From her smooth, melodic, soulful voice, to her rocker tee, tight jeans and con’s, Alise Phoenix is definitely an artist that can’t be labeled. A native of Boston, MA Miss Phoenix grew up with a strong church background which has attributed to her very strong, passionate sound. With so many female R&B artists, more focused on shaking their bottoms in their videos and fitting the sex symbol image, Alise promises to distinguish herself. Scheme had the opportunity to converse with the artist who refuses to conform.

Scheme: Let’s start with the name Alise Phoenix, where did that come about?

Alise Phoenix: Alise is my middle name, and Phoenix is my mom’s middle name.

Scheme: Being a native of Boston, there where a number of talented groups out of that area from, New Kids on the Block, New Edition, to Arrow Smith, did any of these groups have an influence on what you listened too growing up?

Alise Phoenix: No, I grew up in a home where Christian music was predominantly played. We didn’t grow up listening to these groups. Once I grew up, I started listening to groups like Arrow Smith and Nirvana and groups like that.

Scheme: Name some of your earlier influences?

Alise Phoenix: Umm, no doubt, honestly I love Shania Twain, Phil Collins, I love like Aretha Franklin, I like Elliott Smith, Pink Floyd just to name a few. And also love Boys to Men and Stevie Wonder.

Scheme: I would hate to just dismiss you as this black, rocker chick, can you define your style of music?

Alise Phoenix: That’s kind of hard because asking me to define my style of music is basically asking me to define who I am, and that is something that just can’t be done. Do you sing hip hop, do you sing Rock, are you a hip hop artist? Its just like, I don’t put categories on music because it is a universal thing. Regardless of if I sing gospel, hip-hop or rock you will be able to relate to it in some form or fashion.

Scheme: Do you think your church background played a large role in your soulful voice?

Alise Phoenix: No doubt. Like that’s where I learned range, that’s where I learned voice control. I mean to me gospel music is the root of any type of soulfulness. Any artist that you can name that has any type of soul has some type of church background. Church played a big part in who I am today, so I would have to say yes.

Scheme: Growing up, did your peers look at you weird for listening to alternative music?

Alise Phoenix: Not even just that but they just looked as me as being weird. They always looked at me as not being urban enough or cool, nobody even knew I could sing until I revealed that in my junior year of high school. I think they looked at me more as just this weird black girl, they looked as me as the black blonde (laughs).

Scheme: As a result of your style, do you think people look at you as being not “black,” enough?

Alise Phoenix: Not really, because one thing I always say to myself is that nobody will change me no matter who is in front of me I will always conquer it. So nobody says to me that I’m not black enough, because regardless of the style of music I can adapt to it. So if you’re not open-minded enough to comprehend me as an artist, I mean that’s on you. I’m doing what I love to do, I’m not changing for anyone. I mean I have been in actual meetings where I’ve been told I could be the top R&B artist but no that’s not me, what I’m doing is what I want to do.

Scheme: So can you “Pop, Lock, and Drop it?”

Alise Phoenix: (laughs) No, I mean honestly, the only thing that I can do is walk it out. I feel like I can do a darn good walk it out.

Scheme: As for you songwriting ability, where do you gather your inspiration?

Alise Phoenix: I’m a writer who actually writes from experience. If I never experienced it, then its kind of difficult for me to write about. Even if I haven’t personally experienced it, I write it from somebody who has told me from their personal experience. I think for every writer, you have to either have experienced it yourself or known somebody who has.

Scheme: With so many aspiring artists never reaching their aspirations, how did it feel to actually achieve that goal of creating an actual album (Seeing Sounds)?

Alise Phoenix: It’s honestly a feeling, I mean its an overwhelming feeling of happiness, just so many mixed emotions. Like I completed it, but will they like it? And that’s the worst part, sitting in confusion worrying about somebody else not liking what I’ve done. I appreciate it, you know, creating an album, living in Canada with my band, I mean I know many people who can’t stay the same. I’m definitely proud of it. A lot of people can say that. I am one of the chosen ones who can say that they have. I am truly, truly grateful.

Scheme: What were some of the setbacks of your debut album?

Alise Phoenix: I think the only setback about me coming out was the fact that people don’t know how to forget the fact that I am a black woman singing this music. If we could only erase the fact that I’m black, it would be lovely. I mean because this is the part that makes me who I am. Once people forget about that then we will be okay. I’ve literally been sitting in meetings, where their like wow this girl is great who is she, then I’m like its me, and all of a sudden everyone is like well I don’t know if this is going to work. You just have to be like screw them, and do what you have to.

Scheme: Do you think your combination of songwriting, singing, and your dancing ability, makes you that complete artist?

Alise Phoenix: I’ve always thought of myself as a complete package. And that’s not to sound cocky, not even confident. I’m not a Beyonce, I’m not a Halle Berry, I’m not any of those people, I’m myself, but I can sit here with confidence and say that I know that I have what it takes to become the ultimate artist, or whatever it is that people perceive to be that. I have personality, presence, I mean I’m not going to shake my bum in a video for you, but hell yeah, I know I got what it takes (laughs).

Scheme: Have you written for other known artists?

Alise Phoenix: I have done collabos with Ryan Leslie, I’ve worked very hard with him doing things for Cheri Dennis, Britney Spears, Virtue, that’s a gospel group, I mean the list goes on. But I spent many of my years just doing demos for major artist that are out today. But I don’t want to spend my career being a demo artist, its not fair to me or my talent.

Scheme: Are you working on a current album?

Alise Phoenix: Yes, I’m actually in the process of working on my second album. Right now I’m just writing a lot, getting ideas, and just trying to….I think the second album is going to be 100% times better than the 1st album.

Scheme: Why do you say that?

Alise Phoenix: Because the 1st album, was a hot album, but I wasn’t being true to myself. A lot of the stuff on the album, I think was a little bubblegum, and that’s not me. I’m more straight to the point, I realize you do have to cater to your audience, but I’m straight to the point. This time around, I’m just saying what I want to say, and not holding back my tongue.

Scheme: After doing some research, I found that you actually had a reality show (Phoenix‘s Rising), could you elaborate on that?

Alise Phoenix: Myself and my band were living in Canada, we were staying in Brampton, which is outside of Toronto, we stayed there for 12 months, and cameras would actually come down to shoot us. They thought it was interesting to see a black girl with a white band. My manager thought it would be good, it never actually aired. The band went to Florida, and I went back to Rhode Island for awhile. And we just didn’t know how it would play out with everybody being in there on separate worlds. It was weird to see cameras there, but you got use to it as time went on. And I don’t know if the world was ready to look into the eyes of Alise Phoenix, because we did get kinda of crazy (laughs).

Scheme: I mentioned achieving the goal of creating an album, what is your ultimate dream in regards to your music career?

Alise Phoenix: This is one thing I always tell people, I don’t care if I’m not on a tabloid, if not every part of the country knows who I am, because I just want to relate to a group of people who can understand me, my music, and what it is I am trying to accomplish. Being the next famous person, doesn’t matter to me, I don’t care about having a million dollar home, I don’t care about that, I am just satisfied being paid for what I love. I’m not big on being everywhere, cameras following me, no I want to be able to live comfortable. But I can’t take fame and fortune when I go, so that stuff doesn’t matter to me. I just want people to be able to say, you know she was real, she stayed true to herself, true to her music, true to her fans, true to what she was, and that’s what I want to represent. Someone who was a real, honest, down to earth person, all that other stuff could blow in the wind.