Hello Our Basement,

“What You Really Want” is about losing one’s inhibitions to gain the freedom of being your true self.
I was bullied in high school for my music and songwriting addiction, and later encountered haters when I first started to advertise my music online.

I was feeling discouraged until I started talking with friends who I’d met through music with similar experiences. They were still doing what they loved and were successful at it!

I began to feel like an idiot because I was focusing on the one or two people who said cruel things, while forgetting about the people who I really value.

I had to ask myself, what is it that I really want?
My answer? To write. Keep going and focus on the fans, they’re what matters.

With this song, I wanted to characterize and point out how ridiculous it is to change the way you are for someone who just wants to tear you down. Those aren’t the people who will build you up – they’re trying to make you adhere to the norm.

In truth, it’s the quirky and weird people that I find wonderful in this world. If we were all the same, we wouldn’t have so many of the miraculous bands who evolved from breaking the mold.

Enjoy the music and stay true to your art,
James Alphonse

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PS:
In the inspiration for and writing of this song, I realized that there are so many others who filter their passions because of what others think.

This has led me to embark on an interview series on Instagram Live featuring other creative types to gain some visibility into the difficulty of being yourself and releasing your art.

If you have a relevant story that you’d like to share, feel free to message and we’ll see what we can do!