TheBase - We're here at The Base with Alsou, hello.
Alsou - Hello.
TheBase - We don't know you over here, as yet, but you've already achieved a fantastic amount in your home country of Russia, making history having sold over 100,000 singles. How do you feel about the possibility of doing the same over here?
Alsou - Well that's what I'm working at, that's my main goal right now. I've been working pretty hard for that, doing promotion and recently just finished recording the whole album and the first single that's out is on its way, then the video for the second single... keep on working.
TheBase - Because you live in the UK, going to school here and things, do you feel you know the pop scene well enough, or better, to be able to do it in the UK?
Alsou - Yes, it's a good thing. I've been abroad from Russia since I was ten and I've been kind of brought up, you know, the age that you do actually listen to music has been in America and here. I've been brought up on European music, so that's helped me to know what people like and to develop my taste in music as well. More European rather than Russian. Russia is very influenced by European music as well, so it's pretty similar.
TheBase - Is the pop scene very similar? Are the audiences the same?
Alsou - People do like the more Russian stuff as well. For example my first Russian album is very different, very different to any kind of music here, or the kind of music I have on the first English album. It's much more... more ballads and it's just very mellow and has a Russian sound to it. But I've always wanted to sing in English, I was inspired by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston and always wanted to do that kind of stuff.
TheBase - Are there many other Russian pop artists doing the same kind of things as you?
Alsou - No, I'm actually the first to get a deal with an international record company and hopefully I'll be the first to break through in Europe.
TheBase - Do you think you can add something to your music because of where you're from?
Alsou - Well actually there's not really a Russian sound to this album because there is no such thing really. Like, for example, you have Latino music; you can hear it right away. People don't really know what Russian music is like and I don't know myself. Unless you play the balalaikas- the traditional sounds, which people don't anymore, so it's pretty European. I guess the fact that I'm Russian and the fact that there's no one else Russian around in the pop scene is maybe, I'm hoping, gonna help me be different.
TheBase - You mentioned the fact that you're almost 18, on your 17th birthday you played to 10,000 people in your home town...
Alsou - 86,000
TheBase - 86,000! Ok, do you have anything even bigger and better planned for your 18th?
Alsou - I'm going to have a big party in Russia for my 18th birthday, you know, I'm going to have all my relatives over, friends, my parents friends... I don't think I'm going to do a concert; I'm just going to have no work, just relax all day, get presents and get all the attention. I have big plans for the summer, I have a promotion tour in Europe, Asia and then I'm going to start working in America as well.
TheBase - So can we expect to see you live this summer?
Alsou - Yeah definitely.
TheBase - When your album comes out over here will it be a translated version of your Russian album or will it be completely different?
Alsou - There's one song which has been translated and the production is completely different, the rest of the songs are brand new. A couple of songs which I wrote in Russian originally but I had English lyrics written here and one song which I wrote in English. I've just been working with a lot of different producers. I've been really lucky with big producers actually like Sturken and Rodgers [Britney, Christina Aguilera, *NSYNC, Emma Bunton, Sisqo], Mark Hill [Craig David, Artful Dodger], Brian Rawlins [Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera]. So it's quite a mixture of things - there's a few pop songs, actually 'Before You Love Me' is one of the popiest songs on the album, the rest are much more R&B flavoured and ballads.
TheBase - Is songwriting something that you're new to or have you always done it?
Alsou - I've been doing it for about a year now and always wanted to write but never actually thought of it seriously but now, especially the second album, I definitely want to write more; at least half the songs on the album.
TheBase - You've mentioned Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, Craig David, Destiny's Child you're fond of as contemporary artists. Who was it who made you want to start singing?
Alsou - Mariah Carey. The first time I heard 'Hero' or 'Without You' I started imitating, buying songbooks, I play the piano. So her, mainly. I've always admired her voice and her music.
TheBase - What were the records that you used to sing along to as a child?
Alsou - When I was really little? Russian, Russian music. My father was a big fan of The Beatles, I sang along to The Beatles as well.
TheBase - You must have become quite a role model for people back home and certainly you're pretty set to become a sex symbol of some sort. How does that feel?
Alsou - That's not my aim you know, to become a sex idol or whatever. But the main thing, I want to sing and I want people to believe in what I'm singing and maybe inspire people in some way. But I think the whole package is important, the way you look, the way you present yourself, so I'm working on that as well.
TheBase - Finally, can you tell us about your new single and what we might expect from Alsou in the next few months?
Alsou - The first single is called 'Before You Love Me', it's been produced by Stargate. It's kind of pop, very catchy I think, up tempo kind of song and the video has been directed by Tim Royes and it's in The Matrix style; black, shiny leather and walking on the walls and jumping around. I'm just working on happening here, doing loads of promotion at the moment, travelling around France, Germany as well. Just hoping for the best.
TheBase - Brilliant, well thank you very much for joining us and all the best.
Alsou - Thank you.

Transcription AlsouUK (2001)