Since making their explosive debut in 2023, London-based artist Alisa Stepura has been carving their name into the indie-rock landscape with a sound that fuses stadium-sized ambition with raw, nostalgic edge. Now, they’re back with ‘Birds Are Dinosaurs Too’, a debut album that reinvents the golden era of 00s alt-rock for a new generation.
With its mix of gritty guitar work, rebellious lyricism, and modern-day polish, the record cements Stepura as a force to be reckoned with. Whether tracking tape loops on reel-to-reel or drawing sonic inspiration from Arctic Monkeys and The Subways, Stepura brings old-school heart to a forward-looking sound.
So with the new album out now, we caught up with Alisa to talk about the journey behind ‘Birds Are Dinosaurs Too’, the power of analogue recording, and what it means to make guitar music that still hits hard in 2025.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
I started playing piano very early on in life, at around 4 years old. My parents didn’t really care for the classical training or Mozart’s concertos, so I started learning the other kind of “classics”. The first song they asked my piano tutor to teach me was Let It Be by The Beatles. The second was Yesterday, also by The Beatles. You get the gist! Around 12-13 I learned about digital music production and the interest in producing and mixing fuelled the need to write music.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
I base a lot of my music taste and influence on 70’s rock, but lately there have been a lot of new projects coming out that inspire me time and time again. One of them was Girl In Red’s I’m Doing It Again Baby! I loved the production on that album and started writing Birds Are Dinosaurs Too almost immediately after hers came out. From a songwriting perspective, some of the themes on the album really struck a chord with me too, I started writing about real interpersonal relationships.
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
I wrote a song, which for various reasons I’ve removed from streaming services now, and a friend of my Dad showed it to the producer of a band that’s quite famous in my home country. (I’m not naming the band because it’s russian and I’m originally from Ukraine, this obviously happened a long time ago but I don’t feel like inserting myself into any trouble over this, this is just for your reference so feel free to word my answer in a way that wouldn’t include the specifics) He said it was really surprising to hear that a 14 year old girl produced something like that in her bedroom closet. It gave me the courage to make the decision to pursue music both professionally and academically.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
I usually get a phrase or a musical motif stuck in my head in the middle of the day and I take that as my cue to write a song. I can never force myself to write otherwise so when the inspiration comes I follow.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
I tend to bottle up my feelings a lot, and although cliché, it does help to release through art. Telling people how you feel directly can be frightening but vocalising it through a lyric or two is way easier. A lot of Birds Are Dinosaurs Too is based on how I feel about certain situations I could never mention openly. The whole album is like my own little therapy session where I talk for 8 songs in a row.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
As mentioned previously, I pulled a lot of inspiration from real things that were bothering me. I guess one of the themes would be that it’s okay to feel hurt. It’s okay to be bothered. It’s okay to have certain thoughts stuck in your head. We’re all human, and we’re all sensual creatures, and we all process things.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
I feel like emerging artists today have to focus on promotion way more than the actual songwriting and production part of this journey. Back in the day, if you had something great to show for yourself, you got signed and your only job was to write music, perform music, and look good on promo. Today, in order to get signed in the first place, you have to do months, if not years of work on promoting yourself and gathering an audience. Some people get discouraged from songwriting any further if they don’t see results. Good thing I just like to produce music and wouldn’t be able to stop even if I wanted to.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
Sometimes I get message requests on social media and I open them to see that someone who I don’t know at all, and have no mutuals with, texted me to say they heard my song somewhere and wanted to say they really liked it. I think for any artist it’s the most rewarding feeling to know someone really connected with what they put out.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
I evolve with it! There are so many great songs and musical projects coming out weekly, and sound-wise there’s something new and special in almost every single one. I learn from it, get inspired, and note references. As for the business side of the industry, I believe in authenticity over roboticism. I you make music with real feelings and energy, that energy is bound to manifest into something rewarding. If you follow statistics and rather put your mind to “making a good 15-second TikTok sound”, you miss out on the chance to make music people can connect to fully, beginning to end.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
I happen to be surrounded by very talented musicians, as I live in a very musical city. Together we make a great band and I’m really excited to show you a live version of a song on the album. We recorded something really fun at Metropolis Studios and it’s coming to your screens and listening devices in the very near future!
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
Hopefully I’m still enjoying writing in my bedroom and getting sweet little messages of appreciation from strangers who become mutuals!
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Listen to Alisa Stepura’s debut album ‘Birds Are Dinosaurs Too’ below.
