The Story Behind "No Words"

By Alexa Name

The way no words came about was me, Lavend3r, and Cole Daniels went on a trip to Minnesota. The reason we went to Minnesota was because John is from there. So we rented an Airbnb. We were there about a  couple weeks and did a songwriters/producers/musicians camp sort of thing. While we were there one day I was about to walk out the door and John just yells at me like, “Hey check out the Dropbox. There's a file called “no words”. Check it out. The instrumental track is super super weird. I made it with Cole. They played the cello on it but it's super weird. I don't know if you're going to like it. But check it out, and if you do just topline it. Hop on it, write over it, and see what comes out.” And I was like ok. So as I was walking around Minnesota I was listening to the track and I was like this is so so weird I love it. I definitely want to try it and write something over it because it was something so different to what I had done before. 

A few minutes later I walked to a park that was near the Airbnb, I sat down and I wrote the first half of the song. It was so funny because “no words” was not supposed to be the name of the song. It was just the name of the file because the track had “no words” on it. It was just instrumental. But as I was writing the song and I got to the chorus it just made sense to add it because of the subject of the song. It was about the situationship I had where nobody said a word. Literally we both felt something for each other but nobody said a word about it So just made sense to add it, and it was very kind of a meant to be moment. 

So yeah, I wrote the first half of the song in that park and that same night John and I started recording the first half of the song. After recording that first half we were hearing it again and we got super excited about it because it was so cool. We both thought it was an amazing song. So he told me, “you have 30 minutes to write the rest of the song while I work on it and do my producer stuff. You have 30 minutes and we‘ll record the second half” and I was like let's do it. So that’s what I did. I sat down and wrote the second half while he was working on the first half and we recorded the rest of the song that same night. So we made it all basically in one day. The only thing that was done the next day was Nico added in some synth chords for the second verse. We made it super fast. It was a very easy to make song, it just kind of flowed very easily. So yeah that was how the song came about.  

As for the photo shoot, since it's a sexy song I wanted it to be a sexy photo shoot. I was a bit nervous about it, not going to lie. But I was also very excited about it. I was like "you know what I'm committing to what the song is about". The photoshoot looks like I’m on a bed. But it’s actually the guest bathroom at my house. The photographer Jerry, he is my friend and he is amazing, needed a white wall and there was there was a big white wall in the guest bathroom at my house. So we we grabbed a couple covers and sheets and stuff like that and just put them on the floor. And that's where we shot all the promo photos and the cover photos for No Words. So that was very fun. 

I think for the song that's pretty much all there is to talk about. But, yeah, go listen to No Words. It's such a fun sexy ethereal otherworldly type of song. For me it just transports me to another place because it’s just so different and the instrumentation and the vocal production everything is done to is honestly incredible. I’m so lucky to have the team that I do. Go check it out and expect to see much more from me soon.

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I want to thank Alexa for taking the time to share this story with us. 

Be sure to follow her on Instagram, and Spotify to be sure you won't miss anything! You'll also want to check out every other time Alexa has appeared here on Section 36 Music!

Thanks again Alexa!

New Music from Grace Lionato, Michelle Rose, Sophia B, Alexa Name, Gracie Modean, Sofia Devitt

"Breathe U In" - by Grace Lionato

Release Date: December 27, 2024

What You Should Know: "This song has been such an amazing experience and the people I’ve gotten to work with are incredible."

Find It: Everywhere, like  Apple or Spotify

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"When We're Rich" - by Michelle Rose

Release Date: December 27, 2024

What You Should Know: "This is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever worked on. Huge thank you to everyone who worked on this project!"

Find It: Everywhere, like  Apple or Spotify

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "What 2024 Sounded Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Michelle Rose Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"Mr. Wrong" - by Sophia B

Release Date: December 28, 2024

What You Should Know: "If you need to take that difficult step of saying goodbye to Mr. Wrong, Let this be your anthem this New Year. Whether he has a dismissive avoidant attachment style, a narcissist, a player or he’s just the wrong guy for you. You deserve better. Walk away from Mr. Wrong to the beat of this New Song."

Find It: Everywhere, like Apple or Spotify

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "What 2024 Sounded Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Sophia B Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"No Words" - Alexa Name 

Release Date: January 3, 2025

What You Should Know: "This track is seriously one of my absolute favorites, and there’s so much behind it that makes it so special to me."

Find It: Apple or Spotify

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "It's 2025 in Section 36", "What 2024 Sounded Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Alexa Name Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"Face It" - by Gracie Modean

Release Date: January 3, 2025

What You Should Know: "This single from Gracie is definitely one you won't want to miss!"

Find It: Everywhere, like Apple or Spotify

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "It's 2025 in Section 36", "What 2024 Sounds Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Gracie Modean Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"Good For Me" - by Sofia Devitt

Release Date: January 3, 2025

What You Should Know: "Around this time last year I was home for winter break and itching to record this song so me and @joshwurzmusic started COOKIN. We recorded all of the parts within that day and I looove the way it turned out, it sounds like you’re right in the room with us!."

Find It: Everywhere, like Apple or Spotify

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: ""It's 2025 in Section 36", "What 2024 Sounds Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Sofia Devitt Visits Section 36 Music!"

Behind the Scenes of "TENSION HIGH" by Alexa Name

TENSION HIGH was one of the four original songs that I was going to make with Lavend3r that were for my capstone project at Berklee. My capstone project was an EP and the four songs were going to be GODDAMN BABY!, UNAWARE, TENSION HIGH, and another one I won’t say right now because I have not released it yet (it’s coming soon). But, yeah, TENSION HIGH was one of the four originals. The thing is we started recording those, and they were so good, in our opinion they were great, so we just kept recording more and more and more things. We ended up tossing the EP in a way and just made a ton of songs that will eventually be an album. 

 

TENSION HIGH was the third or fourth song that I made with Lavend3r, and that I had ever recorded in a studio. So I was way more comfortable at that point. I remember the first song I made with Lavend3r I was still kind of unsure of like where to put ad-libs or was unsure where to speak up about what I want and what I don’t want and the whole thing. I was still learning, and TENSION HIGH definitely felt more comfortable. A big thing, for example, that I remember that I felt super comfortable with was in the second verse and in the chorus you can hear some breaths that are off beat in the background. I felt that those were really cool and my friend John didn’t want them, but I fought for them. And I’m so glad that I did because I really love them. And you can really hear them more on the live track where my lead vocals are not there. But it’s really cool. I played the live track the other day for my friends and they were like “Oh my god! They’re so cool!” and I was so proud. 

The song is about that situationship I talk about in UNAWARE and GODDAMN BABY! as well. I was in a class at Berklee, a songwriting class that I had to write a song for every week. And it could be about anything. At that point while I was taking the class I had that situationship so that was my inspiration at the time. My songs were basically my diary and I would write a song every week about what was happening. And TENSION HIGH at that point, every time I saw my situationship I felt the vibes…you know, the vibes. I felt them and felt that they wanted to say something and they didn’t and it was the same with me, right? It was more like, we’re in the same friend group, we don’t want to ruin anything. At the same time there’s something there and I would think about that person every time I wasn’t with them, and that’s why the chorus says “I’ll be thinking about you in the middle of the night”. The cool part about the song, in my opinion, is that it goes from my perspective to their perspective. That’s why the second chorus instead of saying I it says you…like "you’ll be thinking about me in the middle of the night” because the tension was there with the both of us. 
 

It was really fun to record the song. I made the song with Lavend3r and Zani, who is an exceptional musician. They helped me build the song into what it is. Every song I made with Lavend3r, except for one we haven’t released yet, I always came in with the chords, the lyrics, the melody, everything and then John, Nicco and Zani would help me build them up. TENSION HIGH was a really really fun one. I wanted it to be rhythmic and bass heavy, which is why it starts with the bass. It starts simple instrumentally and it builds up over time and it’s really cool. 

The photoshoot was really fun. I did the photoshoot with my manager Patricio Luna who’s also an amazing photographer. He does concert photography and he’s incredible. We kind of put a projector saying “tension high” everywhere and he added some eyes that were really sexy and cool. The vibe was like all red and it was really really cool. I also had a couple more friends there during the photoshoot who were in charge of lighting and audio. So they would basically play any song that they felt would inspire me to be sexy for the shoot which was so funny. And they pointed at me with red lights the whole time which were quite intense, I’m not going to lie, but it was fun. 
 

Releasing the song has been really really fun. I love it. I think it’s a very summer vibe song and I really hope you love it too. I hope you love it as much as I do. And if you’re going through the same thing as I did at the time I hope you connect with the song and it’s a release and you know you’re not alone and it’s a human experience. And yeah I hope you just dance to it, vibe to it, let you use the song to help you get through it. You know what I mean. I hope you love the song as much as I do.

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I want to thank Alexa for taking the time to share this story with us. 

Be sure to follow Alexa on Instagram, and Spotify. And, be sure to listen to "TENSION HIGH" wherever you usually find your music.

Thanks again Alexa!

Alexa Name's 36 Favorite Things!

I’m sure you know Alexa Name from her incredible music, including her single "TENSION HIGH", which I hope you've listened to often.

To go along with that release, I thought we should learn a little bit more about this artist, by learning a few of her favorite things! Let's see how it goes...

What is her favorite...

Animal? Polar bear and penguin!
Disney song to sing? “Just Can’t Wait to be King” or “Be Our Guest”
Crayon color? Sky Blue
Coffee order? I rarely drink coffee because it makes me super jittery. My go-to is always an iced matcha latte with almond milk.
Football team? I don’t watch football except for the Superbowl so I’m rooting for all teams haha
Vacation spot? NYC or London
Place to shop? Concert merch tables
Star Wars character? Baby Yoda
Winter activity? Skiing
Beverage? Tea…flavor always changes depending on my mood.
Restaurant? I try to eat really healthy so I mostly eat at home. However, when I’m in LA, one of my go-to’s is Kreation Kafe
Book? “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky 
Song (Can be yours)? Each and every single Dua Lipa song (especially from her first album). 
City? Los Angeles
Ice cream flavor? Vanilla & Mint Chip
Shape? Hourglass
Article of clothing? Crop tops and cargo pants
Place to walk? Love walking everywhere! Living in Boston was so good for that!
Season? Summer
Cookie flavor? Chocolate chip…duh
String instrument? Guitar
Color rose? Classic red
Superhero? Wonder Woman
Body piercing location? Ears
Candle scent? Orange Blossom
Thing you did in the last 24 hours? Released my newest single, “TENSION HIGH”!!! 
Cheese? Pecorino Romano
Female musician? Adele
Disney character? Lumière
Social media platform? It’s a tie between TikTok and Instagram
Type of big cat? Lion
Summer activity? It’s concert season, so going to all of the concerts that I can!
Toy as a child? Yo-yo! I used to spend hours playing with it and learning how to do little tricks.
Smell? I’m so into smells. Anyone wearing a good perfume/cologne instantly wins a point. Favorite one at the moment is Baies by Dyptique.
Souvenir to bring home? Always a hoodie or a mug
Section? The one and only…36!!! 

That was fun!

As always, I want to thank Alexa for taking the time to do this with us. It's always nice to be able to learn a bit more about a favorite artist.

Be sure to listen to Alexa and follow along with her to see what she's up to. I would definitely follow her on Instagram, and/or Spotify. In fact, go do both right now! 

Thanks again Alexa!

New Music From Alexa Name, Duda, Elle Sera, Sierra Levesque, Syd Rose, Wendy Wang, and TRISTIA

"TENSION HIGH" - Alexa Name 

Release Date: May 28, 2024

What You Should Know: "TENSION HIGH is all about that electrifying moment when you both know there’s something there, but no one takes the first step. If you’ve ever felt that spark, this track will hit home! Get ready for a fun, sexy, chill vibe that’s perfect for those sultry summer nights. Can’t wait for you to vibe with it!"

Find It: Apple or Spotify

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "What 2024 Sounds Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Alexa Name Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"Should've Known" -  by Duda

Release Date: May 31, 2024

What You Should Know: "I wrote this one based on a college friend, and it was the first time I wrote something from someone else's point of view. It tells the story of someone who keeps going out with guys who don't treat her right, and she always says she Should've Known."

Find It: Everywhere, like Apple and Spotify

Previous Noteworthy Releases: "Criminal"

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "What 2024 Sounds Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Duda Visits Section 36 Music!", "More Rumors From Duda", "Duda Makes 36 Decisions", "Duda's 36 Favorite Things"

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"All over Again" - single by Elle Sera 

Release Date: May 31, 2024

What You Should Know: "I’ve been so excited to release this song and video since last fall & THIS IS IT! I’m digging hard into pop for this one which has been a dream of mine for many years. More on the way so stay tuned, my friends!"

Find It: Apple or Spotify

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "What 2024 Sounds Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previous Noteworthy Releases: "Beautiful Girl (Acoustic Version)", "Covers Only"

Previously on Section 36: "Elle Sera Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"U ARE MY DRUG" - Single by Sierra Levesque

Release Date: May 28, 2024

What You Should Know: "I'm so excited for you to her this one!"

Find It: Everywhere, like Apple and Spotify

Previous Noteworthy Releases: "Wrong About You", "Get Off My Stage", "Run Run Rudolph"

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "What 2024 Sounds Like From Section 36", "What 2023 Sounds Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36", "It's Christmas in Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Sierra Levesque Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"Half the Things I Said" - Syd Rose 

Release Date: May 15, 2024

What You Should Know: "I don’t have many words that I can say to express how grateful I am for all of the people who worked on this project with me, put up with all of my revisions (@maxwbelkin patience level 100), and encouraged me every step of the way 🥹❤️ Thank you so much to every one of you for your patience, kindness, generosity with your time and talent, and your honest and valuable feedback 🫶 You all made these songs so much better than I ever could have imagined, and honestly the files would probably still be in my laptop rotting without each and every one of you 😂 Thank you for everything, and I hope you enjoy these finished songs as much as I do!"

Find It: Apple or Spotify

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Syd Rose Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"Secrets" - by Wendy Wang 

Release Date: May 31, 2024

What You Should Know: Another song you just have to stream from this amazing artist

Find It: Spotify or Apple

Previous Noteworthy Releases: "Sunlight", "If I Told The Truth"

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "What 2024 Sounds Like From Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Wendy Wang Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"This is NOT a Hopeful Beginning" - TRISTIA 

Release Date: May 31, 2024

What You Should Know: "So much blood, tears, and hours were put into this EP- and I can’t wait for you to enjoy it with me. A year and a half- but really, a whole life in the making."

Find It: Apple or Spotify