Recently, Alisan Porter collaborated with Blues Traveler for their new song Tired of Being Alone, after being asked by Matt Rollings (who produced two of Alisan’s previous albums) to feature on the release. Having been a contestant on Series 10 of The Voice in 2016, Alisan was on Team Christina Aguilera and announced as the series winner, and she has since gone on to be a coach on The Masked Singer (for four years) and, in 2019, she released her most recent album Pink Cloud. As a songwriter, Alisan writes for numerous artists including Adam Lambert for his song Aftermath, and one of her highlights of being a music artist so far was being in the studio with Queen. Alisan started her career as an actor playing Curly Sue in Curly Sue, Taylor Buckman in Parenthood alongside Steve Martin, and she played Carla in I Love You to Death with River Phoenix in the cast. Upcoming music projects for Alisan include a new single releasing December 1st, and she has a show at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood on the 22nd December. Speaking to us, Alisan talks about collaborating with Blues Traveler on Tired of Being Alone, being a coach on The Masked Singer and winning The Voice in 2016.

You feature on Blues Traveler’s new song Tired of Being Alone, how did the collaboration come about and what encouraged you to be part of the release?

Matt Rollings, who produced two of my albums, was producing this one and he asked me to be a part of it. As a product of the 90s, I was thrilled. I grew up on Blues Traveler.

What was Tired of Being Alone like to record and how was it working with Blues Traveler?

It was so much fun to record it. I actually did it in my daughter’s bedroom. John (Popper) had already recorded his part and I just jumped in and filled in the blanks.

Can you tell us about the song and how was it hearing the finished recording for the first time?

It’s such an amazing song and the original vocal is so iconic. I really wanted to do it justice and hearing the final product was surreal. I felt like we really made it our own and also paid homage to the original.

How has it been seeing the response to the collaboration?

It’s been an awesome response. These guys are so well respected and I was really just happy to be asked to collaborate.

Your most recent album Pink Cloud was released in 2019, what did you enjoy most about recording the album and do you have a favourite song from the tracklist?

Working with Matt is always magical. We have a super symbiotic connection and it always flows. Pink Cloud was written almost in its entirety in nine days. But Speedracer, one of my favourites I wrote when I was 19, so many tracks on that album are favourites – You Feel Like a Drug, What If I Wake up and Gone in a Flash are my faves.

We understand you have been a coach on The Masked Singer for four series, what is the show like to be part of?

It’s a wild ride. I’ve met so many amazing people. Coaching people like Bishop Briggs and BOLTON! Just top tier fun.

How did you find the experience being a contestant on Series 10 of The Voice in 2016?

The Voice is something I feel extremely grateful for. It opened up a lot of doors.

Do you remember how you felt being named as the winner of The Voice and what was it like being coached by Christina Aguilera?

It was insane. It still is. I got to do so many things I never thought I would be able to do.

As a songwriter, you have co-written songs for other artists including Aftermath by Adam Lambert, how is it having artists record songs you’ve written, and what is your songwriting process?

Aftermath was an incredible collaboration. I wrote it with some of my favourite people and it’s such a beautiful and important message. My process is sort of flexible. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with a song in my head and sometimes I obsess on a line for a year. It really depends.

What are some of your favourite highlights of your music career so far?

I think singing with Christina will always be at the top. Working at Henson Studios, which is sort of my home studio… coaching Wilson Phillips was a dream come true. Doing backgrounds for Elle King’s first album. Maybe number one was being in the studio with Queen. That was insane. So many amazing moments.

Where does your love of music and performing come from and how did you get into it?

I’ve been singing my whole life. Both my parents are singers. I was born with music in my blood.

You started your career as an actor, which saw you star in Curly Sue as Curly Sue and play Taylor Buckman in Parenthood among other projects, do you have any stand-out memories from being a child actor that you can tell us about?

Maybe singing Here Comes the Sun with River Phoenix. Or spending time with Steve Martin.

What are some of your favourite music artists to listen to, and how do you like to spend your free time?

Joni Mitchell is always my muse. Patty Griffin, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly, Willie, Heart, Janis… all my favourite.

Do you have any upcoming plans that you can share and what are you hoping the next few months bring for you?

New single dropping December 1st! And a lot of new music coming up! A new wave of songs that are very close to my heart. I really stepped into my Americana country soul and I can’t wait to put this music out. I have some shows coming up but right now I’m just in the creative process. I have a show on December 22nd at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood. It’s a great venue.

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