Universal Love 2 - A Harley Alexander Experience

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Photo by Kevin McCallion

There's something quite addicting about honesty. Some sort of unadulterated and absolute truth revealed through conversation, or music that feels like welcomed rain washing over you; an experience void of verbosity, a refreshing disruption in this manufactured world. 

Unto you, with honesty and tenderness, Harley Alexander wholeheartedly returns with his first project in two years to connect with love, above all else. He provides a remarkably honest expression of raw emotions through uniquely contrasting tracks on his album, Universal Love 2.

Alexander has worked with Charlotte Day Wilson, Bill Nye and The Everywheres, only to discover his own distinct brand of whimsical self-awareness that metabolizes honesty, trauma, friendship, tree-planting, the love for life, and unites them into the “dystopian cowboy odyssey” (Easy Freaker Records) that is Universal Love 2. 

“F Da Man 2” is a groove-conscious, sobering look at overcoming and processing grief, confronting devastating truths, and discovering self acceptance. Meanwhile, “Bat Cave'' is a warm hug, a song of simple joys, vacuum sealed vocals, playful passions, and the silkiest of guitar lines. Then comes “My Dad”, a no-bullshit confrontation of the debilitating fear of an abusive father, defining itself as the turning point and real guts of the album. 

Each single is an eye-opening regard that feels authentic in its creation and lyrics, while still making you ponder what the songs are really about. In an interview with Harley himself, SAD Magazine was able to get into the depths of his musical journey, the intentions behind this album, and everything in between. 

First, have a listen to “F Da Man 2,” discussed in Harley’s interview: here! I guarantee it will be playing on repeat in your head all day.

Tell us a little bit about yourself! 

I was born in Toronto ON, grew up in Ottawa, moved to Montreal when I was 18 to pursue my musical dreams, spent my 20s between Halifax, Montreal, and BC, planting trees, writing and recording music. I dropped out of university a couple times, dropped out of massage school, and graduated from recording school. I’m passionate about learning and growing as a person and a creature of the earth, making friends, creating things, skateboarding, fashion, therapy, nature, my puppy, my lover, and drinking coffee. 

Tell us about your journey with music.

Holy frig. It’s been an incredible, life-giving journey. My earliest memory of really connecting with music was when I was really small. I had an old record player-radio unit in my bedroom as a kid, and whenever Cher came on, I’d sing along and dedicate it to my crush. “Do you Believe in Life After Love?” That track. And I would imagine saying really suave and kind things in the dedication as well. I also have very early memories of listening to a Simon and Garfunkel tape and thinking the snare sound in “The Boxer” sounded like a cannon. That really stirred me up. I was an extremely lonely kid, and music really helped me connect with something bigger than me and made me feel held in a way that has continued into the present. Music is a container and a prism that’s allowed me to feel, process, and digest my experience as a conscious being. It’s the safest environment I’ve ever known–me and my guitar.

You’ve expressed varying emotions such as grief and self acceptance through your music. How challenging is it to get vulnerable with your music? 

It’s easy to be vulnerable within the music itself. Something about the combination of rhythm, sound, voice…It allows me to say words and express things from parts of my heart, brain, soul that are otherwise difficult to reach. Something about the creation of sound makes me feel safe and in-tune with my inner world, and that kind of sonic foundation is like this magical safety net that my heart can lay down in and share what’s happening. The hard part, for me, is sharing some of these moments with the outside world. I’ve got a song on UL2 called “My Dad” that I’m horrified to share because of how literal and angry some of the lyrics are. I’m hoping it will be liberating to share, we’ll see…!

“F Da Man 2” is not only an incredibly catchy tune but has some powerful lyrics. Did you have a certain intention/message you wanted to express through the song?

The song was really a self-soothing way of coping in a really difficult time. When I’m writing songs from really vulnerable, mysterious places, I’m never thinking about an audience or the possibility that anyone might ever hear it. It’s really a personal thing that I’m doing for myself, trying to figure out what’s going on inside of me that’s hurting so bad and making it so hard to be alive. After the writing is done, I decide whether or not I think it’s a song that I want to share and then I may make some edits.

“F Da Man 2” was honestly just a moment where I felt so low and powerless, a real despair spiral, and I used the music to kind of pick myself up and be a good buddy to myself. To witness the struggle of that moment, validate it, hold the truth of that overwhelmingly hard feeling and just be there with it. I wanted to prove to my inner child that even in the hardest emotional/psychological moments, we can still get groovy, we can still find play, we can boogie down in the apocalypse and find out what’s on the other side.

What was your biggest challenge with creating this album?

The biggest challenge was choosing which songs to include and which to leave out. I had around fifty songs written and recorded in various forms of completion when I decided to try and put the album together. The pile of music was getting overwhelming, and once I committed to doing a legit Universal Love follow-up, I ended up writing a bunch more and re-working some of the old ones. The process ended up taking around two years of conscious creating and sifting through six years worth of writing. I got a lot of valuable feedback from friends about what tracks stood out to them and opened the process up more than I ever have before. I’ve still got probably a couple hundred songs on my hard drive that I’d like to someday share, and I’m happy with how this album ultimately came together. I’ll probably go back to my impromptu releases after this one–it was just too stressful!

What are you looking forward to next?

I’m actually not totally sure what’s next. Somehow I’m thirty-three years old now, and I’m finally starting to feel like I know where I belong, where I wanna live. I’ve got my dog, partner, and a caring community. I’d love to find a way to perform more of my music, as well as play in other people's projects. I’m looking towards the summer and would like to perform at some small folk festivals in BC and possibly other parts of the country. Traveling around Vancouver Island and drinking good coffee and playing guitar for people would be nice. For now, I’m really just enjoying living in Powell River, taking care of my dog Keva, and creating a beautiful home with my partner Allie. I’ll be doing carpentry work this winter in some really cool remote places off the Sunshine Coast–that’ll be a new and very cool experience that I’m excited to learn a lot from.

Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

I’d just like to say thank you for taking the time to ask me these thoughtful questions. I’m grateful to have your time and to be offered this space to express myself, tell a bit of my story, and be seen and witnessed by you and whoever may read this article.

Universal Love 2 is an album that gives you a chance to experience honesty. It is music that makes you feel comfortable and safe to exist within your deepest truths and pushes you to be honest with your own emotions and with those around you. Universal Love 2 is out December 2nd, 2022 via Easy Freaker Records. In the meantime, check out more of Harley Alexander’s music on Bandcamp and follow him on Instagram at @Harleyyalexander.

Tasheal Gill is a film production student with a passion for storytelling through various artistic platforms. She is dedicated to uplifting BIPOC voices, and telling stories through a socially conscious lens. Follow her on Instagram (@tashealll).