George Alley talks about his new single and video for ‘XRAY’

George Alley. Photo Credit: Sean Gomes.

Singer-songwriter George Alley chatted about his new single and music video for “XRAY.”

How did the “XRAY” single come about?

“XRAY” is a special song for me. Not only is it the newest song on the album—it was mastered just a few weeks before the vinyl was pressed.

Lyrically, it was born from a wild night I had in a pool after leaving a gay club in Cleveland, just before leaving for college. It recalls a specific person I met during a scavenger hunt game.

The song is about that romantic intensity and the almost surreal experience of being ‘seen.’ Sometimes, we have moments of kismet where someone sees past the mask and wants to know more; they photograph us, like an X-ray.

It doesn’t mean it will last, but it’s exciting when you have those moments.

How did you approach the song selection process for the new album?

I often feel like I have many versions of myself, and this album reflects that sonically. There are influences of pop, punk, ska, industrial, folk, house, and trip-hop. I’m not just one thing—I don’t always have the same opinions I had two hours ago, which can infuriate some!

While I have a contrarian attitude toward identity, style, and genre, these songs all tell stories from my perspective. Sometimes I’m the hero, and sometimes I’m the villain in that perspective. 

What inspires your music and songwriting?

I wrote all of these songs with a different starting point. A song like ‘Blue Valentine’ started with a riff I wrote on the bass and played on the album.

‘Choice to Be Bad’ came to me in a dream—I briefly woke up, sang the chorus into my voice notes, and went back to sleep.

‘Only the Shadows Know’ was a 25-minute collage of sounds from my Roland synth that Ian and I had to sift through.

‘Letgo’ was a song in my Dropbox that I had written a few years ago and thought nothing of, but Ian pulled it out and started playing acoustic guitar along with it. I said, ‘This feels like sunset at Coachella’—though I have no idea what that’s like. 

How does it feel to be an artist in the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent)

I don’t think artists are often transparent enough about what streaming did. When I released my first solo song in 2013, the original version of ‘Summer Trophies’ (a completely re-recorded, orchestrated version is on my album), it was before streaming became ubiquitous.

Through iTunes sales, I made enough money to pay for a 4K camera and a birthday trip to the Roosevelt Hotel. The next song I put out in 2017 was ‘Just Leave Me Dreaming’ (which I also recorded and released in 2013).

It had nine times the amount of streams that ‘Summer Trophies’ did, and I think it made about sixty dollars. What I am excited about is the resurgence of vinyl.

That’s why I made sure mine was special—it’s on transparent root beer vinyl and has a gatefold sleeve. It’s got beautiful photography from Alvaro Masa and Mark Sikes, and it was designed by Alvaro, who also designs many campaigns for FX, including “American Horror Story.”

What do your plans for the future include?

Well, there’s a video planned for every song on the album! I’m returning to Los Angeles to film a video for ‘Only the Shadows Know’ with Gökhan Yidzili, who directed ‘Wishlist.’

Philip Moore is also directing a video for ‘Blue Valentine’ for Valentine’s Day. I’m currently working with DJ Carl Michaels on some house mixes of ‘XRAY,’ and there should be an EP with those and a B-side track that didn’t make the album called ‘Party’ coming soon.

Speaking of ‘Party,’ I’ll be throwing a dance party with Carl at Monkey Club in the winter, with a live performance from my band, and we hope to do some touring next year.

Until we do some live dates, we filmed five songs live at GroundFloor Studios, which we did a film premiere for in June, and it’s now on YouTube. Over the past two years, I recorded 22 songs with Ian Romer.

We’ve earmarked eight of those songs for album two, which will hopefully be released in the winter of 2025. 

What is your advice for young and aspiring artists?

If your drive to make music or art is to please other people, you’re setting yourself up for a dangerous situation. I make music to bring life to the worlds in my head.

Then, I get to relive these worlds when I perform. If someone tells you what you are like as an artist, show them the opposite—if it amuses you.  

What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)

I like the word ‘success’—it’s a very 80s word to me. It makes me think of power suits, cellphones in suitcases, IBM, and MTV. But in terms of this project, it definitely feels like a success.

I’ve recorded the best work I’ve ever done, collaborated with incredible artists, musicians, and directors, did a live concert film, engaged in meaningful dialogue about art-making, and worked to make the music industry serve working artists.

Plus, I’m planning on having oysters, pomme frites, a Caesar salad, and champagne for lunch.

What would you like to say to your fans about the new music?

I hope this album takes you on a journey. Each song is a little piece of my life—sometimes chaotic, sometimes nostalgic, sometimes punky, but always me.

Thanks for listening; it’s been fun hearing perspectives from people in Colombia, Norway, India, Mexico, etc. Grab the vinyl, and I hope to see you live soon!

To learn more about George Alley, follow him on Instagram.