It was a gift to recently meet iLana Armida and Alex Kinsey on a sunny autumn day on a lively terrace in Marbella. I had been a fan of Alex for many years and admit to being a little starstruck. He achieved a feat that an infinitely small number of musicians can lay claim to – he won X Factor and, more importantly, impressed Simon Cowell. When Alex and his then-duet partner, Sierra, auditioned for the show with a unique rearrangement of Britney Spear’s Toxic, Simon called them “cool and quirky” and lauded their “incredible version of the song.” Alex recalls this experience: “I was sent an email asking us to audition for Simon Cowell. I assumed it would be little more than a one-off experience, but not only did we get through, we won!” X Factor is usually a forum for singers to shine, and Alex is a singer-songwriter, more in line with artists like John Mayer and Jason Mraz. The win was, therefore, a bigger achievement than one could imagine.

Alex is a seasoned musician who plays the guitar, piano, and drums. He has a beautiful, soulful voice and warm, down-to-earth personality that makes it easy to see why he has captured so many hearts. Much has occurred since his X Factor appearance. For one, he is more determined than ever to be in control of his musical journey. After winning X Factor, he says, “two major labels and a manager were involved. We had too many cooks in the kitchen. I wasn’t making the music I wanted to. Our fire burned slowly but with this type of show, if things don’t happen quickly, the labels lose interest.” Today, he is happy and confident about where his career is heading. It was enriching to listen to him talk about the music that inspires him – everyone from the Beatles to Earth, Wind & Fire, Bruno Mars, and his good friend, Emmy-award-winning musician, Alex Preston.

Alex is a big admirer of Paul McCartney, telling me that he “caught the magic of believing in music” while listening to Abbey Road. He mentions the documentary Get Back, marvelling at how “Paul commands.” In many ways, he says, “That’s who I want to be.” He makes another interesting observation: “As odd as it sounds, the Beatles were just another band.” He says this with the utmost respect, emphasising hard work, exchange of ideas, and ambition as key elements of any band’s success.

Alex would listen to music from the 1960s and 1970s all day if he could, though he keeps updated with current music because “you have to know the zeitgeist of the industry. Music is cyclical and you can capture the essence of the past and make it new.” iLana says that two of Alex’s greatest strengths lie in arranging and editing music, and his profound musical culture aids him in this. Keeping up with the times also involves social media, and both iLana and Alex take turns capturing and sharing special moments during their music-making process.

iLana has had an equally intense love affair with music since her childhood. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts and raised in Florida, she fell in love with performing through musical theatre and studied Music Business at Florida Atlantic University (Alex studied Business at the same University). She was Vice-President of FAU’s record label when she met Alex, whom the label signed on as a solo artist. iLana composes music for herself and numerous artists, including Doja Cat, Etana, and Common Kings. She has performed alongside Lil Dicky and John K.

Once she graduated, iLana set up a home music studio. Although she performed frequently at clubs and bars, she decided to move to Los Angeles.The transition was necessary, she says, because “the music industry is all about connections and in L.A., you get to take part in sessions. It was amazing to start working with super-talented people, many of whom I really admired. It made me step my game up.”

The year 2022 has been outstanding for iLana, as she has been nominated for a Grammy for the Doja Cat song Ride, which she co-wrote with Doja Cat’s producer, Yeti Beats. “I wrote that song with Yeti four years ago, and we saved it and forgot about it for many years. Then, Doja Cat was launching a Deluxe version of her album, Planet Her, and she rewrote Ride for it.

iLana recalls the precise moment she found out she was nominated for a Grammy: “A friend called me and said, ‘Get ready to change your bio to Grammy-nominated’ and I said, ‘Why? I’m not nominated,’ and she answered, ‘You are now’!” She cried with joy and today, she acknowledges that the nomination opened many doors, “I work with Doja Cat’s producer a lot as well as with other major artists.”

Hearing iLana and Alex talk about how they meet up with other artists and collaborate is, indeed, inspiring. Their life is filled with movement and vital connections with other artists. Alex says, “Someone will call you out of the blue saying, ‘I know someone you would enjoy working with’ and we call them, get together, play music, compose…”

To see what talented musicians can achieve when they work collectively and take turns singing and playing different instruments, check out Buddy Sessions with Alex Kinsey | Live at The Hotel Cafe on YouTube. This performance took place during the peak of COVID, as the couple thought it would be a good idea to offer a live-streamed performance at a time in which nobody was allowed to visit bars or clubs to catch live music.

Cali Kinda Love – iLana Armida

iLana’s EP begins with the ultra-catchy Cali Kinda Love – a tune whose chorus is impossible not to sing along to. Equally fun is When U Gonna Learn, which is all about positive vibes and communication between couples. Coffee on the Sofa is more sentimental but still characteristically upbeat. It describes the morning after a night of passion, when couples have a cup of coffee together instead of parting ways. The single THC is a chilled-out tune that describes the CBD phenomenon and its ability to bring the mind ‘above the clouds.’ No Good For Me had me hooked from the beginning. It’s about the rush of falling in love. Finally, there is the fantastic Do It In the Daylight – a dance tune about the parallels between music and attraction. Some of its lyrics are in Spanish, and it has a refreshing Latino vibe.

Antisocial Person – Alex Kinsey

This EP is filled with heart and soul, and some of its tunes delve into current subjects like social anxiety. The songs are uplifting, and it is literally impossible not to move while you’re listening to them. The lyrics are personal and relatable. In Antisocial Person, Alex sings, “I’ve got more anxiety than usual/ Fuck I wanna have some fun/ I’m an antisocial person and I know that shit is lame/ but I’d rather be at home chillin in my sweatpants like.” In My Head is about a bad breakup, yet it has a funky beat that makes you dance and sing along. Free Your Mind is another energetic tune with a great guitar riff that sets its tone as a love song with plenty of grit.

The EP has a couple of slow songs (Straight and Parakeets), which display Alex’s soothing voice to perfection. I am particularly taken by Parakeets, which iLana tells me was inspired by the flocks of parakeets that sit by their garden in L.A. “We wrote this song in the middle of COVID, when we were locked in. We would gaze at these birds, which were brought over from South America. They are non-invasive but plentiful! We were one of the lucky few who have a garden, and we would invite our friends over, serve drinks, and play music.”

iLana’s mother wrote a verse from Parakeets, one that describes the struggle and excitement of the musician’s life. In many ways, this song symbolises the lifeline that music was for so many people during one of the toughest moments in human history. “During COVID, we went from playing several gigs a week to nothing,” says iLana. Luckily, the pandemic never stopped the enigmatic couple, who continued to offer live-streamed performances, compose and arrange their work. They also created two EPs that merit a top spot on your playlist if you, too, feel that listening to and making music are acts of healing.