Since we first met her on season five ofย RuPaulโs Drag Race, Alaska has had us in a state of awe. After making the final three of her season, she went on two snatch the crown on season two ofย RuPaulโs Drag Race All Stars.
This multi-talented performer has pretty much done it all. She has released four chart-topping studio albums, โAnus,โ โPoundcake,โ โVaginaโ and โRed 4 Filthโ. Her latest album is inspired by the music of the 90s and early 2000s and has cranked out hits including โWowโ, โI Am Her (She Is Me)โ (featuring Ts Madison), โGirlz Nightโ (featuring Stephanieโs Child)โ and a fantastic cover of the Ace of Base hit โAll That She Wants.โย
Alaska has also taken the stage, playing Queen Gynecia in the Go Goโs scored musical comedy โHead Over Heelsโ and starred in the live stage show DRAG: The Musical which she co-wrote with Tomas Costanza and Ashley Gordon. Sheโs also co-host of the fabulous podcast Race Chaser, where she and Willam relive the highs and lows of every season of Drag Race as well as share lots of โHot Gossโ. And, if thatโs not enough, she told her life story (so far) in the wildly entertaining My Nameโs Yours, Whatโs Alaska?: A Memoir.
Alaska took a quick break from her Red 4 Filth tour, which runs through December 18 (and tickets can be foundย here) to talk with us about her music, her inspiration and so much more in our exclusive interview. Get to know more about this scalding hot drag superstar.ย
How has the tour been going for you so far?
Itโs been going really great. I mean, Iโm just, Iโm so grateful. Everyone on the crew and the team is so fun and it just feels like a family and weโre having a really, really, really good time.
So, for those who have not seen you in concert yet, what can fans expect?
Well, itโs sort of like an action movie, but also a sci-fi movie, but also kind of a musical. Basically it tells the story of a young, intrepid alien who ends up finding herself cast away from her home planet, and she ends up on planet Earth in the year 2000, and she falls in love and she becomes famous and then she gets thrown to jail and thenโฆoh, I donโt want to give away the ending!

What is the best and or worst part of being on tour?
I guess the best part and the worst part are the same โ and itโs fact that weโre in places for very short periods of time, which is wonderful. Itโs like a whirlwind everywhere we go, but itโs also like youโre only in a place for one day. So, I have no idea like when we have hotel rooms, which isnโt every day, but when we do, I canโt remember what the hotel room number is. I have no idea. So, my brain is a little bit mushed, but thatโs also fun. I love my brain being mush.
I love your latest album. I have โWowโ on heavy rotation on my Spotify playlist and I loved your cover of Ace of Base. I know that the 2000s are a very influential part of your music but are there any other genres of music youโd like to tackle that you havenโt yet?
Country music. Christian musicโฆbecause I actually quite love these genres and I think that theyโre sometimes at odds with queer culture. But I actually love country music so much.
What is your favorite song to perform?
My favorite song from this album to do on tour is โWowโ, for sure. Itโs really fun and I donโt know, I think it just resonates with people a lot because everybody has an ex that they donโt like, I guessโฆor someone in their life that they donโt like.
Why did you decide at this point in your life to write your memoirs? It seems like youโve got so much more to do.
I know, thatโs why I was sort of scared about it, but then I was like, well, RuPaul had a memoir that came out before Drag Race even existed. So, I donโt know. It was just sort of like a midlife, mid-beginning of my career check-in of where Iโve been and where Iโm at now, I guess.
Was it difficult for you to share so much personal information in the book?
Yes, it was like a very long therapy session and I had to just relive some of the hardest, weirdest moments of my life over and over and then make sure that theyโre spelled correctly and then make sure that commas and the periods are in the right place. It was very difficult. I definitely want my next book to be fiction so I donโt have to talk about my life.
Is there any genre youโd want to write?
Yeah, I want to write sort of like the Valley of the Dolls. Like that sort of sensational, sort of pulpy, sort of dramatic, over-the-top booze and drug addled book, you know?
Yes, I love that. Did you learn anything surprising about yourself when you were writing the book?
I donโt know. I think actually, afterwards, the fact that people bring it to the shows and ask me to sign it, and they say they liked it and they found it inspirational. I love that. I just go out there and live my life. But the fact that that people can read that and then find something thatโs helpful or inspirational for their own life is nice.

I love the documentary Circus of Books and I was so happy to see you in it. What is the wildest thing that happened when you were working there?
I guess the wildestโฆwell they used to sell, um, like crack pipes. You know, it was like the glass tubes that you would smoke meth out of โ like crystal meth. And so I was like, I donโt like this. And I would like hide them. I would resort the pipe shelf so that they were not visible, but someone always ended up putting them back out. But when I was working, I would hide the crack pipes.
How did Drag: The Musical come about and what was that experience like for you?
Well, that was a long journey. We really started writing it like six years ago. It was me, Tomas [Costanza] and Ashley [Gordon], who, who basically are Killingsworth Recording Company who do a bunch of the drag queensโ music out there. I mean, if thereโs a drag queen with a single or a song, Killingsworth is probably involved, but weโve written a lot of songs together and they were like, โWe were thinking of writing a musical and we want do it with you, and we want it to be about drag so letโs just start working on it.โ
And so, we started by working on the songs and then we were like, โOkay, these are good, and now I guess we should have some characters and figure out what they do.โ And then six years later it actually came to life and it became something way better than I ever thought it could possibly be because of everyone who was involved and everyone brought their fucking shit to it. And it was really inspiring.
Before DRAG: The Musical, I remember you were in Head Over Heels. Do you prefer playing a character or do you just prefer being Alaska?
I love playing a character. I love it. I love being totally different. I love pouring myself into someone completely different. I love it. Like with Kitty Galloway in the musical, I wanted this character to be โnot Alaskaโ. She has black hair, she has bangs, like, sheโs got kind of short and severe hair. Itโs not Alaska and so thatโs really fun. I fucking love doing that.

Is there a character that you would want to play on stage?
I really want do a show as Mae West, whether itโs Dirty Blonde or whether itโs something like that. I think that would be really fun. Also, Joan Crawford.
Are you surprised at the popularity of the Race Chaser podcast?
I am, because we just started it because it was something we were doing anyway. We would watch old episodes of Drag Race and we would talk about it and talk shit. It would be like something we would do if we were on tour and there was a bunch of queens around, we would like put on season one of Drag Race and be like, โGirl, can you believe this nonsense?โ And it was really, really fun. And so, we just like did it as like a, โletโs just see how this goes.โ And yeah, I donโt know, people liked it.
How are you able to do everything that you do in a day?
I would like to say that itโs because of work ethic or discipline, but itโs really not. Iโm very lazy and I love doing nothing, but I guess I just have to do one thing at a time. Itโs like in Donโt Tell Mom the Babysitterโs Dead. She says, โDonโt be overwhelmed. Just do one thing at a time.โ Thatโs what I have to do.
You perform, youโre an author, youโre a podcaster, youโre an actor. Is there anything left that you havenโt tackled yet that you want to do?
Hmm. Astronaut. Okay. No, no, no. I donโt want do that. Nevermind. I donโt want do that. I mean, drag is the only job that Iโve had that havenโt gotten fired from or quit after one year. I think itโs just my calling and life. I think I might be really bad at it though, actually. My mantra as Iโm getting ready is โI donโt how to do drag.โ โCause I donโt, Iโm just making it up. Everyone is fooled!

Alaska Answers the Socialite Seven
When did you know that you wanted to become a singer?
I sort of always wanted to, and I didnโt think it was possible, but I used to daydream when I was a child that I would grow up and I would be a girl and I would be singing songs in a room full of people. And so, it actually came true.
Who has had the biggest influence on you and your music?
Britney Spears is a big part of it. I think itโs Britney Spears and Divine.
Who, if anyone, would you want to collaborate with?
Lady Gaga. Go ahead and call me girl. You have my phone number. Iโm ready anytime you want. Oh, and also Cher.
What type of music or an artist that you listen to do you think fans would be surprised that youโre a fan of?
Patti LaBelle was my number one artist on Spotify last year that I listened to. Iโm obsessed with her. I think sheโs the best ever of all time. Sheโs had a million different lives and careers and sheโs really fascinating and really, really good and really cool and funny.

What superpower or talent would you love to wake up with tomorrow?
Oh, super strength. I really want that one. Iโd just like to pick up a car.
What are three things you canโt live without?
Tea, eyebrow mascara and The Simpsons.
Whatโs the best piece of advice youโve been given?
Um, I have no idea. I donโt know. Umโฆtip your servers, tip your bartenders.
Keep up with Alaska onย Facebook,ย YouTube,ย Twitterย andย Instagram. Links to Race Chaser, tour tickets and lots more can be foundย here.ย