Kita Alexander has three passions: family, surfing and music. She would describe herself as a young girl from a small coastal town who grew up playing music and surfing. Partner of pro surfer Owen Wright, she gave birth last December to their son Vali. No more than one month later, she released her new single Damage Done, which has scored plenty of air time on Triple J.
After My Own Way and Like You Want To, you released another single with Damage Done. Is there an album around the corner?
I’m hoping middle of next year but we will see how it goes this year first and when I manage to get back in the studio. I have got my songs ready to go, it’s just about recording them.
Has becoming a mum put things on hold?
Maybe in a way, but it’s awesome. I’m still working on stuff every day at home. As I’m not in a rush, I can make sure I’m really stoked about what I got. I wouldn’t want to release anything that I’m not proud of. So in the end, everything is working out amazingly.
The clip for Damage Done showcases surfing, like most of your clips. Tell us about that?
At the start, I wasn’t really so keen on making another clip with some surfing in it. I didn’t want to feel like it’s all I can offer. But I had a great producer who came up with a beautiful idea. We then both thought of Josie (Prendergast) because she’s an amazing surfer. In the end, I just couldn’t say no to the project and the result is a very beautiful video clip.
“Byron Bay is the most beautiful place in the world, it’s just paradise.”
It was filmed in Byron Bay. Do you have a special connection with the place?
Byron Bay is just the most beautiful place in the world. The weather is warm, the water is so blue, it’s just paradise. It’s like nowhere else. As we recently moved to Lennox Heads, we don’t have the hustle and bustle of Byron but we are still going pretty much every day.
What does surfing represent for you?
Living near the ocean, I have kind of always spent time in the water and surfed but really got into it when I was about 16. I don’t really know how to explain but I started to have this very strong desire to learn properly. And I realise how important it is for me, I missed it so much. I didn’t surf throughout all my pregnancy and I’m just getting back in the water. I guess it’s a different way of expressing myself and I’m not even that great at it! But for me it’s just about the fun and the joy I get from it by getting out in the ocean for hours, in the sun, meeting people out there or just being by myself, just me and my thoughts. Surfing really brings me back to me. That’s why I make sure to get in the ocean every day because that’s what makes me happy.
More shortboard or longboard like in your last clip for Damage Done?
I’m a longboarder. But after having a baby I’ve decided that I wanted to learn shortboard. I asked Owen if he could teach me but he passed me onto his dad. He gave me heaps of land exercises to do before I get out there and I’m working on that. But I want to get in the water!
“The songs I wrote straight after Owen’s accident were just raw feelings and are some of my favourites.”
What about asking Tyler (Wright, his sister)?
Well, she’s pretty busy so it’s hard… And actually, Owen is too. They’re both playing hard to get. But Owen will definitely have to teach me. I won’t let him pass me up that easily!
How does surfing influence your music?
Nature herself inspires me. But when I’m out surfing, happy and having the best time ever is when a lot of my ideas come to me. I usually want to rush home and write music as soon as possible. I know water stimulates the right side of the brain which is the creative side, so when you mix that with the sun and the energy of the ocean, I tend to get some pretty sick ideas… And even if they turn out to not be sick songs, at least I was having fun and feeling good during the process (laughs).
Last year was pretty full-on for you, with Owen’s injury at Pipeline, Tyler’s first World Title, and then your son Vali’s birth. Can you see any of that influencing your album?
I have written about all of that and it’s definitely a source of inspiration. The songs I wrote straight after Owen’s accident were just raw feelings. These songs are some of my favourites and the ones I’m the most excited to release. Because the emotions were so strong and they were real-life experiences, nothing beats it! I had a pretty full-on year in 2016 but my whole life has been this way. It’s what makes it exciting and I would probably have nothing to write about if it wasn’t this way. When I have kind of lows, I struggle to come up with stories that mean something to me or that I can relate to. It’s pretty hard to just pull out a song from your head and put some emotion into it if you can’t actually connect with it. So I wouldn’t change my life for the world.
