Dubway Days: Ximena Sariñana meets Alex Liang Wong

Though an already well-known actress in Mexico, singer-songwriter Ximena Sariñana is quickly becoming an acclaimed pop-rock star on an international level. Born in Guadalajara, the 26-year-old found her way to telenovelas and films at an early age, and not long after, she became drawn to music, inspired by timeless acts like Ella Fitzgerald and Paul Simon. Her work — such as her Spanish-language 2008 debut album, Mediocre — pays homage to those musicians, blending a refreshing mix of jazz, pop, and folk. The record earned her critical praise from Rolling Stone, comparisons to Sia and Norah Jones, and a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock/Alternative album. Her latest self-titled record, done mostly in English and released in 2011 via Warner Music Group, showcases her evolved sound produced by Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, The Bird and the Bee) and Dave Sitek (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio) — less stripped-down, with a leaning towards playful electro-pop. This catchy dance-infused style, along with Sara Bareilles tour stints and a spot on the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack, has helped to make her a worldwide name.

Alex Liang Wong is a Brooklyn-based songwriter, performer and producer who immerses himself in an impressively wide range of genres — everything from indie-pop and hard rock to chamber folk and afrobeat. He’s created music all over the world, and collaborated closely with a number of varied artists such as The Indigo Girls, Megadeth, and Melissa Ferrick — effectively demonstrating his flexibility and skill as a songwriter. In 2007, he co-produced Vienna Teng’s Inland Territory, an album that landed on Billboard’s Top 5 the first week of its release. His work can be heard in films like The Last Song and TV shows like One Tree Hill, and he’s formed a duo with singer Amber Rubarth called The Paper Raincoat. Wong’s first full-length solo album, A City on a Lake, will be released in March.

Ben, Ximena, and Alex get acquainted and settle into the Dubway studios. Ximena shows off some electronic gadgets that she brought for inspiration while they discuss using a sample of the famous “Amen” drum solo and tailoring a song about a “post-rapture party.” 

Dubway Days: Tracy Bonham

A native of Eugene, OR, Tracy Bonham originally emerged as an alternative rock singer during the mid-’90s alongside artists like Alanis Morisette and Liz Phair. Her debut album, The Burdens of Being Upright, gained widespread acclaim from Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and People in 1996, and her hit single “Mother Mother” received Grammy nominations for Best Alternative Album and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1997. Since then, her music has evolved — its more recent incarnations heavily inspired by her roots as a classically-trained violinist and pianist, having studied jazz and vocal music at the Berklee College of Music. Her musical style now is less grunge and more mellow pop-rock, flush with rich layers and jazzy arrangements. Bonham has toured and recorded with the Blue Man Group and two of her songs, “Naked” and “Whether You Fall,” have been featured on Showtime’s The L Word.

In Part 1, Tracy and Ben Arthur meet for the first time. As they begin to discuss their approach to collaboration, Ben proposes two challenges for them to tackle:

  1. Write a song that is a thematic response to Eric Clapton’s classic,“Layla”
  2. Incorporate a dramatic tempo change — which “Layla” is also famous for. 

Tracy then reveals her lack of enthusiasm for Clapton’s ouvre as she considers how this might affect her ability to effectively collaborate.

Watch part 2 here. Parts 3 - 5 coming soon. 

“Two artists. One day. One song.” Dubway Days throws two artists into the recording studio with the expectation that they’ll leave at the end of the day with a great song written, recorded, and mixed. Here is Part 1 of John Spottiswoode’s day with Ben Arthur at Dubway Studios. Part 2 premieres today, with Parts 3, 4, and 5 finishing out the rest of the week.