THE
ALEX DORSTEN
INTERVIEW PART 2

“Sophie has a very special, once-in-a-

lifetime voice.”

JEN GAULT: 

Is there a producer or musician whose work you admire the most?

ALEX DORSTEN: 

Mark Needham. We got to work with Mark Needham on our song “9 Miles A Minute,” and the amount of knowledge we learned from him was amazing. We have always admired Mark, and working with him was a dream come true.

JEN GAULT: 

When did you first realize Sophie had a special voice?

ALEX DORSTEN: 

I realized Sophie had an amazing voice when we started working together. I always knew she had a great voice since I’ve heard her sing my whole life, but when I sat down and recorded her vocals and could hear her take after take crushing every single line, it changed my perspective, and I realized Sophie has a very special, once-in-a-lifetime voice.

JEN GAULT: 

What’s the greatest strength she brings into the studio?

ALEX DORSTEN: 

Sophie nails every single line when she sings. She also can hear every off note. She also is super in-time with the shaker.

JEN GAULT: 

What do you think you bring to the partnership that complements her?

ALEX DORSTEN: 

What I bring to our partnership that complements her well is my multi-instrumental abilities. I can play all the instruments she can’t, and she plays all the instruments I can’t.

JEN GAULT: 

How do the two of you handle creative disagreements?

ALEX DORSTEN: 

I feel we rarely have creative disagreements, but when we do, I think we see eye to eye on where each of us is creatively coming from, and we can always make the best decision going forward.

JEN GAULT: 

Has there ever been a song that challenged both of you creatively?

ALEX DORSTEN: 

The song that challenged us so much was our song “Hush.” It was so creatively deep. I recorded 127 individual instrument tracks and had to reduce it back down to 75.

JEN GAULT: 

Do you ever know immediately when a song is going to connect with listeners?

ALEX DORSTEN: 

Yes. When I hear Sophie singing the chorus and it scratches that itch in my head, and I can’t seem to forget it days later, I know that song will connect.

JEN GAULT: 

Do you prefer starting with a melody, a lyric, or a musical groove?

ALEX DORSTEN: 

Typically, we start with a musical groove. I will come up with a guitar line, then Sophie comes in with her “mumble” words for a melody, and I help translate the words for her.

Part 3 – Wednesday, October 21, 2026