went together and how that made me feel.

And I went, and I was just saying a love song kind of about, you know, just losing a love and what that feels like as every songwriter does, you know? Oh, wait, there's always one of the slave about that. Hmm.

Rae Leigh: Yeah, no, I mean, broken heart is a art gold. Apparently. That's what I've heard. I probably can agree, but, um, so that was your first song you just

left out and you're like stealing some cools off the panel. Did he teach you how to play or did you ever

Ariell Alexis: did you, you know what him trying to teach me? I mean, thing is always a bit of a challenge.

Corey Pryor: I am. I'm the suckiest teacher. when it comes to keys. Cause I just get so frustrated.

Ariell Alexis: just expects you to know how to do it without teaching. You know, he's like, well, why can't, you know,

Rae Leigh: can't you just do this intuitively like I did.

Corey Pryor: out of the way. Let me do it.

Ariell Alexis: so you know, I was six years old, I think it was, I six, I came and, um, he was obviously running a church called Lakeside in Tweed, and I would be floating around the stage with a mic singing, Hannah Montana while everyone's in the offices working. And he's like, didn't you help me do a cover album of what's that woman?

Corey Pryor: Yeah.

there was Yeah, no, no, actually it was a, there was a, there was like a kid's ministry that was out of this area that the gold coast area, um, called rockfish.

And I used

to produce um, some of the tracks, you know? And so I, so I had all these like.

tracks that I had produced and

I'm so used to love this stuff and cause you know, it was, it was based for that, that her age group.

and, And um, so she would sing all the songs.

And then,

you know, I think I said, oh, come on and just record your singing them. And she record a little album.

Ariell Alexis: How did that go?

Corey Pryor: It was great. It was good. She did cry a lot.

in the, in the studio And.

I'm like,

why are You

crying?

You can, you can do it. You can

Ariell Alexis: don't think it was that I couldn't do it. I think you would just telling, I think it was while I was six first away.

So it was fun. I actually have flashbacks to being in the vocal booth and you like punching in saying, you know, I'll try it like this or this. I'd be like, just getting really frustrated, like just I'm done. I've done it. Just not understanding obviously if you're a vocalist and you've done this before, you know, punching in lines and layering and stacking it's, it's hard.

Sometimes

Corey Pryor: Yeah You were six, Michael, Michael Jackson didn't have a problem when he was young, I

Ariell Alexis: whatever

Corey Pryor: no, I don't think so.

he had a few problems

Ariell Alexis: assumptions.

Rae Leigh: I'm sure he did.

Corey Pryor: He wasn't mentally scarred in the end. I think so. Maybe it was a

problem

Rae Leigh: soon as you, when he, anyway, that's a whole nother story. Now, the podcast, Michael Jackson. Okay. So.

Yeah. So you guys worked together quite young and it was that actually came out of may asking you if he taught you how to play, because my children will not learn from me though. If they see a pretty Bango, they will listen, especially my oldest bit, um, may not have no, mommy doesn't know anything about music.

I'll learn from my iPad. So that was your first songwriting experience. I'm trying to work out how we got to this.

Ariell Alexis: teaching.

Rae Leigh: You were writing songs and that's right. So, and that was your first sort of like how old were you when you started doing that? You reckon

Ariell Alexis: I think it was about 13, 14 when I started, um, coming up with songs and at school, I went to Kings Christian college and.

Uh, man, I had the best opportunities there in terms of being able to study music, you know, for a subject and drama and dance. And I ended up writing some songs, some Christian songs for our Easter performances and getting the whole class to learn them and, you know, have a band and everyone's singing back up and having family and friends come out to the showcase.

And that was just such a liberating experience, you know, to see it come to life and yeah.

Rae Leigh: Oh, what an amazing school to get IE behind your original stuff like that. That's really

Corey Pryor: they they are very good. Like they have a good arts really loosen to push, um, you know, songwriting And creativity. I love the creativity.

Rae Leigh: Yeah. I love that. That's really cool. And so you were just trying to express yourself and you just sort of started doing it because why not, your mom was doing your dad was doing it

That's yeah Well, I mean, it makes sense. Um, what about you, Corey? W where did songwriting start?

Corey Pryor: Um

Rae Leigh: Do you remember

Corey Pryor: well, I was to when I started.

it would have been

when I started putting bands together, I think, um, I had a little.

band with,

um, another keyboard player and a drummer and we were like very new wave. Um, man, it was a lot of fun and I was trying to be,

the lead singer, which is terrible.

I'm just a terrible lead singer

Rae Leigh: It's

Corey Pryor: because I can't remember lyrics I'm one of those songs I

Rae Leigh: that would help.

Corey Pryor: I can write these amazing you know, poetic lines, but I just cannot remember when I get up. I just can't remember them. So I ha I had to have things written down for me. Um, and so I guess I was riding back then in that band, I would have been, would have been

just, um,

you know, picking up and playing, weird guitar that I couldn't play guitar, but I could tune it enough to I could play a few it's, you know, weird stuff like, even though

I heard you play my guitar before

I think that's added in my own special tuning, Um, and playing keys. So that was when I was writing. So I think being involved in a church and a lot of artists who are involved in church, if they're in a good church. So,

um, they'll have

the freedom to.

to write and compose and be encouraged to.

Um, And I think in church I was writing stuff as well, writing,

church songs

you know? Um, and I was always I'm not doing anything, being

religious. I wanted to break the boundary, always wanting to break the boundaries and push the envelope

in everything I've done. Um, we, I mean, we had the song, I abandon another band I had, I remember the lyrics were, um, our bodies, dead It was a Christian van, a buddy's dead

You've lost some worth, um, loss of useful

than effectiveness or something like that.

It's just weird, just weird lyrics, you know?

Um, but, but there's a lot of stuff that, you know, were you were pushing back eighties was kind of crazy cause you can write.

anything and have a lot of fun.

Um, so I was writing back then and that just kept on going through.

um, to,

I still do it today.

you know? I can't with lines and ideas and things, It's

a lot of fun, but more on

the producing side

Now it's sort of like, I like to take an artist, who's written a song and see if I can.

um,

Bring bring it to another level, bring it, uh, make it better. Um, Sometimes I'll, I'll say Like I'll say on an artist that doesn't make sense. Um, have you really thought about that? What does that?

mean? you know,

Rae Leigh: pretty sure. He said that to me,

Corey Pryor: I just

Rae Leigh: kept on asking me what I, what I wanted. And I'm like, I don't, I don't know what I want. I've never done this before.

Corey Pryor: Well, yeah. Well,

Rae Leigh: And that was a bad experience. Probably pull you.

Corey Pryor: uh, that was fun. I think I produced the song three times.

Um,

Rae Leigh: I like now let's

Corey Pryor: there was something there, there was something

there And I said, eh, we'll get through this, we'll get through this. And it. was, uh, you know, And I think I love working with young artists because they do have that

inexperience.

and it's just good to see them go from a, to B, to C to D you know, um, and see their song evolve.

And sometimes they were blown away, like, oh my gosh, I never thought it would be like this. Or sometimes again, I never thought it'd be like, this.

Rae Leigh: different

Corey Pryor: has a so different Um but as, as, as a song always want to bring, bring the best out of that song.

And So

bringing any exp experience I can, or any knowledge that can help them do it.

and just show them along the way. that's, um, So, you know, Cause no one, I didn't really have any, any of that.

when I was young.

Um, and when I started working um, with producers,

I started realizing, oh, wow,

there's so much more that I could do with, um, you know, song this song.

It could, I've never thought of it. Like that sounding like that, or, oh, that's a really cool sound or a good way of you changing the chords there. And It makes it sound so much better.

You know,

And a lot of a lot of songs that come in, um, they'll come in and they'll have like four chords and they'll play verse pre-chorus somebody's hand up there.

Um, everything's the same. So I like to create a dynamic. I'll say all you gotta do is change a bass note and suddenly that cord gives a lift in the chorus or, and it's kind of some really simple ideas and that's, that's where I I thrive at them in my life at the moment. I just love saying it grabbing someone's song and making it even more.

exciting for them.

I guess educating on the way, but in a nice

Rae Leigh: And we need it cause like, yeah, ha in this as much as we can learn from universities and schools and we need that space to learn, um, there's just only so much that you can learn in an educational situation and then the rest of it, you got to just learn on the go.

Corey Pryor: Yeah,

It just, Yeah, exactly. Learn on the, go. Just get out there and do it and, and have mentors that, that can just really tell you that sucks. I've got, like, I've got to

Rae Leigh: to be honest with,

Corey Pryor: I've got a friend who, who I will send him a mix and he'll just say something like you really like high hats and I'll go oh, then I'll go back and listen I go, oh my gosh, my high hats. Yeah. They're really hot in the mix. And It's kind of, it's kind of great that you've got someone that you can just bang something off and say, what do you think? And then I'll give you an honest opinion because there's a lot of people who Blow. um,

what is it? smoke up your

ass. Oh, Can I say that?

on this? You know, and, And they don't tell you the truth. They go. oh Yeah, it's great.

It's awesome. It Sounds amazing. But sometimes you don't want that because there is a, there is another level you can go to if you go have some honest opinions and feedback. And I say like,

it's

a lot of playlists

Rae Leigh: to better receive

Corey Pryor: Yeah You got to have, and this is what I say to a lot of songwriters is that your songs are your babies, but don't, don't be in love with your babies that much, that you can't have someone come and dress it nicer, you know,

Um, because we, we do tend to find our songs of just like, oh, they're perfect. The way it should be. Sometimes it's

not.

Rae Leigh: Well, it takes a village to raise children. If you'd raise a child by itself and never let it interact with the rest of the world, it's going to be a doll baby.

Corey Pryor: exactly. So I always say just, just having an open mind, I say everyone comes in the studio.

Okay. As long as we have an open mind on this end, we might, might go down a path. We may never, Never do anything in that path, but we're going to have an open mind to go down there and experiment and see what happens because that might inspire you.

to do something else. you know?

So It's just having that freedom to do that.

And so

Rae Leigh: and I was pretty horrible to you. Look, I've been in a lot of studio sessions since then, and I've since learned so much about production.

I had no idea what I'm just sort of like comes up perfect. Straight away,

Ariell Alexis: We wish,

Rae Leigh: like mastered, you know,

Corey Pryor: mustard. Yeah. Why isn't a sounding like

that

Rae Leigh: why is this

you're not used to something that's not, you know, radio ready and that's a whole nother level

Corey Pryor: That's a hard that's a whole nother level of expense. Yeah. like era, August,

spring, back to area, like, Um, she

w she was done in Melbourne through lockdowns and, having, yeah, having a hard time down there, but she, but I was trying to work with her back when she was 16, and 17, and 18.

and 19.

And, And I would just say.

'cause I just saw raw talent. and I wanted to put it into a box and pigeonhole her and get her to become a pop artist. Cause I was producing pop and

I thought, this is great. I'll get, I'll just get her to do it. I just could not get her to lock into anything. And she would it was like,

Rae Leigh: she had a daughter that didn't want to be doing

Corey Pryor: Yeah. she was like a horse that she was like a horse. that wanted that. You're trying to, you put a mouthpiece in and bridle this thing and put a saddle on it. No, no, no, no, no. I'm going to go with this. you're going to hit me out. And it just, it was just like really difficult and it's because it wasn't really who she was and she hadn't, it wasn't what she wanted to do deep down. And so that's always going to be a problem. If you're trying to get someone to do They're never going to be who that, that person you want them to be.

And so she went down to Melbourne and a couple of years later, she was started sending me tracks and, and I was like, wow, this stuff's really good. I'm like, and I, and so I would just give it a little few, few things, like

grab your microphone and your laptop, put it in your cupboard, and put donors up around you And that are dead. in that sound and give you a better and stuff.

Like those little simple

techniques,

you know, recording a cupboard Um, and then suddenly her mixes change And I was like, I was like, man, this stuff is really good. And then she'd be, she was like her songwriting, what, like she'd just turn around and send me two songs in a day recorded with background vocals effects and everything.

Can I Just go,

I would go,

who are you? What are you doing down there? So she actually developed as an artist in that kind of locked down um, period. And she's around a few other people who are creating And softened. so, um, I think it was actually in a strange sense. It was, it was really good for, it. and I just saw that she discovered herself down there, which really impressed me And I was like, man, I was like blown

away by my daughter Cause I thought oh, whatever, she's just a trip

Rae Leigh: there were some positives from the Melbourne

Ariell Alexis: Oh,

Corey Pryor: yeah Well it's

Ariell Alexis: But looking back when you said, you know, I was, um, a horse in your trying to muzzle me or something anyways. Yeah. Going back to that one. Yeah. When you, you know, you were doing the whole songwriting thing with, um, I can't remember their names.

Corey Pryor: Oh, at the music factory, which was working with, um, um, Hayden bell who's got like over in a one hit hun hundred, no, over a hundred number one hits under his belt. through his company Is it? And so he's out. He's got that.

big company out of Sweden called the kennel. So we had like a

like a chapter,

in Brisbane, a few she guys with Cy and um, Shawn, Shane

Ariell Alexis: Shane. Yeah. You told me,

Corey Pryor: Shawn Shane and

another S brother,

Ariell Alexis: You told me like this, this is where you're like, oh, the money's in songwriting, you know, the royalties and nah, you know, being an original artist, it's cool. But you know, it's not the way. And so you're like, why don't you try and, um, write some songs and we'll send them off to some people and sell them.

And I was like, oh, of course, like I've always had an open mind. Let's do it. So I think we laid down the track from the ground up. Remember that one that was big and it was a, you know, kind of house pop.

Corey Pryor: I was like, uh, I know it was like a pot. It was

like a pop

Ariell Alexis: It was real big. And it was so, and like you're producing Sal one thing about him. He's so big, you know what I mean?

Like, and that's great because it just wasn't me. And it's never been me to, you know, have all this,

like all the sounds and effects in lasers and it to do. Like, it's just not. So I was doing that and yeah, I actually had a interview lined up with juice winner seven, three to play it live. And he interviewed me at visa.

You know, asking about it. And I was going to go in and, and do that on the air, but I pulled out last minute and I just, I couldn't do it because it wasn't me. So listening to the song and that's the only song I really had under my belt, fully produced to show people what I do. And I actually was just like this.

I'm not happy with it. So I, why would I go on, you know, and talk about that. So going to Melbourne, I think for awhile, my whole life, since I graduated high school, I was working hospitality, trying to be, you know, an adult and learn the ropes. So how to get an apartment and how to keep your life together.

It's still learning that one. But throughout that, I think when the lockdown hit, um, you know, going through all these kind of problems that you face with all that time, and I think everyone during COVID goes, what now? What are we doing? I had that time with my laptop where I could just go, okay, let's have some fun.

And I got into a circle of friends who were into like,

Alternative rap. That's not quite your everyday sound. And I love that. Cause we would sit around in a room like this for three days and walk down at a time and we would just hand a mic from person to person and we'd spit freestyles day and night.

And I was like, I never really phrased out. I would do that parties. I was like, always do that parties. And they'd be like, oh my God. And I was like, yeah, it's just a party trick. And I would start doing it with my friends. And they were like, do that

Rae Leigh: Can you do some for us? Oh, no. Some freestyle. Yeah. Go on. I'll throw be ahead

Ariell Alexis: That's off the top of my head off the top of my head.

I'm pretty tired. So want to go to bed? Oh wait, what did I said, said, said, and done. I'm going to pull up black on the son's cause kit don't quote

Rae Leigh: that. You've done that with Shane, right?

Ariell Alexis: Not yet. That's going to be a rabbit hole that

Rae Leigh: We've gotta do a Curry, right? Okay. So wrapping in Melbourne and then, and that's just what you did for like days on end

in.

Ariell Alexis: days on end. That's all we did. And then my friend had like a little mic in his room and he would, we'd just go hard on it. And we'd just get tracks on YouTube, like beats and we just make stuff and we'd go out into the Bush and we'd film these weird music videos not wear wigs.

And it just was so weird, but it felt so right, because that's just me, like out of the box, can't

Corey Pryor: it.

was an amazing lockdown.

Rae Leigh: Yeah. Yeah.

Sounds like in the Bush, that was within

Corey Pryor: traveling and traveling hanging out a

Rae Leigh: you were

close to the Bush.

Ariell Alexis: I'm still paying off a $3,000 fine from that. Don't worry about it.

Rae Leigh: ouch. Oh,

Corey Pryor: Yeah. The

price of creativity right?

Rae Leigh: Rockstar life.

Ariell Alexis: We do what we want, you know, what can we say? Music never

Rae Leigh: No And so then that's why he came back up here. Obviously you'll like,

he'd

Ariell Alexis: away.

Rae Leigh: take your $3,000. Fine. I'm moving to Queensland.

Ariell Alexis: absolutely. Yeah. Just needed my family again and needed to get grounded because. Lost myself and my vision and my purpose in a sense, but I'm coming back here and you know, my dad in the process had this production studio and he was always FaceTiming me when it was being built.

And, oh man, since being here, I've had the opportunity to use all the equipment and the mix and I've come out with, I think my best stuff I've ever done

Rae Leigh: that's

awesome. And w w where are we sitting? Like it's called creative.

Corey Pryor: Yeah. Fusion, fusion,

creative

Rae Leigh: creative, um, a student collaborative

Corey Pryor: Yeah it's in, COVID a lot of, um, a lot of music has lost work and we didn't know what to do. And There's a guy who hears in a, in a group called chase Atlantic. So doing really well in the states and he had this facility but was over the states touring. is still there now. hasn't come back in And he goes, he mentioned it signed to a Mike Hickey.

Who's the venue manager here. And, um, said, listen, I'd love to see this thing be fulfilled,

but I can't do it. Do you know anyone? And would you be interested in doing some stuff here?

And it just, then

Mike knew that. I was looking for a facility

to put my studio.

to get out of a home.

kind of a vibe

Rae Leigh: Yeah,

Corey Pryor: commercial is a better spot. to be in, you And, um, so I just said, yeah, and I had a bit of a construction background. I said, yeah, well we Did some studio stuff here, but we'd have to fit it out.

And

so we went through the whole process of

fitting out of this.

They've got two studio rooms,

in here, Um,

B room, I took the smaller one and we got the, a room, which is a large one sound treated. Um, and then we go to editing bays, a live streaming room downstairs.

and other, um, Uh, I call it the overflow room, but it's great for, for,

We do programming lighting in there,

and it's got high ceilings.

good photographic studio as

Rae Leigh: He did an amazing job

Corey Pryor: And the Nashville room, which was

Rae Leigh: Yeah. And we're sitting in

Corey Pryor: we are sitting in the national room.

cause we made it look like it's like a little Nashville.

Rae Leigh: It's like the little writing circle, but it's also like, it was also almost for me, it felt like when you built the space, it was preparing for an extended lockdown. Like we're going to do music, even if we can't have shows live, we're going to be doing it however we can. And if that means we're doing it online, but we're going to do it well.

And you've set up a fantastic,

Corey Pryor: Yeah So it's great it's a great facility.

Um, and the, the whole background idea is to see young artists come in, um, uh, ha have a place that they can be discovered. Um, they can learn how to ride.

as well,

Um, um, have a bit of freedom to um, get around other guys that have experience in and can mentor them um, as well. So it's very much a, uh, we w we originally were calling it the

hub a hub for music, um, and sing a song writers come in.

and just hang out,

and, you know, Just hanging out with each other and just, that's why the whole national, room we use play use the national, room apart from my room.

the most. Um, cause We just have meetings here. We have chit-chats here.

Um, we have, uh, We have a

Marshall amp that

isn't a Marshall amp. It's actually a fridge stocked. Um, and we got ton of guitars and bass guitars and instruments around We just Pick up. sewing and start playing it. And It's just a great vibe here.

So.

Rae Leigh: You've done an amazing job, and it's beautiful to see how your relationship has father-daughter as well, has evolved to end up in this Nashville room talking about

Corey Pryor: Nashville

Rae Leigh: Nashville. And, but just, and now being in the gold coast, this is like a little piece of Nashville in the gold coast.

Um, but to see that, that journey of separation and now coming back together, what are you guys doing together now? How's the relationship evolved?

Ariell Alexis: I still hate him not getting, I love

Corey Pryor: a love hate relationship.

Rae Leigh: Which love hates really just hate, hate. Is that what you're saying? Let's try some love. Love

Ariell Alexis: me personally, I have come to realize as I grow up and mature, It's going to sound cheesy, but I think my parents are my biggest inspirations or influences ever of all time. So getting their approval to me is like the be-all end-all for me, that's like, if I have a track, it goes straight to them.

Rae Leigh: it sounds like it's pretty hard to get approved.

Ariell Alexis: And that's why I like it. I like a challenge, you know? And he's honest with me. He's like, oh, that that song didn't have a hook or just repeated

Corey Pryor: Or didn't go somewhere.

It didn't go anywhere I liked the idea, but yeah,

Ariell Alexis: yeah, I'll rework that

Corey Pryor: straight with her It was just good

Ariell Alexis: with me, you know, he'll have me come in and look at a house track he's working on and we'll be like, oh, I could add a baseline here.

It could add to this effect here.

Corey Pryor: And I say shut up.

What are, you know?

Ariell Alexis: that's actually true. He does not want to be told, but you know what? He actually does it. And then he's like, That

Corey Pryor: always take I always take on advice. Even if I, at the time, I'm like, Hmm, I don't know. I'll act like whatever but then I'll listen, you know, maybe she's right. I don't want to let her know she's right

Ariell Alexis: he won't

Corey Pryor: Well

Rae Leigh: like my husband,

Corey Pryor: be Like, I find out like, aerial goat, she'll send me a track. and I'll go, that's A really good tracking cause she's out in the club. So when she hears this thing goes, oh man, you like dig this thing, and I'll go, yeah. she goes, oh, you should do do something like this or add this little thing in and I'll go, I'll listen to it. I go, Yeah. you're right. She's she's actually right.

Ariell Alexis: I've got your ears, man.

Corey Pryor: yeah

Ariell Alexis: And your brain pretty much. And I actually do like looking at it. I can see my, from my mom's side of got her, charisma and her, her style and her elegance, gracefulness and her voice and her writing skills as well. She's an amazing songwriter. Oh my gosh. But you I've got your, technical, like the ability to pick things up really quickly.

So that's why I think I teach myself. I don't like learning from other people cause I'm quick, I'll go. And YouTube did it. Boom. I know how to produce a song from start to scratch in five minutes. So why would I get it from anyone else? And I'm like, no, don't tell me how to do it. I can do this. And you know, learning from you and how you are very, a little bit of a nerdy characteristic there of just, I have that as well. So I have both combined and I'm so great.

Rae Leigh: You've created a

super child, super songwriter.

Ariell Alexis: So

Rae Leigh: Speaking of speaking of that, what's the collaboration side of things being like for both of you, either co-writing or collaborating with other artists, have you done much, what have you learnt

Ariell Alexis: collaborating with other artists.

Rae Leigh: So like a co-write for example, I usually talk about co-writing, but it could be collaborating on outwork.

Ariell Alexis: each other.

Rae Leigh: that's talking about each other, but also just in the sense, cause you just talked about like you band take feedback and like, it can be really hard being creative with another human being, just doing a curve over someone else

Ariell Alexis: because you get a vision,

Rae Leigh: challenging. It can be, it can be amazing. It can be

Corey Pryor: ever seen the two headed dragon.

Well,

Rae Leigh: I always tell people that Curt writing a song with someone who's kind of like having sex. It can be bad or it can be really good. But at the end of the day, you still going to have a song baby, and that's still possible. It may go somewhere. It may not.

Corey Pryor: a funny way of looking at

Ariell Alexis: that's

Rae Leigh: You may want to go back and co-wrote with them again.

You may not.

Corey Pryor: I don't think I've ever had bad sex

Ariell Alexis: T N I Jesus, T M

Corey Pryor: now right there. There's a, there's a title.

song right there.

Rae Leigh: the guy has never had bad sex.

Ariell Alexis: Yeah.

Rae Leigh: That's just arrogant.

Ariell Alexis: Yeah.

Corey Pryor: you had bad sex,

Rae Leigh: I'd say I've had

Corey Pryor: not over here

Rae Leigh: Okay That's a

different podcast. That's a different, obviously you're not a Virgin, um,

Ariell Alexis: Yeah. Obviously. I mean, I'm

Corey Pryor: got you're talking to my daughter.

Ariell Alexis: on the spawn, spawned creation.

Corey Pryor: Yeah. So collaborating.

Rae Leigh: collaborating,

Corey Pryor: you've, you've collaborated

Ariell Alexis: collaborating. I remember looking back in high school actually, because, you know, studying music class, we'd be paired up and having to, you know, one person writes the chords or this.

I think it's great. I love hearing other people's ideas and I love, I think I naturally influenced as well with a bit of things, so I can kind of take something. And like you said, you know, bring a fresh perspective or add the thing in there that they needed to really bring it to life. Um, I love, I'm so open to having people's ideas and, and you know what, I'll try it.

And if, even if I think it's not gonna work out, I'll try it. And then they can hear for themselves that it's not going to work out. And then we can move on happy days, you know?

Corey Pryor: Gosh it sounds like me as a music, director

when I was the churches, someone come up with these great ideas.

great.

And I'd go, All right, we'll try it. And I just thought the whole thing would crash.

Rae Leigh: And you're like, I'm going to give you full ownership of this. Cause it's all your glory, mate.

Corey Pryor: I let him

take it off I'll take it all

the way to the live performance and then watch them fall over and go.

Hmm. I didn't know him. I didn't

know why it didn't work.

I tried to tell you maybe.

Rae Leigh: Sometimes we have to learn from experiences that's okay. Sometimes we don't want to be told

Corey Pryor: Yeah But

Ariell Alexis: I was in America once I actually, I was about 17 and I found an ad on Craigslist, you know, it's like our Gumtree here. And it was like seeking vocalists female musicians. And I was like, oh, I'll apply straight to that one.

And I ended up, oh, really small world Craigslist Gumtree. Everybody

Rae Leigh: side note. Anyway, keep going.

You found

Ariell Alexis: ended up in a recording studio in Detroit, Michigan with, um, his name is Xeon McColl. He's actually featured on a pretty big song. I can't remember the name of it. Uh, it went viral a long time ago and ended up working with his father and some other producers.

And they just played a track in the studio and they were like, what can you do? And I was like, this is my moment. walked into the studio and I just laid down this fire hook on it. And they're just like, all right, let's keep going. And we smashed it up. And then my mom called my uncle, my uncle plays bass for kid rock in the states.

So he's, um, you know, he's an amazing producer writer as well, and he brought some of his instruments. He wanted to take it somewhere, you know, and, and add some chords and make it feel like this and the chorus. And I had a really strong vision of what it needed to sound like. And you know, what I was trying to portray and obviously, you know, collaborating in that environment, especially when it's family, it's a little bit different, always challenging, but at the end of it, it's kind of beautiful because if you look at what you're doing, you're creating something out of thin air.

And having that essence of everyone contributing is kind of magical.

Corey Pryor: Yeah, it co collaborating. I love her. I love collaborating. I think songwriting collaborating is fun.

Um oh, It makes it more fun because you're bouncing ideas of each other and, and, and you gotta be willing in those things. those situations to let things go as well. because not everyone's going to like your your line, or your word or your, your idea of where it's going to go, but then you gotta be free to go.

Yeah, Let's go with that. Okay. Okay. Now let's not go with that. Then, then that's that's the collaboration. It's a give and take relationship in songwriting. Um, And I guess, I guess you do a lot of collab collaborating with, cause you do a lot of top lining era. There's

a lot of top lining on most of the stuff she does. So

she'll take a, take a track and she'll just,

um, write lyric over it. So that's, that's always a collab that's collaborating in a different way of doing it.

you know? Um, and so a lot of times, like I've got tracks, that I go, man, I need someone to top line.

I should check them to you.

Ariell Alexis: what are you doing, man?

I've been telling him this for years.

Corey Pryor: I did have wow

Ariell Alexis: this for years. Hello, send them my way. That's what I do.

Corey Pryor: Yeah, but I don't no style wise if it's your thing, you know,

it's

about

Ariell Alexis: only one way to find

Corey Pryor: writing six lyrics on whatever. Um, but yeah, collaborating, I think, cause I I've sort of living in a producer world now at the moment. So, so, um, I think, I think my job is always collaborating

with, with

an artist. So whether, whether I know a lot of times I don't care about the writers.

you know, getting points or royalties on stuff. I just want to get to be a great song.

I'll say, Hey, let's just, you know, if you change That word there, it's going to sound bad or they're wasting it, or that line truly sucks. Um, kinda come up with something a better line than that,

Um,

you know, and I'll do that in.

you know, you always do that in a nice political way. Um, you don't,

Rae Leigh: you are pretty political.

Corey Pryor: You want to, you want, I think producing is a lot of a lot of, um, There's a lot of psychology that goes into it Cause you really want to convey,

uh, them to change what they're doing without them knowing that.

the change in what they're doing is for you.

And So it's um, um, as you want to get the best out of them. So pulling something out, it's the best performance out of someone who has a lot of, um, a

lot of background work that you're kind of working towards to get that.

Rae Leigh: I mentioned, you'd have to make them feel good because if they feel good, they're going to, that energy

Corey Pryor: absolutely Absolutely If you you know, they feel like, they feel like they own that idea. Then they own that idea and they're going to perform that idea.

even though you've

dropped the seat in there for that idea to be birthed.

you know, so it's all

those tricks, but, um,

and that's That's so producing is always collaborating because you're not just producing. with the, Um, with the song and the songwriter, You're also dealing with guitarists, bass players, drummers musicians uh, people mixing.

you know, So it's always it's a group of people. It's like a like a circus and you're the ringleader, you know, we're trying to pull this whole thing together. of fun, a

lot of fun. Um, And I think it I think a studio should, be a circus. I, I have

Rae Leigh: life is a circus.

Corey Pryor: should be fun.

Rae Leigh: the studio.

Corey Pryor: know, like I got gotta, I got a book there on that shelf and it's a thousand, um, unusual words. And sometimes I just pull out that book and I say, page 47, third, one down, whatever it is, we're going to talk about it. And it'll be some crazy word. And then we might muck around, try and put it in a song or something. or That's the word of the day.

It just breaks up the, eye. You know, everyone's having to find evidence of a good time.

And, um, yeah, it's just makes life

So much nicer in the studio and, and free No, it should be free.

Rae Leigh: I always believed for some reason in growing up in Australia, I think this is a bit of maybe country, even Australia. It was that you had to do everything yourself.

And just the idea of having to do all of it myself is like, well, why haven't Bala? Because that's boring. I have always been a team sports player. And so I'm like the idea of producing and having to perform and having to know all the instruments and singing and writing. Like, I mean, it's, that's boring.

Like why would I want to do that by myself? And then yeah, go to Nashville. And it's like, no, I can, I can just be the hook person and the idea person and the singer. And then I can find a whole team of people do everything else and we can all do it together. And that's fun.

Corey Pryor: Yeah. And I think the mine was the opposite way. because Mine was, I didn't have anyone to do it with. So I that's how I learned to produce. I had to write the drum drum machine parts in the eighties the baselines and then the keyboard parts and then the guitar pots, and then try and come up with some lyrics to go over the top of it. So that's how I

kind of learned how to produce is that you had to do everything yourself. So it's a different kind of aspect of it. But I still learned from other producers when I worked with them

took my stuff.

into them and I said, well, just do this change it around here. And um, so There's always that collaborative

part

Rae Leigh: it's good to try. I

Corey Pryor: yeah I think when I

Rae Leigh: was like, I'm really, you should just find someone who knows what they do. It's good to have a player, especially these days it's free on like, just about

Corey Pryor: Yeah I mean the technology today, If I had the technology.

that I had back back then, my gosh, it's so amazing.

What what you can do

Ariell Alexis: Yeah. You had the Keith Harmon,

you

Rae Leigh: had the Quito and the thing, I mean, if you didn't have that, you wouldn't be, you, you

Ariell Alexis: here?

It was a real Cory prior behind the

Corey Pryor: Um,

Rae Leigh: the student becomes the teacher.

Corey Pryor: his name is Tennant.

Rae Leigh: All right. What would be the greatest advice you've had being in the music industry to date something that you always go back to?

Corey Pryor: Oh that's a that's a list right there.

Ariell Alexis: I think coming from my mom, especially because she just drilled into me from a young age to just be true to yourself. And that's obviously over said, but I think when you really, you know, get down to the nuts and bolts and when you've actually faced an identity crisis as a musician, that's when you go the penny jobs, you know, it's like, oh, like for me, when I was doing that music that was, had the potential of sure it could go on the radio and was interviewing about it and it would sell, but I don't really care.

Like I'm not in it for that, you know, there's people who are that's great, but I would much rather just get a track that sounds weird. Sit in my little closet, Duna studio and just whale, some notes and, and, you know, make something of that and have it, you know, not make sense to certain people like my dad who.

You know, but it makes sense to me. And that's what makes me happy. And people start to catch on to that because it's unique. And it's, you it's like your essence in a sound or an expression. So always just being true to yourself and yeah. Who you are,

Rae Leigh: Do you, what makes you feel good for the right reasons? I like

Corey Pryor: advice for me

Gosh. Um, don't sign anything unless, you know what, you're signing

Rae Leigh: one comes up a few times in this podcast. You'd be surprised, especially people who've been to LA

Corey Pryor: see seasoned, musers probably been burnt a few times.

and they've realized, oh,

Um, just enjoy the, joy of the

I think that's what it is enjoy. like you said, be true to yourself. Enjoy it. Have a lot of fun. Um, don't take, don't take don't take the whole thing too serious. even though It can be serious at times, but on those signing things, it's definitely serious, but just enjoy the music if you're not having fun, doing what you're doing, change it up. Cause it's And that's that, that also helped with writer's block too. If you've got writer's block, just change environment. change a gear. If you've got a guitar you've been writing on,

for the last, You know, 10 years and you're stuck, smashing.

Rae Leigh: no

Corey Pryor: get a new

Rae Leigh: don't smash it don't listen to him. I'm going to edit that

Corey Pryor: No but you know, go, go buy another piece of gear,

even if It's a cheap

piece of junk and you know what you're going to you'll come up with something. That's something will inspire you like

you know,

y'all got keyboards all around the place. I collect stuff, but I play a song, a keyboard sound I get.

inspired to write something on that. So um, or pick up the guitar and I'll write totally different.

on that or a bass guitar or, you know, So it's just being inspired by the journey to get

to there.

it's

Rae Leigh: funny, you mentioned that because I find with different instruments come different songs, the feeling and

Corey Pryor: Piano versus a guitar.

Totally different

Rae Leigh: yeah. Or acoustic guitar versus electric guitar or, you know? Yeah. It's, it's interesting how, and

Corey Pryor: you do I find is very difficult in the recorder to actually come up with like good melodies because I'm When I'm blowing, them playing or when I'm blowing and playing the recorder, I find it hard to sing as well.

Rae Leigh: yeah, I did clarinet for about six months in high school and I quit as soon as I realized I wasn't going to be able to sing and play at the same time. I've done just about every instrument that you could play and sing at the same time. Everything else go bye-bye

Ariell Alexis: just, don't put all your eggs in one basket. I mean, if you like, that's what I was doing my whole life.

I was saying, I'm just, I'm a singer, I'm a singer. I'm doing this, but no, I actually enjoy playing guitar and playing piano. And that also evokes different styles that you don't even realize. So I think going back on the advice thing as well, just, don't be scared to try something completely out of the norm for you.

Cause that's when you can just latch onto something else and you just expand your whole horizon and your understanding of who you are as an artist, you go, wow, I'm capable of that. What else can I do? And what else can I create? And just keep touching things and trying and listening. And

Corey Pryor: Yeah

Ariell Alexis: you feel weird, you're doing it right.

Like keep feeling awkward. Like try it, try singing like that. Try in this voice. Try rapping. If you don't think your rapper it's fun. Just have fun with it. Laugh a bit.

Rae Leigh: wants to hear me rap. Someone said the other day and you just reminded me of it, but I thought it was absolute gold was, um, the comfort zone is where your dreams go to die,

Corey Pryor: that's really good Yeah

Rae Leigh: but it's, it's so true. You got to get uncomfortable to grow and pain pain makes us grow so quickly. Okay. This is probably going to be more for you because I don't know.

Well, actually it could be both of you. Let's see how this question goes. If you could go back in time to a point in your life where you maybe needed some encouragement or needed some words of wisdom, where would you go? And what would you say to yourself? If you go back in time to, to a point in your life where you needed to know something.

Corey Pryor: Hmm. That's a deep question. Isn't it? How am I only one point

Rae Leigh: It wasn't really, that

Corey Pryor: could think of a few

Rae Leigh: it.

Corey Pryor: Um,

Ariell Alexis: on as well?

Corey Pryor: Yeah,

Rae Leigh: Just don't say go back and don't use a condom cause she's in the room. That's weird.

Corey Pryor: here.

Ariell Alexis: said worse to me. Don't worry. I'm

Rae Leigh: Oh, I see.

Corey Pryor: You're not my child. No I never said that. If I could go back and give myself any advice,

there was a thing my dad said to me back when I was learning to play, keys and I was like 15. he, and he, what he said was probably correct, but the example you used,

was incorrect.

he said, oh, you should, you should stop to sing as well. Like Michael W. Smith. And I couldn't stand Michael W. Smith. And so I was like, Ooh, yuck, terrible. But if I had have, actually it said some, like, you know, like Robert Smith from the cure or some or, you know, something that I've actually liked if he w if my dad was actually in tune with the music that I was really into, or how Howard Jones or something like that, or Nick Kerscher, I

probably would have started singing and I would have been playing and seeing, because I never wanted to sing. He just put, I don't want to sing. I don't want to sing. I don't want to sing And that's probably the only thing that I probably regret is that I knew.

They've actually got in there and started singing when I was young.

I, I do now, but it's still not, not as a lead singer. I just work in the studio or I actually, feel except that other band that

R B artists, my other alter ego, but

but I think, you know, it's easy to get down and depressed. I've been had a few times where I've just really struggled musically, in stuff. and I think my, see my background has always been you know, in Christian

music. So I would always go back and, and get to this place where

And so I would just be encouraged by going to a place where I'd Just forget about anyone else, anything else, I always just a simple piano sound or, you know, whatever. it is, you know, Just my voice sometimes. And I'd go, to what I call the cave.

and I'd just sit there and just play. That's how I kind of dealt with a lot of stuff and you know, hardships Cause we go through I think life's journeys. you go through some really hard hardships.

Like I lost my mom. dunno where she was at the mall and she never came back. No, no kidding. you look at your eyebrows, go off on that one. Then Now she passed

Rae Leigh: well I assumed that until you said she went to the mall and never came back.

Corey Pryor: Yeah yeah I know But yeah, but, but You know, stuff like in that situation or, you know, you go through some some lives journeys. you know, that's when I actually, music was really there for and I would just go and just secretly go and play music and, and you know, my creator was there.

And so I would create with my creator and I would sing songs with him. And out of that I felt they hit, there was almost songs that came from him to me, because the little themes would come up inside I'd I'd feel encouraged and I like if you're, if you are.

a musician singer song writer out there, If you are feeling down, ever, just go and take your guitar or your piano turn off the world, turn off the lights, put a candle on whatever.

Nice centered one, if you can, And just just play music and just sort of expand your, your mind and everything out to the horizon of the universe.

And you'll probably find, And you stop thinking about everything else. just starts thinking about the music and you probably find this song as that will come through, and w that be channeled through you. That'll encourage you. And I just seen it. I just, cause I always believe, you know, in My Christian faith is that I believe God is the master creator

and master artist.

And look at, he created us to this amazing world we have in there and music and that he loves creation and he loves to code. He wants to do a CoLab with us especially when we're in our we're in our dark time, he'll be there to you know, a CoLab. and that, that might Just people might be listening has gone on it's stupid. but you know

I just say whatever challenge it, challenge you to do it, you know, you know, just go out and then be creative and see what happens, you know, in your dark

Rae Leigh: my dad's a prostitute. I get it

Corey Pryor: PKS.

Rae Leigh: PKS, but I think, I've I often did the same thing cause no one ever knew that I wrote the song as it was a very private thing.

And instead of, I guess, going out of my body for me, it was about going into, out of my head and into my body, into my heart, into that. The part where you feel stuff like that's where the feelings leave in the soul. Isn't it's like those songs that I don't really comprehend where they came from. Like I did an interview on 1 0 7 0.3.

For this song that I'm like, it got produced and released so quickly that by the time during the interview, they're like, oh, so where did it come from? Like, I don't know. It came from this place in my body that, you know, my body had to say something or my spirit had to say something, but my head, my head hadn't caught up with what my body was saying.

, and I, I had that sort of same sort of concept, but for me it was like Jesus, or God is within me. Like, do you know what I mean? And like that spiritual senses within us. And I think that we shut our bodies down as human beings in general all the time, because the rest of the world and advertising is telling us that we are not good enough.

And so our head is going all. There's something wrong with us guys. Hey, just stop for a second. I'm just going to take over and try and work out what's wrong. So you guys just stop feeling everything, you know, in our head and our body is just so conflicted. It's horrible. But for me, music, especially with the trauma, like I went through sexual trauma. That's a real mind, body disconnection. And so music was my way of connecting to my body when I, when I didn't have any connection outside of that. So yeah, it is powerful stuff. I'm glad you had music through that. You know,

Corey Pryor: Yeah. Yeah.

I just thought, like You just kind of wonder where you'd be, where my life had gone. If I didn't

you know? Uh, that, like in fact, I, I sent an email out once to this guy, the very first synthesize, overheard was on this seven, second chapter of acts and they had an offshoot band called a band called David. And I know it was really, really,

weird. and w what back in the seventies, that was back in the seventies. I actually sent the guy in the email. I found his email address and I sent him a message said, Hey, I just want to say

Rae Leigh: you had emails in those days.

Corey Pryor: I can't even remember if he emailed me back. but I would, I just told him, I just like, I don't know where my life would have been. If I hadn't I heard a song that came across a tape and it changed my life, my, it just something on the inside. exploded on the inside and that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to play synthesizer and, my life has taken me around the world.

Rae Leigh: and you obsessed.

Corey Pryor: amazing what a journey, huh?

Rae Leigh: And that all that came out from best advice and going back to a time in your life and saying something different and now I've lost. Did you both answer that

Ariell Alexis: No, I haven't

Rae Leigh: I was going to say like,

Ariell Alexis: an answer, surprisingly. Yes. So I'm only 22, but, I guess mine would be more looking at, you know, younger artists who are maybe just discovering that they have a passion for music going back and looking at, you know, when I was in high school and just starting to produce tracks with you and hearing how big they could be and having, you know, UAS my dad and looking at my mom and all that you guys have done.

I think we place a lot of expectations on ourselves as musicians. And we go, you know, we look at Billie Eilish or we look at someone who's made it and how much publicity they have. And sometimes for me, I would sit there and just be puzzled and go how, cause you know, you're, you're alone. Most of the times, no one, no one's doing it for you.

Unless you're one of the lucky ones, you know, you signed off the bat, but. For me, I auditioned for the voice and I got cut back so many times and I know that I crushed it and I know I had one of the best voices there and, you know, I had a great personality. So for me it was like, what, what is going on?

Why am I not good enough? And what do I need to be doing? Because I want to, you know, just having that expectation of, I need to be doing all these things and in reaching these big goals and actually feeling overwhelmed and then just not doing anything. So there was years where I just didn't do music and I completely, I didn't even sing for years.

And I think I forgot how to sing for awhile. So if I could go back, I would obviously tell myself who cares. You know, it's not about you. There's no blueprint that you're supposed to follow. Just do it and just do it at your own pace. Enjoy it. There's no right or wrong. Literally.

Rae Leigh: I love that.

Ariell Alexis: Shove it in their faces, tell them what's up.

Rae Leigh: Someone said something the other day. And uh, you keep reminding me of these really cool courts. And I get a lot of quotes from these podcasts. But, um, I think, I don't think this is from a podcast hasn't been said before. It says I'm not who I think I am. And I'm not who you think I am. I am who I think you think I am. Does that make sense?

Yeah

Ariell Alexis: mirror, like a mirror.

Rae Leigh: Yeah. It's like, I'm just project. It's all projection. And if you think about that, it's like, actually, you're right. Who does care? No one really

Corey Pryor: I think the whole music industry is all about perception. If you just, if people have a perception of who you are, and that's that perception is generally what

they perceive. you as being, And on deep down you play, not that person at all, but then you you're, well, they perceive you to be this, in fact, that's how in the Newsboys, we will

perceive to be an alternative band, but we weren't trying to be alternative. We're trying to be pop band pop rock, and then eventually we said, well, that's it. We're just going, What is this? Why don't we just accept it and just be an alternative band? And That's when we had our producer, Steve Taylor came in and kind of did this whole like EMF Jesus. Jones kind of thing. back in the Early nineties. And then which we thought was pretty alternate for the CCM market and then suddenly it became Pope. I was like, So it's, it's a really weird kind of scenario how that kind of played out.

So you know, we just kind of went with what they, what they, perceived us to be. And then we turned around to be exactly what we wanted to be

Rae Leigh: Yeah. You never know. And that's, I think that, like you said earlier, just to keep them ripe in mind is such an important thing is as a songwriter,

Corey Pryor: yeah,

Rae Leigh: this kind of leads me on to the last question we've done. Well, I think, I don't know what the time is. It's going to be fun to edit. Um, if you could collaborate or co-wrote with anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and why.

Corey Pryor: Who wants to take this on first day You can't use you can't use me

Ariell Alexis: Oh yeah, no, sorry. It's the first thing that came to my mind. Sorry that love you, but oh,

Corey Pryor: oh Yeah, it's a, it's a tough one Cause I've, I've got so many amazing. How to, that I look up to in that, but I really love as a songwriter andartist,

I love seal. I'd love to, I would love to collaborate with him just cause I I've seen him perform live. Um, loved his albums, the albums. I love the most word Trevor horn produced him.

Um, so that was another one I'd love to work with Trevor horn. That'd be amazing. But, Um, yeah, seal I think would be, just truly amazing. um, maybe work with seal and have Trevor horn producers. Um, yeah, just as an artist is quite humble. Um, and you know, he comes across very humble. anyway. I mean, everyone has a diva moments, but Uh, just yeah, just love his voice. He's he's got such a rich voice. His songwriting is really, um, really unique and beautiful

actually

Rae Leigh: I'm trying really hard. It's something to do with a rose. What's the big song,

Corey Pryor: I guess from the

Rae Leigh: kiss from a rose. Yeah,

Corey Pryor: but he's got these other, he's got these other great. albums, um, human beings. And, But if you, if you take he done them put in the interesting as a songwriter, he doesn't put his lyrics into his back in the day. He didn't put his lyrics in the album sleeves. And you know, first thing I want to do is re read the lyrics, what he's writing about. And he goes, I just don't want, I want people to interpret it, how they, they hear it,

which is a really interesting way, because I heard things so different than what he was actually seeing. Um, oh yeah. just, I just thought he was saying something different but that's kind of, it's always a bit of a joke. really,

There's you hear songs and you you think you have this interpretation of what they're saying, and then you realize, oh, actually it's different, lyrics all together. It was close. It rhymed it rhymed, but You know But, um, yeah. he, So as a swimmer he's, if you ever listen to his

lyrics, he's got some really interesting twists in his lyrics and his songwriting is actually, um, quite brilliant as well. as Some of the, some of the levels he goes through and he, his vocal melodies he's one He's really good at is he'll have his main melody. Then he will have what I call, an, uh, a countermelody that'll go along and fit in perfectly with that one. And it might be just a background, vocal part, and then he'll have another one or another two going on all at the same time.And it all fits together. Somehow. It's like a most amazing led and that's, I guess I produce like, that's a lot of Trevor Horn's stuff I produce quite big and deep and layered. um, because that's what I you know, just my favorite type of type of stuff.

Rae Leigh: I love that sort of

Corey Pryor: Yeah

Rae Leigh: That's cool. See you that one actually, he's never come up as an answer to that I like it. When someone comes up with someone new, most common is really Taylor swift.

Ariell Alexis: Well, you stole mine now.

Rae Leigh: Oh, I'm sorry.

Ariell Alexis: it's definitely not. My that's not what.

Corey Pryor: it off

Ariell Alexis: No,

Rae Leigh: I thought I was safe.

Ariell Alexis: no. I think mine actually have him tattooed on my arm. It's the weekend. Obviously everyone knows the weekend, but, um, man, I've been listening to him. Yeah. Who, ah, the weekend, uh, finding lights. I have been listening to him since, since I think he first started making music when he did like three albums that I don't even, you know, everyone hears blinding lights and save your tears.

But if you listen to his old stuff, man, it is whack. And I love it. I love that. It's so ambient and he just lets you know, he has a space that you just feels with. Hello? Hello? Yeah. Like just things and noises. And he has a lot of reverb and it's dark and I love dark music. Cause I don't know. I just I'm attracted to the dark sounds and the dark vibe.

He just really emulates that well. And, um, I would love to collaborate with him in terms of his lyrics and his attitude and his beats. And I actually, I'm probably going to refer back to this podcast one day, cause weekend, if you listening, I'm coming for

Rae Leigh: Yeah, no, he's a regular listener so weekend, if you can just,

Ariell Alexis: if he can have a slide in my DMS, please,

Rae Leigh: just hook me up, send me a message.

Ariell Alexis: should see my face just then

Corey Pryor: What's up with your parents calling you the weekend as so weird.

Rae Leigh: I do love it though. When, um, artists through the sort of tourist community ended up getting together and writing a working together, I went to a gig the other day in Brisbane and two artists who have both had their own individual podcasts. And now we're in a joy together. And I was like, I have to say this.

And it's just so cool seeing them encourage each other and work together and come up with new music. Yeah, absolutely.

Corey Pryor: I actually liked the weekends, Um, save you tears as a song.

Ariell Alexis: Oh, it's so well-produced

Corey Pryor: so well-written. because it doesn't go to the chorus until the end, of the song and you just and you're waiting for it and it, but the verse itself, it's an appraisal. the setup is all there but, and that's a great hook hook off the hook, off the hook. And then it goes to the courses, has that massive release. Um, beautiful, brilliant,

Ariell Alexis: He's

Rae Leigh: I was surprised. Cause blinding lights didn't even get a Grammy or like nomination.

I'm like

Ariell Alexis: pretty cut about that to

Rae Leigh: sound like the most, like I'm trying to think of as long as it was more popular phone I'm yet. Yeah, it was interesting. Um, I don't know what the politics behind it is and that sort of awards is all though,

Corey Pryor: Did Macarena get a Grammy?

Rae Leigh: I dunno. Eh,

Corey Pryor: just saying.

Rae Leigh: playing poker with my husband the other day and we played truthful Dan. That's what we're betting for. And he lost and I made him dance to the Macarena. He hates me, but it makes me smile, even just thinking about it. So I was like, you should love it because it entertains your wife.

Ariell Alexis: Exactly.

Rae Leigh: I'll have to cut that out of the podcast.

He'll be angry at me for even talking about it anyway. All right. So the, the podcast is the official part of the podcast is finished. This is the part where you essentially get to take over and share anything that's going on. There will be a blog and indeed the description of the podcast, all your links to any music, social stuff.

So people can go and find your music and connect in with you guys and follow you and follow your journey. Um, so you don't need to spell out your social or anything like that. Tell us what's coming up. What should we expect from either of you and your different projects is the new stuff coming out. You've got shows coming out. What are you doing? Tell us.

Ariell Alexis: Oh, I think I'm still in the process of just smashing out singles. And, um, I've got a few things on Spotify.

I've got a lot of more, um, uncut things on SoundCloud things I experiment with. So, you know, if you want to go have a laugh and here we do a couple of different random styles, then by all means go have a listen. I love that. Uh, and I think as a songwriter, as you can appreciate that in each other, when we all take a stab at something, it's like, oh, if she can do it, I can do it.

But, um, yeah. Keep your eyes on Spotify. I'm also in producing any music video as well for a really cold rap song that I've released called MBM. So if you like rap, check it out and think for us, we're working on a duo at the moment, and we've just named it aura

Rae Leigh: Cool.

Ariell Alexis: your you'd like your aura, which is really cool. It's a nice vibe. So it'll be a bit of unplugged as well as, um, live tracks. So things you do.

Corey Pryor: Yeah, Just a bit of live stuff. too. so you know, Cause we, we have an eighties band that we're we're in, um, which is a lot of fun you

Rae Leigh: still the other day.

Corey Pryor: which he saw the other day that

Rae Leigh: came up yet.

Corey Pryor: Launch, um, which that, That's obviously a fun, fun show, but so that's a big show. Um, so we're doing that together. Um, and then we just thought, we just might do some smaller like a smaller dishonest to kind of thing. just a bit of live stuff. Cause we've kind of enjoying the live thing. Cause I think I've been in the studio for a long time. I've been deejaying for years and I just like man let's cause the DJ thing, you know, live sort of dried up a little bit. Um, cause once everyone had to wear a mask, they couldn't dance.

So, So I started thinking, outside of what we wanted to do or I want to do anyway. just to, you know, it's We're in Australia. So You still got to make money in the music industry. So you got to be quite diverse. So yeah. So the eighties, eighties show is, is a big one The duo I'm still doing a deejaying. And, um, I have another alter ego artists called tenant

Rae Leigh: Can we meet 10

Corey Pryor: Uh, tenant. So tenants came about when I was listening to a, let the French music anyway, let's move on.

Now you think you're

Rae Leigh: so sexy. Okay.

Corey Pryor: cafe?

Rae Leigh: Still fit your

Corey Pryor: I was watching SP I was watching SBS news, had the French, French lady talking. I don't know what she's saying, but I'm so excited right now. Uh, no I listened to a lot of French music. Uh, I'm not too sure why I've just loved French music and like bands. Like there's a band called air, I'm a daft punky. Um, but I, uh, keyboard players, you Marco Sharay was someone who influenced my musical side of things. And, but I've, um, I've just been listening and I would DJ a lot of French stuff. There's a group called the parcels, which aren't French, but. they kind of have a little Frenchy vibe to it Um, French fringy vibe like.

Ariell Alexis: makes sense. Makes sense.

Rae Leigh: everyone likes a bit of French fives.

Corey Pryor: anyway. So, uh, so during COVID, when I was, everything was locked down, I just wanted to make music for myself, just for me, it's that I could actually go out and maybe Dick on the decks and play. Um, and so I kind of created, an a and I was going to actually make a whole fake ban, have marketing for a whole band and everything, and I wasn't going to be in it. I was going to be able to fully, really Manila kind of thing. or milli Vanilli. Um, and I was going to have this whole, you know, the perception that people perceive that this is a band I'll release on triple J be awesome.

And I just couldn't, I couldn't find enough pictures of any anything on Google images that had enough consistency of, you know, four guys in a band without having to take an actual band and, and steal their identity give them new music. Um that was better. Um, and so I did. So I just said, oh, I'll just take a picture of me. And I think I, I think I did a selfie and I just colorized it and I put it, I wanted to release it.And SoI, I just thought I'd releasing myself as tenant as, as that was a band ended up just being me, my, myself. Um, and You can go check that out. and Spotify, look for tenant and it's got a yellow symbolyellow sort of

Rae Leigh: color put the link in the

Corey Pryor: Oh there you go. You put the link there anyway. So a lot of fun and that's just me just having a bit of fun it's actually just fun. I just wanted

to do a fun for me quirky songs and, you know, me becoming a lead singer, which is really not what I do. So

Rae Leigh: But these days with technology

Corey Pryor: technology mate You can do anything. So

Ariell Alexis: actually sounds good. Have a listen. It's pretty easy listening in the background and

Corey Pryor: It's cruising It's cruisy you know And um yeah. Yeah. And that's that. And so That's keeping us busy with, um, and then the studio thing here,

Ariell Alexis: I'm actually looking, I don't know if anyone would be listening, but I'm actually on the hunt for a producer to collaborate with to make regional tracks, just someone along more my style. And, you know, in terms of trap, trap and RNB and rap. So obviously the kind of like, you know, looking at the weekend or, uh, artists named black.

So if he listened to my stuff and he vibe with it, I'd honestly love to collaborate with some artists who do the same stuff. That would be ultimately the best thing ever, especially in the

Rae Leigh: I'll just put your email in the links.

Corey Pryor: Yeah

Ariell Alexis: it.

Corey Pryor: just good top liner. She's a great top line in that

Rae Leigh: I've only ever had one person say their email in the podcast at the end of the episode, however, they did get him out. So, and they were a producer country producer, but yeah,

Corey Pryor: Awesome. oh,

Rae Leigh: it's been

Corey Pryor: I'm a producer for my email. No.

Ariell Alexis: definitely dropped my email and I'm

Corey Pryor: It's pretty simple It's this my name corey@coreypride.com That was Corey at Cory pride on C U R E Y at C o R E Y P L Y Iowa Oh, this is this pot's edited out.

Rae Leigh: Yeah. Thanks. You're making my editing jobs so easy. This is great. Um, that's pretty much it. Is there anything else you would like to share? Any, anything else to the songwriting Your last words, we'll listen to this from the grave.

Corey Pryor: Uh, songwriting mode have fun. Enjoy it. and That's it. And keep it interesting. Don't be cliche.

Ariell Alexis: Yeah, but just test yourself. Explore.

Rae Leigh: keep going. Awesome. Thank you so much. You both amazing. Thank you.

Rae Leigh

#181 Corey Pryor & Ariell Alexis

Transcript

#182 Jason Davis

#180 Colin Buchanan

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