SAIE SAIE q&a with Singer/songwriter and producer Alexandra Saidac

 I was born in Stockholm Sweden but never felt like I fit in. I was always too loud and never Swedish enough. By the age of 13 I went to Argentina (without my parents) to pursue my dream to become the best female proffesional polo player in the world and basically lived in a suitcase till I was 20. I played both the seasons, winter and summer in Argentina and Spain. Polo was my life but eventually the passion for music, that was there for as long as I can remember,took over and I couldn’t stop it.

I am currently working on my EP and planning my tour.

-What brought you to LA and what is your relationship with the city?

I started to go to LA to record and people seemed to understand me more here than in Sweden so I kind of got stuck here!

-Why did you choose to live in Topanga? And for those who know nothing about this place could you give a little description?
I grew up with horses in nature and I get very disconnected in the city. I need to be in the mountains and leave the madness when I want to. Topanga is a little village with a lot of character. It’s like another world but you’re still in Los Angeles.

Wow, I think I am the same girl that just got lost for a little bit and started to listen too much to what the record label thought that I should be, instead of just being me. But in my core I have always been the same. I still have the same values and don’t act very different. No matter how much success or failure. My advice to a young girl would be : When life hands you lemons, paint that shit gold.

My personal hopes for the future is that racism disappear and that women have equal opportunities and salary like men.
It makes me mad to see women who have children in the US (and a lot of other places) don’t have paid leave and need nannies. It’s a stupid system. It’s litterarly designed to make it harder for women and keep them dependent on the man. It makes me so mad. I can go on forever about it.

-Who has been the most important person in your life and why?
This is a hard one because I have had so many amazing people coming into my life , I wouldn’t know who to pick. What do they say… It takes a village to raise a child?
No but.. My grand dad was my hero, he taught me alot about patience and unconditional love…. And then my mom and my dad of course. They are the most amazing people that I know – but apart from them Jose Muchiut, I grew up with him in Argentina. Without him I would be lost. He is the most honest human in the world and will always tell me when im wrong. You always need a friend that talks shit to your face and that defends you behind your back.

That nobody cares about your work as much as you do.

Claudio Cueni. In this crazy industry with people that only care about surface – Claudio is the one that has given me substance and guided me through it all. He believes in me when I don’t believe in myself and those people are like diamonds in your life when you are on the other side of earth on your own. Also he produced 2 pac.. I don’t think I need to say more!

I don’t think it was something I became, I think that I always was.

-Male dominated world or not, does it affect you?
It’s been affecting me all my life. I used to play on mens teams when I played polo wich made me really thick skinned so I am very used to it…But even now in the music industry it is affecting almost every woman that I talk to.
The music industry is a sausage party and you need to grow a pair of balls to sit down at the table with the big guys – If not, they run you over…. or try to sleep with you. Either or.

99,9% I do – But when I don’t I always end up in a shitty situation.

Success to me is no matter what is in your bank account – to still feel rich.

-When in life have you felt most alone?
I think I have felt alone a lot in life because I lived in my suitcase for most of it and never really got to establish my roots anywhere.  It used to bother me but now im very happy because I got to see so much! But when I was younger I felt like I never belonged anywhere but now I’m happy I didn’t because it made me create.

-How has life been different from what you’ve imagined?

In one way it has been completely different from what I’ve imagined and in other ways not at all. I always knew I was going to make music and I always knew that I was going to ride horses everyday. But did I know that I was going to live in LA? Did I know I was going to produce music on my own? Did I know that the industry was this crazy? Did I know that I was gong to meet all the people that I’ve met along the way? Absolutely not – Life is a rollercoaster but that is the beauty of it!

My dream is to just make music and hopefully make people feel better with it. I believe that is what music is for… and I believe that is why I am doing it.