As a gangly kid from the wrong side of the tracks in St. Petersburg, Russia – far, far away from the cool, cool, pop music world – Alina wasn’t the odds on favorite to write a major label single for a Japanese singer, collaborating with hip hop legend, DMC.
At nine the youngest – and only soloist – in a choir touring around Europe, to a sound stage at KTLA-TV a few months ago, where she won first place over hundreds in a Battle of the Bands – given the common denominator of pop music, is it such a stretch?
Alina’s blonde statuesque looks have a tendency to catch off-guard even those fans-to-be who come to hear her with raised expectations. Alina’s vocal instrument is that rare gift: distinct, affecting and very soulful. A singer’s singer. It’s impossible to deny that the kid’s got some serious chops.
The writer as well as producer of most songs in her repertoire, Alina’s writing was honored by LA’s foremost songwriting coach for her lyrics (not her native tongue, though you wouldn’t know from speaking with her). She’s won dozens of contests, from a scholarship to top music program at Northwestern University to “The Great American Song Contest”. Recently invited to be a reality music TV contestant, Alina instead chose to finish her EP and do a residency at a Sunset Strip music club.
“My music is pretty straightforward,” says Alina. “But legitimately so. I’m not trying to be ‘commercial’, I just like to write songs that are easy to follow.” She’s placed songs on multiple compilations, as singer, songwriter or both; typical of these was a Japanese publisher’s compilation of Michael Jackson covers by up-and-coming artists with substantial web followings. Alina’s appeal to fans worldwide is demonstrated by being flown to Beijing by Shenzhen-based organizers of the student Olympics, representing the U.S. in a concert aired in China by CCTV.
Alina’s growing fan base on and offline has been accomplished, as of yet, without promotional backing. An example of Russian entrepreneurial industriousness, she has taught herself website design and produced her own videos – garnering millions of plays on various social media. Along with writing and producing on her own, she collaborates with established songwriters and producers in LA, NY and Nashville. She has now decided, having just completed a demo EP, that the time is ripe to seek a label and licensing for her songs. Bet thou not against her.
