There’s a new EP coming for the country charts and it’s from a Virginia Beach native.
Hailing from Sandbridge, 20-year-old Alana Springsteen is releasing her newest EP, “History of Breaking Up (Part One),” Friday.
Springsteen — no relation to Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen — pulls inspiration from Faith Hill, Taylor Swift and Maren Morris. Springsteen co-wrote all seven songs on her latest release and co-produced five.
Although it’s only her second EP, Springsteen has been singing since she was 7 and writing songs since she was 9. Her music has garnered more than 35 million on-demand streams and more than 670 playlist adds in just over a year. She was also named on Pandora’s 2021 list of “Country Artists to Watch.”
The EP walks listeners through the grief and acceptance of lost love, starting with a tune about the mixed feelings and hardships of maintaining a long-distance relationship. Another track, “Girlfriend,” details the loneliness of being with someone whose heart belongs to someone else.
The EP feels like a night in with girlfriends, sipping wine and lamenting heartbreak before picking up the pieces.
The Daily Break caught up with Springsteen to talk about her project.
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How important was it for you to write or co-write all the songs?
I feel like it gives me that unique connection to my fans in my songs, but I’m never against listening to outside songs. I may actually end up putting an outside cut on my next EP. I always feel like the best song wins. If I hear a song and it absolutely slays me, why wouldn’t I want to be the one to sing it?
Was there a song that was either most difficult to write or the most enjoyable to write?
I would say “God Must Be Mad at Me” may have been the most difficult, but not because we struggled over it. I’d say it was the most difficult because of how honest it was. It’s a very vulnerable and kind of broken song. I went through a breakup and remember feeling exactly like this, like something that you’re so sure about kind of getting taken away from you. The only explanation you can think some times is “God must be mad at me.” I wrote this with two of my friends in town, Lauren Larue and John Byron. The write was kind of special, too, because a lot of times I’ll write with track guys and producers, but this day it was literally sitting in a room with a guitar.
You said “Girlfriend” was one of your favorite songs you’ve written. I’m assuming that’s one of your favorite songs on the EP, right? What are your other two?
Yeah, it is. I would say “California” is up there for being one of my favorites. My aesthetic is night driving. I love getting in the car with the windows down. It’s like golden hour. That’s what the song feels like to me. It just has all those fun, summer vibes. Another one of my favorites is “I Blame You.” It’s a super fun like song about bringing a guy home, which I haven’t done yet, but if I do, I hope it feels something like that song. I actually got to shout-out my hometown and things that are super important to me, like Sandbridge Beach.
You’re in Nashville, right? How often do you come back to Hampton Roads?
I was actually just there about a month and a half ago with my best friend. She had never been to Virginia and I’m like, “Oh my gosh, you have to go!” We did a little beach trip and saw some of the fam and just had a great time. Nashville is amazing. I love the people here, but I’ll say Sandbridge will always be home for me. Virginia Beach, it just has a piece of my heart and the coast is where my heart is. I feel like where I grew up was kind of the perfect balance between the beach but still country — Pungo. Lots of farmland, like cornfields. Just really, really beautiful country and then the beach five minutes down the road.
Where did you get the idea to write “Girlfriend” from the perspective of the girlfriend? If I’m understanding you correctly, it’s the girlfriend and she’s saying, “I know you’ve got this other woman and you’re going to end up with her.”
You hear a lot of songs about the other woman or the woman scorned or whatever, but you don’t hear a lot of songs about the other woman being the one. There’s so much power in knowing when you need to let something go and when something’s not meant for you.
The last song, “Zero Trucks,” really strikes me as one about acceptance and moving forward. Was it intentionally chosen as the final song and were they put in any particular order?
I definitely thought through the order of this EP. “Zero Trucks” is another one that I love. I got to write it with Walker Hayes. He came in with this title. I felt like in such a heavy like group of songs and a heavy project, it needed that lighthearted piece. I wanted to leave the listener with a smile on their face, and I cannot listen to this song without being happy.
Have you been able to work with people you’ve idolized or really wanted to meet and make music with?
I’d say Walker Hayes is up there. I’ve always loved his music. Filmore is another person that I’ve collaborated with who’s such an incredible performer. I got to put out a song with Roman Alexander, who is another up-and-coming country artist. There’s so many people that I’d love to collaborate with. Sam Hunt is really high up there, Dan + Shay and Breland and Hardy.
The EP is called “History of Breaking Up (Part One).” Any spoilers, details, time references for a part two?
For now, I’ll just say that it’s an evolution of my perspective on loss and self-discovery. I also can’t wait for my unreleased song, “History of Breaking Up,” to finally have its moment in the future. It sparked all of this in a way and has been one of my favorites for a long time. It will definitely be worth the wait!
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Springsteen’s EP will be released on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, iTunes, Pandora and YouTube. A video for “I Blame You” will be released on YouTube the same day.
For the latest, go to www.alanaspringsteen.com or follow her on Instagram at @alanaspringsteen.
Saleen Martin, 757-446-2027, saleen.martin@pilotonline.com
