INTERVIEW: Agent Envy
Agent Envy
The Photo Ladies Interview
Alejandra Jiménez, who goes by the moniker Agent Envy, recently released her debut single, a haunting cover of Deftone's "My Own Summer". Infusing sultrier vocals and a heavier emphasis on synth and industrial elements, she creates her own unique spin on the classic Deftone's hit. Born in San Diego, Jiménez has been singing for as long as she can remember and was immersed in musical theatre since she was a small child. She learned guitar in middle school and discovered her love for rock music, later fronting her high school rock band. She counts Tool, Massive Attack and Nine Inch Nails as a few of her musical inspirations. Having since relocated to Brooklyn, NY, she aims to express the darker side of life through music and art, with her Agent Envy persona drawing from her experiences as a freelancer in the graphic novel industry and her career as an international private investigator. Having worked and traveled continuously over the past few years, music had taken a backseat for Jiménez until this past year. Determined to make music and art a priority, she has created an in-home studio and made time each day for music, resulting in her debut single and impending EP. With plans to release more singles, music videos and behind-the-scenes looks at the making of her music videos, Agent Envy has given us plenty to look forward to. You can connect with Agent Envy via the following links and check out her latest single “Spiral”:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | YouTube | Songwhip
You recently released your cover of the Deftones song "My Own Summer". What can you tell me about the inspiration behind your rendition of the song, as well as why you chose that particular song as your debut single?
I’m a huge 90’s rock and metal fan, so many bands from that era have influenced me as a musician, and the Deftones are no exception. My Own Summer is probably one of their most well-known tracks, and I knew that I wanted to go for a real classic like that. In my rendition, I opted for a more sultry vocal approach with a heavier emphasis on synth and industrial elements, which are a recurring theme in my sound.
What can you tell me the idea behind the video and why you chose to shoot parts of it in red lighting?
To me, this song is about isolation from the rest of the world, whether self-imposed or not. I wanted to create a visual that matched that feeling, something a little dream-like and cyclical, maybe even unsettling at times. The “red section” as we were referring to it during production, represents sinking further into that isolation and the twisting of reality that goes with it. Red neon is also a bit of a running theme in my branding imagery as well.
Your persona of agent envy is described as being born from a desire to express the darker side of life through music and art. In what ways do you feel music and art have been catalysts for this expression?
I’ve always gravitated towards things that are a little dark. Books, movies, and music on dark topics, edgy fashion, dark imagery, etc. I just feel the most comfortable and excited by these things. Music and art are the best ways to express any range of emotions, I just tend to focus on topics that aren’t quite as sunny.
I read that you have drawn significant inspiration from film scores. What can you tell me about your love for film scores and how they've inspired you? What would you count as your favorites?
I’m very visually-oriented and whenever I’m writing music, I’m always thinking about what kind of scene in a movie it would be played in. I feel like this helps me to create a consistent mood around each song that transports the listener. I love action movies, sci-fi and fantasy, so these are usually the types of film scores and sound tracks that I’ll reach for. My all-time favorite movie is the Matrix, which had a really significant impact on me as a kid. The concept, the characters, the music, the aesthetic, were unlike anything I’d ever experienced at the time and it really stuck with me. So many of the artists featured on that sound track have become my favorites over the years.
What can you tell me about your life as an international private investigator, as well as a freelancer in the graphic novel industry? How did you become involved in those lines of work and how have they influenced your music?
I can’t disclose much about my career in investigation, and I prefer to keep my music and my job as separate as possible. The graphic novel work was something I did throughout college and for a little while after. I worked closely with one of DC Comic’s top colorists prepping pages for him in a process known in the industry as “flatting.” It was tons of fun and I got to work on just about every major DC character out there, and always made point of attending Comic Con in either San Diego or New York. There was a point in time when I wanted to make a full time career out of it, and I’d still love to write and illustrate my own graphic novel one day.
You grew up in San Diego and have been performing since you were young and were immersed in the musical theatre scene as both a performer and spectator. What can you tell me about your childhood and growing up in the theatre? Did you grow up in a musical/artistic family?
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. My parents actually used to get complaints from my pre-school because I would routinely sing during class. After a few school plays, I ended up auditioning for larger-scale productions locally, started formal voice lessons and continued to act, sing and dance in various shows through my senior year of high school. I started learning to play the guitar in middle school and ended up as the lead singer in my high school’s rock band (which is what we had instead of a marching band), and that was when I realized I really loved being the front woman in a band. That in particular for me was a real milestone because it’s tough as an alto to land leading roles in musical theater, where soprano voices are the most sought after. Rock music is another world, and I started to really come into my own.
My mom is an artist. She’s got degrees in illustration and ceramics, she makes jewelry, she cooks fantastic meals and decorates incredible desserts, and she’s where I get my obsession with “making things.” My dad is a psychiatrist, but played trumpet in a band for many years and I credit him with educating me in all things rock and beyond. Plus he’s the root of my interest in detective novels and action movies.
What can you tell me about moving to New York for college and what that transition was like for you, moving from California to NY? Having not gone to many concerts until you moved to NY, what was it like to start becoming more immersed in the music scene? What do you like to do for fun in the city?
San Diego and NYC couldn’t be more different if they tried. The people, the architecture, the weather, the population density, are all very different. New York is a very competitive place compared to San Diego but there’s a lot to love here too. The awesome thing about the New York concert scene is that basically every artist is guaranteed to perform here, so I got to see so many musicians that never made it to San Diego. I generally spend half of every concert paying attention and the other half thinking about how much I want to be back on stage. Going to shows is a great way for me to find inspiration any time I feel like i’m in a rut.
Outside of going to concerts, I love spending time with my friends doing basically anything. Going to the movies, dining out, grabbing drinks are all staple activities. I also love venturing out into the trig-state area during the summer and fall and renting out a house with friends. Of course, things are a little different now due to Covid, but we try to see each other as regularly as possible.
You talked last year about having the time to think about how you had been living your life and the way you wanted to live it. You mentioned having lost sight of what truly drives you- being creative, making art, dreaming of characters and becoming them, making music, singing and performing. What can you tell me about that revelation and your journey of bringing those things into the present and doing what drives you?
Wow, you’ve really done your homework! A few things happened all at once. I had just ended a relationship, I had a fairly-serious health scare, and I had been working and traveling incessantly for several years. I realized that while I was really successful at what I did, I had forgotten to make time to pursue what I really loved, which is music and art. I read a quote somewhere, the gist of which is that you should be living each day as you wish to live your life, because your days are your life in miniature. That really stuck with me, and I could see that even though I had dreams of pursuing music, I wasn’t actually spending time doing that on a daily basis. To change that, I started carving out 2 hours a night to work on music, and I pretty much haven’t stopped since.
You moved last year into a new apartment that now houses your own in home studio for music production and recording. What has that been like for you to have your own studio? Do you record and produce music for other artists besides yourself?
Having my own home studio has made an enormous difference in my ability to create music more effortlessly. I’ve been able to acquire some more gear and instruments that I didn’t have space for in my previous tiny apartment, and that has really opened up my options creatively. It’s also just psychologically beneficial to have a designated space to make music. When I sit at this desk, I know it’s time to get to work. Currently I’m only working on my own music, but I’d love to work with other artists later down the line. I think it’s really crucial to be protective of your time and energy, so I am trying not to spread myself too thin.
As someone who has traveled a lot, what is your process for making music on the road and how does it differ for you from making music at home?
Depending on how long I’m traveling for and how light I need to travel, I usually opt for less gear for the sake of not having to haul too much through TSA. A laptop, headphones, a midi controller and my songwriting notebook are the basics. I use my phone to capture my initial ideas via voice notes, and then I’ll sketch out the instrumentation and structure from there. When I get back, I’ll record a more solid vocal demo at home. I also love to use travel time to brush up on my theory as well, especially since I usually won’t have access to a guitar.
You have mentioned having a love for analog. What can you tell me about your love for analog in such a digital world? Do you incorporate digital aspects into your producing/recording process as well?
I love technology, but I really hate staring at screens all day. I try to minimize that as much as possible by keeping paper notebooks, calendars, etc., instead of having everything be digital. Of course, these days most production is done digitally but a lot of the instrumentation we use is real-world. My music is a solid mix of both.
You have talked about how one of the things you have struggled the most with during quarantine has been the self-imposed pressure to "maximize" the time you've had to do something productive every waking hour. How have you tried to overcome that struggle and the subsequent anxiety, uncertainty and exhaustion? Are there any lessons you have learned as a result or things about yourself?
I’ve gotten back into journaling which has really helped. I felt like I had totally lost track of the days and yet I was trying to do so much at once. All of a sudden everyone’s time was spent entirely online instead of in-person, and I needed to find a way to get a grasp on reality again. I think a lot of that anxiety also subsided when it became clear that things weren’t going to go back to normal any time soon. I felt less pressure to maximize my time at home while I had it, and could focus more on planning longer term.
What can you tell me about your upcoming single "Spiral", which will be an original song? What can you tell me about your process of creating original music and what can people expect?
“Spiral” is a rather personal song about hookup culture and my tendencies to engage in it, even though I know how it’ll play out every time. It’s about the games we play with other people to try and get what we want while maintaining some illusion of dignity and control. I’m so excited for everyone to hear it and I really love the way it turned out.
My songwriting process usually starts with lyrics and melody at the same time, I rarely write to any accompaniment. I’ll start with singing into my voice memos and build out at least a first verse and first chorus before i move onto any other parts. In terms of subject matter, I always write from personal experience and I make a point of expanding my topics beyond just relationships. There’s a whole other host of topics in the range of human experience that deserve songs too. I’ve got songs about sleep walking, about hospitalization, etc.
What's next for you?
I’ll be releasing the music video for “Spiral” shortly after the song release. I don’t want to give too much away but it’s turning out really awesome and it was pretty exhausting to film. I’m hoping to release a few more singles this year, leading up to my EP, Hybrid. In the meantime, I’ll be publishing behind the scenes videos for each of my music videos, as well as throughout the studio recording phases, for those who are interested in a more in-depth look at my creative process.