Getting Bold with Alexia Riner

There’s always been an abundance of creativity and support surrounding LA-based composer, musician, and sound designer Alexia Riner.

From an early age, Riner was encouraged to pursue everything from singing, playing instruments, and expressing herself in any way she felt comfortable. In college, Riner was invigorated to explore new musical territory and steer her career away from classical music and towards electronic music, a genre she now inhabits in order to elevate and celebrate the female voice.

Where do you find creative inspiration? We read that you found inspiration for a song from a sound you heard on a plane one time.

The most random things inspire me. This one song on my album is super fun because...I was recording something and Lucy, my cat, jumped on the couch and I told her that I loved her in an embarrassing sweet sing-songy voice. When I heard myself, I was like, “Wait, that can totally work for a song!”

“ I wanted to be super low key and underground but I feel like now I’ve totally owned it and I’m just like ‘Yup, this is me and all my weirdness.’ ”

How would you say that you have grown as an artist since you first started making music?

I feel more confident in my sound and I’m not afraid to push out the work and music that I am making.

What are some of the challenges that you have faced establishing yourself as a creative and a musician?

The biggest challenge has been coming in to this tech world as a woman and not getting the respect that I deserve because of my gender. The payoff is greater when I do get that opportunity, though. Now, I’m able to inspire a younger generation of people—men, women, anybody—and be like, “It doesn’t matter what gender you are, even if you don’t identify with a specific gender, all that matters is your skillset and how hard you want to work for this.”

“I would say to not be afraid to experiment and not be afraid to fail.“

What are your words of advice for other up and coming artists?

Don’t be afraid to experiment or fail. It’s important to know that even if you make a song and it turns out to not be what you want that you still keep pushing.

What are you doing now that will shape your later?

Currently, I’m taking sound design to a new dimension in an experimental way. I feel one shouldn’t be afraid to break societal norms in order to grow into the person they want to be. Additionally, I strive to be confident and encourage body positivity throughout the music community.