Xander Corbett on his New Album
Xander Corbett is a newer indie artist based in Washington DC. He just came out with his new album, stitches on a broken heart., and I had the opportunity to ask him a couple questions about the release. This is Xander’s third album, and since the release of his first two records, he has gained a larger following, making stitches on a broken heart. special to his loyal fanbase.
Why is the new record called stitches on a broken heart.?
I was finishing this album while going through what was possibly the worst time of my life, and just finishing the album was therapeutic. I had one million different titles in mind, and as I was running some ideas by a group chat I’m in, my friend Pal mentioned that stitches on a broken heart. was a good-sounding title, so I ended up using that.
You’re still a smaller artist, and usually smaller artists do not release full albums for a while. Why did you decide to start releasing albums so early?
I just want to make music, and as I constantly evolve as a person and as a musician, I put the albums together as little landmarks to remind me where I was in life at certain points.
Most of the songs on the album have periods after the song title. Is there any significance to that?
Honestly, it’s just for the aesthetic.
18 songs is a lot for an album, are there any songs that didn’t make the cut?
I started this album with 22 songs, but some just didn’t feel complete in the moment, and others were too dark for the mood of the album. The song “always you.” almost didn’t make it onto the album either because the first couple demos I recorded didn’t fit the mood I wanted to portray, and the tempo felt too rushed. So yes, there were a couple songs that didn’t make it, but they will likely be used on other albums or given to other artists!
Can you explain the picture on the album cover?
So, in the ‘frame’ as I like to call it, you see a polaroid of a lake, and in the very top right corner is another polaroid of my friend, Ethan. I swear you can only see Ethan’s sweater, but I took those polaroids while we were hiking and after I took the one of the lake he was like, ‘dude, that should be your album cover.’ I was like, ‘dude... you’re a genius!’ I ended up taking a photo of the polaroid with my phone and throwing a frame of sorts around it in a photo editor. I really liked the aesthetic of it, so I made that the album cover.
One of your new tracks is titled “N.G.D.A.;” what does that stand for?
It stands for Not Gonna Die Alone. This was originally a fifty-second-long hidden track off my first album, originally known as “(I’m Not Gonna) Die Alone,” and I ended up extending it. I tried to rename it and went with an acronym just for the hell of it.
What would be your perfect tour lineup?
I would love to one day open for someone like Lord Huron, but also I’d love to open for Kesha or someone wild like that. I can’t think of who would open for me, because I honestly cannot imagine having an opener. I say Kesha mostly because I adore her and her music, and my next album (which I’ve been working on since January) has heavy mainstream pop influences, which I just feel would be fitting for her type of music.
Someday, do you hope to tour across the country?
Absolutely! I would love to meet the wonderful people that have been supporting me on Instagram and Twitter, and I would love to be able to just play music every night. That would be everything.
Lastly, how important is music to you in your everyday life?
Music is the most important thing to me in life. I cannot do chores without music, I cannot sleep without music playing, and music helps so much with my anxiety. I seriously can’t imagine living life without music.
Xander’s new album is available for streaming here: https://open.spotify.com/album/1Qm5zNvAoNTxS4ULHGuis1. If you enjoy listening to smaller artists, be sure to follow Xander (@xandercorbettt) on all social media to show your support.
Hosted by: Faith Logue
Edited by: Kaylee Ainsworth
Graphic by: Emily Lantzy
Photo courtesy of Kenna Goodwin.