PREMIERES PRINT

Video Premiere and Interview: Baked Alaska – “Singin’ In The Rain”

Jon Berrien
Latest posts by Jon Berrien (see all)

 He’s been trappin’ grizzly bears ever since he was a wee little half-baked Alaska, now grown up, Baked Alaska is taking over the music world one anthem at a time. With fresh flows, style, and flair this wild man is clawin’ his way to the top with the ‘Baked Movement’. Get to know Baked Alaska now, and check out his new video below, exclusively premiering on GroundSounds.  “Singin’ In The Rain’ was produced by Baked Alaska and Nick Morzov. It was directed by Baked Alaska and edited by Peter Don. 

For those who are just discovering Baked Alaska can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started with music? 

Sure can! I’ve been writing songs since I was 10 years old, playing piano, drums, and making beats. I have a B.S. in Marketing, so I moved to LA to pursue artist management. I managed artists for 7+ and toured in over 40 states, until I realized my artists weren’t appreciating all the work I was putting in and decided to become a solo artist releasing my first track on 4/20 of this year. I worked and interned in A&R and Marketing departments at Warner Bros. Records, Capitol Records, and Warped Tour, so the experience really propelled me at supersonic speed as a self-managed artist. Since my release, I’ve dropped 7 music videos with original songs in the first 4 months, so it’s been quite an accomplishment for me.

What was it like growing up in Anchorage, AK?

Most beautiful place on Earth! My family still lives there and it’s great to visit a few times a year. The summers have about 21 hours of sunlight, it’s truly an indescribable experience unless you’ve been there. Growing up in such an isolated place surprisingly works to my advantage as I wasn’t influenced by all the corporate entities embodied in our modern culture. We didn’t have a Starbucks or GAP until I was a senior in high school, so you can imagine how different it was to grow up while the rest of the US was years ahead in technology, fashion, etc. I remember coming back from LA during high school with skinny jeans and everyone thought I was gay. Funny stuff.

Now something on everybody’s mind is this new track “Singin In The Rain”, can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind this song?

Singin’ in the Rain (Snapchat Anthem) started as a funny freestyle in the studio about how I love getting snapchats on a rainy day and it ended up being so good we kept the freestyle and created the rest of the song based on that. A huge part of it is a commentary on how prevalent technology has become in our everyday lives. Back in the day, you would work on a scrapbook or knit on a rainy day, but in this day and age, I need to get those provocative snapchats, ya feel me? I enjoy paying tribute to previous great works such as Right Meow (Super Troopers), Danny Glovin’ (Angels in the Outfield), so “Singin’ in the Rain'” just stuck with me as a catchy tagline. I’ve always had a big EDM influence and it definitely comes out in this song more than ever before.

What was the day of the video shoot like?

The shoot turned out great. I take pride in directing and producing all my music videos, and the  snapchat concept really came to fruition. I basically wanted the fans to feel like they were sending me snapchats through the characters in the video, as I make a point to always engage as many fans as possible on social media. It never rains in LA, so we had to get a bit creative with making rain, but it’s a gem you won’t want to miss. 

Can you tell us about your EP Into The Wild? What was it like working on this project? 

Into The Wild EP was the first collection of my songs that I felt really established me as an artist. The 3 songs show how I can trap out, then turn to a more intimate piano driven song while keeping continuity. These were also the first 3 videos filmed in Alaska, so it was very redeeming to establish Baked Alaska as an artist that is reppin’ the biggest, coldest state. There has never been a big rapper or entertainment icon that represents Alaska, so I thought it was time I put AK on the map. Working against the Sarah Palin stereotype is not an easy task, take my word for it!

How long did it take you to grow your mustache?

Believe it or not, it only takes a week or two to work up this gnarly stache… Must be my fierce grizzly genes in the works.

What do you enjoy most about the wild?

The wild or the “Grizzly Bear Trap” has a multi-dimensional meaning. It represents the true wild nature of growing up in Alaska, a place with hardly any regulations and how that molds the individual on many levels. It also symbolizes how hard it is to get out of Alaska and the belief that you can make something huge out of yourself. In other states such as California it’s a quick drive to other large cities such as San Diego, Vegas, etc. In Alaska, you’re looking at a 45 hour drive to make it to Seattle. Lastly, the wild also represents living in a crazy city that you’re not always familiar with such as LA, and learning to stay true to your character despite people promising fame if you compromise your principles.

What producers and artists would you like to work with in the future?

I have great respect for people who make music they’re passionate about regardless of mainstream appeal. I’m a big fan of how Lil’ B the Based God approaches his artistry, I would definitely love to collab with him. There are lots of artist and producers that would be great to work with, but at the end of the day, I realize that I have to be 100% responsible for pushing my career on my own. 

What is Grizzly Bear Trappin’? What was it like working on this song and music video? 

It’s the epitome of raw trap. People down here say they grew up in the trap, but I’m from the Grizzly Bear Trap. Can’t really talk/complain about being raised in a big city when I’m busy trappin’ grizzly bears. The song was the final video in the Alaskan trilogy and we really wanted to show off the city of Anchorage and the wild in the same piece. If you look closely you’ll see several landmarks that all the kids in Anchorage know about. I actually went so hard on the verse that I dislocated a rib during recording, but the take was so good we kept it on the final track. All our footage is real, we went out and found real bears, met up with my twitter fans for cameos, and shared a beer with a Native Alaskan.

Do you have any life advice that you could share with us?

Believe in Yourself. We live in a society that’s constantly telling us we can’t do things or that we’re not good enough to achieve what our dreams tell us we can do. I believe anyone can do whatever they put their mind to, and I’m a living example of that very philosophy. If someone were to tell me a year ago I’d be releasing my 8th music video today and would have a dedicated fanbase of over 10,000 people worldwide, I’d tell them they were crazy.

What’s next for Baked Alaska?

I take everything day by day. I can tell you I have a lot of new songs and videos in the works, as well as the world’s first music video tour planned for next year. I’m actually going for a Guinness World Record, so it’s going to be quite the occasion. I’m never looking to just merely turn a few heads, I’m constantly figuring out how to turn the world upside down and exceed their expectations. I don’t follow the traditional artist model, so expect lots of twists and turns along the way. One thing is for certain: This is the beginning of Baked Alaska and the Baked Movement, and we’re here to stay. Much thanks to all of Baked Fam for their continued support and GroundSounds for graciously taking the time to be a part of it.

Follow Baked Alaska on Twitter: @bakedalaska

Music Videos: www.grizzlybeartrap.com

Merch & Free Downloads: www.bakedalaskans.com