Alexandria Maniak (they/she) has always been at the heart of Shortly, but it’s a project that came together in an instant. Armed with their own songs and a ringing set of chords, they introduced themselves in a Michigan backyard with the name they’ve repeated while sharing the stage with everyone from Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties to Phoebe Bridgers. Audiences and listeners alike dove headfirst into 2018 debut EP Richmond, a cavernous and penitent lens into Maniak’s war between self and faith, humanity and higher power. With Dancer, Shortly has transformed that battle it into something freeing and exultant, reconciling Maniak’s past and present with one swift maneuver.

Dancer was produced by Shortly — including longtime collaborators Austin Stawowczyk and Kris Herrmann — and Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Beach Bunny, Smidley, Diet Cig) with much of the album coming together at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia, developed from sketches on codependence, gender dysphoria, and the tenderness of belonging.

What’s your story as an artist?

I love music, and writing songs is cathartic for me. 

What do you want your music to communicate? 

Community, above all else.

What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?

I feel the most inspired when I’m outside and away from distractions. I can let my head take me wherever it wants to. I’m inspired by my own life experiences and by people watching. I like substantial concise stories that paint environments familiar to us.

Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?

Taylor Swift. She never misses. With her country heart, her storytelling is fantastic, and she’s the queen of bridges. She’s a fantastic instrumentalist and a dedicated performer and she maintains her integrity with press while still being herself. I adore her.

What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?

There was no single artist or record that made me realize I wanted to “be an artist”. I’ve always loved story telling, and when I was a kid I wanted to be an author. I spent a lot of time in community theatre and I have a design degree. I think I’ve just always loved art in all of its mediums and music is where my greatest passions took me.

Tell us about your latest release and how it came about

“Dancer” was a long time coming. A handful of songs on the album were written near the beginning of my project. “Song for Sam” for instance was written and performed as early as 2016. As I navigated my way through college, I wrote a hundred songs and chose these ones to be showcased as an album. My friends and I fleshed the songs out and recorded them in Philly in January of 2020, just before the world shut down.

What’s your favorite tune of yours?

I love “Now Now Now” and “Frame I’d Reference”. They’re a bit out of left field and I appreciate them for it quite a lot. They’re both songs about navigating my identity crisis, so they’re also a bit manic instrumentally. I think they’re fun.

What are some things you really want to accomplish as an artist?

Obviously there are big venues that I’ve dreamed of playing and cash I’d love to see flowing, but after everything I think I just want to make art as honest as I can and cultivate a community.

Favorite lyric you ever wrote?

I don’t have one, but there are definitely some I’m proud of. In Dancer, I sing “fate is what you make of all your worst days”- I think that it’s a beautiful sentiment and I turn back to it a lot for comfort.

Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?

I’m not a psychic, but I hope it’s VR concerts. The production and sound design possibilities are endless.