From Small-Town Roots to Big-City Dreams: Alaina Margaret Droog on Music, Heartbreak, and Building Her Musical Palace

Hi Alaina!!! We are so excited to have you at Pop Palace! So, tell us, what have you been up to?

Hi! I am so excited to be here :)) recently I’ve been doing some live shows in NYC, writing a lot, and working on recording some more music! I’ve also been auditioning and pursuing the actor life as well. Other than that, just hustling, paying the rent, and hanging out with friends! 

Could you tell us a bit about growing up in Grafton, North Dakota, and how it has influenced your music?

Growing up in Grafton was actually pretty wonderful. Every time I go home it feels like the perfect escape. The community there is so kind, loving, and supportive, and everyone has always been super encouraging of my big dreams. When I was in high school and college, members of my church and community would even go so far as to take buses to come see me perform wherever I was! That support has continued to motivate me and inspire me throughout my artistic journey. I would also say I was definitely influenced a lot by folk/country, and church music growing up there. I sang a lot in church, and my family listened to a lot of country music together, particularly artists like Johnny Cash, and big country hits on the radio. 

Image by Julianna McGuirl

What inspired “42 (It Wouldn’t Mean a Thing)”? Can you share some of the story behind the emotional single? 

I was inspired to write 42 after experiencing heartbreak. When I was going through the process of trying to move on, I felt like I started seeing this person everywhere in every little thing. Particularly, I would see angel numbers, like 111, and 222. More specifically, I’d see the number “42”, which drove me crazy because the number 42 held special meaning to the relationship. It felt like all of these signs and numbers, were not only the universe haunting me from above, but also what felt like little messages from angels—reminding me of what once was and why it didn’t work out. Soooo, obviously I had to write about it lol. 

Do you feel that being a woman has influenced your journey in the music industry in any particular ways?

Absolutely. I feel very drawn to female artists who write about their heartbreak, s*x, and emotions like anger, betrayal, frustration, or anything that women are normally encouraged to shy away from. And  I try to emanate that in my own art! When we write about these things, I feel that it allows us to take the power back in these situations where we’ve been hurt, and remind ourselves that our independent experiences are valid. We can be main characters too! 

Image by J’Kobe Wallace

What does “taking off the rose-colored glasses” mean to you?

There’s a Bojack Horseman quote that sums this up perfectly: “When you look at someone through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags.” I think when you fall in love for the first time, like really fall in love, you feel that nothing could go wrong. You look past every problem or flaw and see the other person through this “rose-colored” perfect filter. When we look at life or another person through this filter long enough, we forget what reality actually looks like. So you forgive them, you show up for them, and you leave yourself aside. And that’s okay…but when you compromise yourself, again and again and again for the sake of a relationship without ever receiving anything in return, that’s not really love anymore. I think what taking off the rose-colored glasses means to me, is literally how it feels in real life—the relationship ends, and suddenly you can see the whole picture and all of the colors for the first time in a very long time. Your eyes adjust, and the red flags are crystal clear.

Do you have any hobbies or passions you have beyond music?

I’m currently pursuing acting as well here in NYC! Other than that I am a huge movie/tv show nerd, I love to go to the gym and be active, listen to podcasts, spend time with my friends and my boyfriend, read a book when I get the chance, and sip on a good cup of coffee :) 

Finally, here at Pop Palace, we all have our own little 'Royal Court' of artists who inspire us and keep us going. So, if you could build your own musical palace, who would be sitting on your throne, and who would be in your royal court of all-time favorite artist?

Hahahaha I love this question. I’m not really sure how royal courts work but if I’m getting this right: I think sitting on the throne(s) of my musical palace would be Madi Diaz and Finneas as King and Queen! The royal court would probably be made up of Dan + Shay and the Zac Brown Band as my knights, Toby Keith would be my squire (that’s the funny one right??) I’d have Lizzy McAlpine as the Princess, and Kacey Musgraves would be like my rainbow fairy godmother blessing the royal family every now and again hahaha.