Interview with Ali Hosseinzadeh

Give an introduction to yourself, how you got into music, where you are today, and where you'd like to be.

I am Ali Hosseinzadeh born in July of 1984 in Tehran into a family with artistic roots. My grandfather was an Azari poet who has been mentioned in the “Ojaghi” book of literary works as a distinguished poet. I am a graduate of computer science and haven’t studied music academically at a conservatory or university, but I have always used the presence of highly knowledgeable professors. I started my professional career in the music industry in 2003. Since then, I have collaborated with composers such as Milad Torabi, Omid Hajili, Meisam Marvasty, Nima Varasteh and Pouria Niakan. But my activities are not limited to composing and have been active in the fields of songwriting, arranging, mixing and mastering songs professionally and the main goal and focus has always been on guitar and singing.

I have composed, arranged and sequenced for L.A. based Iranian artists such as Siavash Ghomeishi, Mehrdad Asemani and Shahrum Kashani. In my home country, I have worked with many local artists such as Yas, Benyanin, Hamid Askari, Khashayar Etemadi, Reza Sadeghi, Amir Tabari, Sohrab Paakzad, Morteza Pashaei, Saeed Arab and Armin Nosrati, and Rashid Vatandoost. In the field of recording, I can name the remix of the song “Flight” from the Arian group by vocals of Ali Pahlavan and Payam Salehi. In areas such as composing, songwriting, arranging, sound recording, recording supervising, mixing, mastering and advising on the production and publishing of songs. Based on my interest in drama and children’s music, I have also had a few activities in this field, which at the end has been nominated and chosen for music composition, in the sixth edition of the children's and adolescents' centre of theatre house, and because of my passion for the field of incidental music, I am currently working on the soundtrack of two short films and focusing on composing and singing.

In 2007, I released my first single "Crying", and other singles from me have been released over years. In the end, music is a world of infinite, and each of us resembles a small star to this great extent, and that's why I don't see any boundary for myself and my promotion, and the more I progress, the more joy and pride I will have.

Tell us about your latest release, what's it about?

My latest collaboration goes back to "Sahneh Sazi" by Shahrum Kashani, one of the most popular pop singers who lived in Los Angeles and recently passed away. Also, a single called "Biqarar" will be released soon with my voice, arrangement and composition, which I completing.

How did you record it?

The composition of the piece “Sahneh sazi” dates back almost 13 years ago. Once recorded in the studio and was sent to me because of the distance between me and Shahrum. 3 years ago this track was sung by Shahram once again with more care and obsession.

How did you distribute it?

This work was published by the lander.com platform.

How did you promote it?

Advertisement is solely due to the support of the audience, and no budget has been spent in order to promote this piece.

The music industry is in a state of flux right now, where do you see it heading?

If I go deeper into this process and tell about the fluctuations of music and its problems in Iranian society. I should say that one of the main problems for Iranian artists and many other artists around the world is the difficulty of publishing and streaming their works, and as a response to this situation, the first question that comes to mind is whether the supporting system for independent artists would be the same or there will be platforms that artists can communicate with their audiences easier. In addition, I think the future of music and art wouldn’t be dark at all because the essence of art is enlightenment. I believe that despite all the difficulties and hardships that accompany an artist along the way, there will still be a way for them to get past the fluctuations and then they could focus on their progress and promotion of their art.

What's one way you think Songwhip could help indie artists more?

Thanks to all efforts, services and the support you provide for artists, I think one of the ways that songwhip can help independent artists is to connect artists who work in common fields or have the possibility to work together, from all over the world and become an intermediary for collaborative work, sharing knowledge, creativity and creating beautiful works.

Who's your favourite indie artist? If you could ask them one question, what would it be?

There are many people on this list, but one of the artists I've almost recently met is Holly Humberstone, and I would ask her: may I have the honour of working with you?

What artist tools/services can't you live without?

Life without my main instrument, the guitar, is unthinkable for me.

What is your advice to other indie artists to help fund their work/produce music?

Many of the people who are famous today and have gained fame in their careers were people who have failed many times and have continued on their paths many times.

Anything else you'd like to plug?

I hope that all the artists who try reach the position they deserve and never give up because of the difficulties and hardships in this path because, in this world, there is an opportunity for every one of us to succeed.