Lee Alexander

Artist Information

Biography

Perhaps Houston Press writer Nicholas L. Hall summed it up best when he wrote, “Listening to multi-instrumentalist Lee Alexander is a lot like taking a leisurely stroll through about a century of American popular music...Alexander has earned a reputation as both a strikingly original voice and an able torch-bearer for a broad handful of American musical idioms, layering Nilsson-esque pop-standard fare, dusty country ballads, the occasional bluesy stomp, touches of jazz classicism and damn near anything else he wants.”

This past year, Alexander’s catchy melodies and razor sharp lyrics have placed him as a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, he has been honored as Best Male Vocalist by the Houston Press Music Awards, and Moody Blues founder Mike Pinder’s “Songwars” recently awarded his songwriting talents as well. Other past honors include being a grand finalist in The Bugle Boy Songwriting Competition, the Independent Music Awards, a regional finalist in the 2007 Mountain Stage Newsong Folk Festival, and a semifinalist in the 2005 UK Songwriting Contest. Alexander has also been a featured artist in the Songwriter's Serenade Folk Festival, "M" Music and Musicians Magazine, Performing Songwriter Magazine, the 2007 Mardi Gras Festival, the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus 2006 Summer NAMM Showcase, the 2006, 2007, and 2008 Houston Press Music Awards, the 2006 Houston Fair Compilation, and the 2006 Houston International Music Conference and Festival, as well as being a featured artist on Sonicbids.

Alexander also continues to donate a portion of performance proceeds to human rights initiatives through Amnesty International.

Instrumentation

Lee Alexander - Guitar, piano, mandolin, fiddle, flute, ocarina, banjo, harmonica, fife, uillean pipe, and the accordion.
Jason Woods - Percussion
Will Woodward - Lead Guitar & Backing vocals
Troy Griffin - Bass & Backing vocals

Discography

Lee Alexander is presently writing and arranging music for his upcoming family music album.
Lee Alexander’s current album "Mayhaw Vaudeville" is available on www.alexandersongs.com. His debut album "Out of Place" was released the summer of 2006. He was recently featured in the studio supporting roots-rocker L.L. Cooper in "Old Hardin Store Road" and his piano skills are flaunted in Kemo For Emo's "What Happens in Omaha."
His album work in previous bands includes Kim Banner’s self titled debut album in 2003, Crash Comfort’s “Soul Drunk” in 2001, and Grey Eyed Athena’s “The Gallery” in 1999.

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter

Audio

• Mockingbird (with Katie Stuckey)
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• Circle
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• Letterbox
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• Union Street
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Lyrics

• Mockingbird
• Union Street

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Family EP in the Works [+ Show ]
  

  Lee Alexander remains one of Houston's most celebrated musicians. He is currently the best male voca...Lee Alexander remains one of Houston's most celebrated musicians. He is currently the best male vocalist in the city, but the list of accolades he has acquired over the years goes far beyond mere singing talent. After years composing and performing adult-oriented music, Alexander has decided to pursue the production of a children's album.
  
  The idea came to him as he was driving with daughters Ryan and Emma in the back seat. On the car's sound system was something very few children have heard; Frank Zappa's ' (Apostrophe).
  
  "I noticed in the rearview mirror that my girls were cracking up," said Alexander. "You know, the whole "doggy-doo snow cone...don't eat that yellow snow where the huskies go." They thought it was hilarious."
  
  
  Intrigued by his children's reaction, Alexander started testing They Might Be Giants on them, as well as humorous material by the Coasters. When they responded with delight, it quickly became apparent to Alexander that music that appeals to children doesn't necessarily have to revile adults.
  
  Alexander gets a good chance to observe the youth of today in his job as a teacher in Katy ISD. He's noticed over the years that kids tend to outgrow the Disney/Nick Jr. music specifically designed for them fairly quickly, and instead make room in their musical hearts for acts like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.
  
  "Aside from being too suggestive and inappropriate for that age, it's just not something a lot of parents like me want to listen to either," says Alexander.
  
  A difficult school year forced Alexander to push the project onto the back burner, but an encouraging chance encounter with Leah White at Katie Stuckey's CD release party invigorated him to pick it up again. Alexander sent us the first rough cut from the album, "Christmas Around the World," earlier this week.

• Finalist in John Lennon Songwriting Contest [+ Show ]
  

  What do Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, singing pop sisters the Veronicas, former Grateful Dead bassist...What do Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, singing pop sisters the Veronicas, former Grateful Dead bassist Bob Weir, ex-MTV 120 Minutes VJ Matt Pinfield and legendary Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier have in common? They're all new fans of Houston Americana singer-songwriter Lee Alexander and Latin pop duo Vanaz, or enough of them are to select the two local acts as finalists in the 2009 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, which announced its selections Tuesday morning.
  
  Alexander's "Mayhaw Wine," from last year's Mayhaw Vaudeville, was named one of three Session II finalists in Jazz, while Vanaz's "Lo Que Soy" drew the same distinction in Latin. The two were the only Texas artists chosen as finalists in the Session II section of the international competition, which began in 1997 and distributes about $275,000 in cash and enough sponsor-provided gear to fill a shipping container or two among winners and finalists in 12 categories.

• Thrust Magazine Interview
  

  See URL

• Mayhaw Vaudeville [+ Show ]
  

  Lee Alexander's penchant for backwoods melodies and forlorn sensibilities fuses on Mayhaw Vaudeville...Lee Alexander's penchant for backwoods melodies and forlorn sensibilities fuses on Mayhaw Vaudeville with his sepia-tinted delivery. Including songs boasting a warbling croon sung through a tiny megaphone, Alexander mines his Vaudeville muse through a preponderance of weary, bluesy ballads. That said, a few jauntier excursions ("Okemah Moon" and the traditional folk tune "Maggie Mae") temper the albums more laconic ruminations ("Miles Between" and "Mayhaw Wine"). Adding to the ambiance is the self-played homespun instrumentation, including pedal steel and jaw harp, tin whistle and accordion. Winsome and romantic, Alexander's ragtime band rolls on.

• New Times/CBS - Top CD's of 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  Dozens of great albums were released in 2009. Unfortunately, many of them didn't get the attention t...Dozens of great albums were released in 2009. Unfortunately, many of them didn't get the attention they deserved.
  
  Lee Alexander & Co.,"Mayhaw Vaudeville"
  
  Retro never sounded so remorseful, but thanks to Lee Alexander's forlorn, affecting vocals, Mayhaw Vaudeville provides a perfect example of an emotionally-charged returned to archetypical sensibilities.

• North of the Border Review [+ Show ]
  

  Lee Alexander returns with a themed album, doing a contemporary version of a “Variety Show” with sev...Lee Alexander returns with a themed album, doing a contemporary version of a “Variety Show” with several genres and styles of music. He brings a unique sound to the table with this group of widely diverse songs. Opening with a scratchy, old-time Victrola style “Balinese Room”, he sets the tone for this eclectic mix, then the soaring chorus of ‘Miles Between’ takes this folksy look at things said and not done, then ‘Mayhaw Wine’ is a nostalgic look at things of the South from Magnolias to Dogwoods and how he misses them. The pleasant melodies of ‘These Days’ combine with some nice stinging guitar work, and the spare acoustic cut ‘Wheel’ compares the chances we take on a roulette wheel. He takes a turn toward classic country on ‘Okemah Moon’ with lots of twangy fiddle and guitar, this tale of a farmer’s daughter is at least rated only PG, then leans poetic on small town life on “Carol Anne’ and the endless cycle of poverty and hopelessness it helps endure, as some mournful woodwinds leave us on a sad note. His take on the traditional English anthem ‘Maggie Mae’ (not the Rod Stewart song) with the seaman’s love of a Liverpool prostitute leaving him in tears is a nice rendition, and ‘Union Street’ has a whispering Lee telling a story that resonates of old England as well. The 60’s pop style of ‘Mr. Walker’s Epilogue’ could be the most retro cut, and the sad tale of ‘Green Room Mirror’ echoes the sadness of a performer who repeats the same lines over and over with no feeling, and plenty of regrets. The full version of ‘Balinese’ is a wondrous 30’s style tune with muffled vocals and horns that really captures the essence of the heyday of this now sadly lost treasure. Lee put a lot of energy and imagination into this release, and it is a treasure of musical genres that meld together for a near-perfect product. I highly recommend it. Look for them at local venues. Find them at www.alexandersongs.com
  
  - Dave Miller
  

• The Examiner Review [+ Show ]
  

  Lee Alexander describes his new recording as a “quasi-conceptual” album. “The original intent was to...Lee Alexander describes his new recording as a “quasi-conceptual” album. “The original intent was to do a variety show featuring grassroots forms of Southern genres of music,” says Lee. “To make a long story short; I got bored with that concept and included a few contemporary numbers, while still keeping with the “Variety Show” theme of the album: A traditional nine-act Vaudeville Show with a prelude and curtain call thrown in for good measure.”
  
  Balinese Room (Overture), the prelude that opens the album, is uncharacteristic of the other songs, but reminiscent of the music from the vaudeville era, complete with Victrola record noise. One of the remarkable things about Alexander is that he often sounds like a different person from one song to the next, always finding the right voice within him to suit each song. Just listen to the classic country twang of Okemah Moon and compare it to Wheel with a vocal reminiscent of Chris Whitley. Many of the album's songs can be previewed on Lee’s MySpace page.
  
  The lone cover on the album is Lee’s version of Maggie May, a traditional folk song about a Liverpool prostitute with a penchant for robbing sailors. The Beatles recorded their own version of the song for their 1970 album Let It Be, not to be confused with a completely different song by Rod Stewart.
  
  - Dave Sadof

• Houston Chronicle [+ Show ]
  

  A frustrated Lee Alexander tried to escape the Houston music scene with a hiatus last year, but a co...A frustrated Lee Alexander tried to escape the Houston music scene with a hiatus last year, but a couple of unexpected things happened to the folk-pop/Americana singer-songwriter: fellow musicians kept asking him to perform at their shows and Performing Songwriter magazine featured him as an indie artist to watch.
  Alexander has returned to the scene with a renewed sense of creativity and a follow-up to his well-received, 2006 album, Out of Place, due out this year. It also happens that he has a show this weekend, so he took some time to answer a few questions about his aspirations.
  
  Q. Tell us about the show on Sunday.
  
  A. I'm performing with Adam Levy, who is well-known for his tenure as Norah Jones' lead guitarist. That aside, he's an exceptional songwriter and performer, promoting his new album, Washing Day. I'll be giving away samplers from my upcoming album, tentatively titled Mayhaw Vaudeville.
  
  Q. Last year you gave up performing for a while; what inspired you to return?
  It sort of snowballed through small appearances here and there. After a while I was like, 'Oh yeah, I forgot this is what it feels like when you're having fun making music.' I think with the last album, I really felt like I just had to play everywhere just to get the word out. Playing all the time because you have to, not because you want to, really burns you out. In Houston that burn-out can happen really fast, because for all your effort you never really get anywhere. It got so bad toward the end that there were shows where the mere act of putting on a guitar and stepping up to the mic made me sick to my stomach. For a long time there I wasn't writing anything, I was just frustrated and uninspired. Now with that pressure off my back it's very liberating and I can enjoy performing again.
  
  Q. Has the mention in Performing Songwriter done anything for your career?
  
  A. It helped bring Out of Place to the attention of radio stations and DJs around the U.S. But with the exception of indie stations like KPFT and KTWL (105.3 FM), none of the other stations in Houston took notice. I think it's quite comical that there are stations in places like Boston, Philly and as far away Australia that are spinning my stuff while nearly all the stations in my hometown ignore me.
  
  Q. What does the upcoming CD sound like? How is it different from Out of Place?
  
  A. There is a rootsy, nostalgic, Southern feel to the new album. The overall tone is a lot darker. I imagine at first listen it will seem a lot like Out of Place to most people simply because of the variety of genres on it. It was originally intended to be a concept album focused on bygone southern genres like blues, folk, rag-time and country-swing. In doing so, I set aside all of the contemporary songs I had written since Out of Place had been released. But two things happened that derailed those plans: I quickly got bored with the concept and when a friend pointed out that the variety found on Out of Place was precisely what people liked about what I was doing, I realized it would be foolish for me to try and fix what wasn't broken. So I reintroduced the previously discarded songs and added a few new ones. In the process of making this new album I've grown to accept the fact that I am a musical chameleon and there's nothing wrong with that.
  
  Q. What artists — local or otherwise — are you listening to these days?
  
  A.Carrie Ann and the Apocalyptics' Strong Wind has the top spot in my CD changer. I'm still waiting on my copy of Mando Saenz's Bucket to arrive in the mail, but the songs I've heard online are amazing. Outside of the local scene, I've really been into Josh Ritter, Iron and Wine and Matt Costa lately.
  

• Performing Songwriter Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  Lee Alexander must have gone through heart-break one too many times, because like Elvis Costello and...Lee Alexander must have gone through heart-break one too many times, because like Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, his remorseful tales bear a cynical streak. Spewing venom about unworthy ex-lovers, bittersweet ballads like “Better Him Than Me,” “Be on Your Way,” “Like a Knife” and “Fallen” use lyrical twists to weave barbs into their banter. The ploy’s especially potent when he turns his aim toward politics; the folksy “Soul of America” and a sprightly “Ain’t No Crime” are clearly drawn from insurgent intentions.
  
  Still, for all the sly sarcasm, Alexander crafts genuinely beautiful songs that leave lingering impressions. “Waiting for Someday,” “What I Choose” and “Angelinas” are so tender and touching, one suspects his aggressive edge is simply a cover to shield his sensitive soul.
  
  -Lee Zimmerman

• Houston Press Review [+ Show ]
  

  Folksy Americana rocker Lee Alexander is another Beatles fanatic -- on Out of Place, his Richard Cag...Folksy Americana rocker Lee Alexander is another Beatles fanatic -- on Out of Place, his Richard Cagle-produced debut CD, the backing harmonies are a dead giveaway, as are certain sitarlike guitar effects here and there. Album opener "Venus Rising" finds Alexander in Lennon mode and Cagle in full-on homage to George Martin -- but the electric piano/ woodwinds vibe is more faux-Edwardian Sgt. Pepper's than Helter Skelter White Album.
  Other '60s influences crop up -- the whispery, harmonica-tinged acoustic number "On the Down Side" replicates Simon & Garfunkel (and '70s Shake Russell/Dana Cooper), while the bossa nova "My Sweet Addiction" harks back to Sergio Mendes and other such Brazilian pop crossover stuff. Equally obvious debts to guys like Elliott Smith, Nick Drake and Steve Earle crop up elsewhere.
  Lyrically, Alexander mainly mines relationship veins -- he finds rich ore on the bitterly funny "Better Him Than Me" -- but he also throws in tributes to Woody Guthrie and his tough-as-nails late grandmother, a sly Tom DeLay slam and a remake of "Danny Boy." The Nacogdoches-bred musician also plays a staggering array of instruments -- mandolin, fife, guitar, piano, uilleann pipes, harmonica and violin -- which should tell you that this CD never gets too same-y.
  Alexander has enormous potential -- Out of Place is that rarest of rare local CDs that is both potentially commercial on a national scale and downright enjoyable to boot. I do have one quibble: On some but by no means all songs, Alexander's voice is overly breathy and he affects some weird accent: you know that one that all those singers on OC bands have that makes the sorority girls swoon?
  
  -John Nova Lomax
  

• Houston Chronicle-Top Albums 2006 [+ Show ]
  

  If you weren't excited by this year's crop of music offerings, you simply weren't listening. Gorge...If you weren't excited by this year's crop of music offerings, you simply weren't listening.
  Gorgeous sounds came in surprising packages in 2006. Some were adorned with honky-tonk wails. Others were awash in intricate pop songwriting. And still more were accessorized with mix-and-match palettes that somehow fit together perfectly.
  Here, then, are a few of the best efforts released by Houston-based musicians this year:
  Singer-songwriter Lee Alexander will impress you with his songcraft, especially on Venus Rising (can we get this one on the radio already?) and Siren. The rest of the album flits from folk to blues to jazz and he's a deft purveyor of every genre.
  -Sara Cress
  Houston Chronicle
  
  "There are some beautiful singles here that eclipse entire discs of lesser bands”
  -Sara Cress
  Houston Chronicle Podcast

• Houston Chronicle - Feature [+ Show ]
  

  It's as if Lee Alexander came out of nowhere; a mature songwriter right out of the gate. This 28-yea...It's as if Lee Alexander came out of nowhere; a mature songwriter right out of the gate. This 28-year-old Houstonian released a beautiful debut album, Out of Place, in March that just doesn't sound like a first album. So where has this guy been?
  
  He attended Stephen F. Austin State University, where he and Sheila Marshall, another Houston musician, played classic rock and blues covers for fraternity parties. True inspiration hit after graduation when he took in performances around New York City's Greenwich Village.
  
  "That was inspiring," he says. "I figured I should try that and stop doing Jim Croce covers."
  
  Since then, Alexander, 28, has played in Houston bands — specifically Grey Eyed Athena and Crash Comfort. After the latter broke up, he dropped out of the scene for four years and launched a new career as an elementary school teacher, where he occasionally incorporates music into his teaching.
  
  "I stole the idea from School of Rock. When I teach multiplication tables, I'll use the guitar. I know if I act like an idiot, they're going to pay attention."
  
  Though he wasn't performing, Alexander still had the itch to make music. After hearing Damien Rice's O, an album made on a 16-track recorder, the Out of Place journey began.
  
  "The album started off as closet recordings. I bought a recorder and a nice mic and tracked songs in the bedroom and the closet," Alexander says. "I thought maybe I would burn a copy for my grandma, maybe go to some open-mic nights. I gave what I was working on to Larry Cooper and Richard Cagle, who were starting up a record label (Montrose Records) at the time, and they said they wanted to work with me."
  
  "When I heard Lee's demo," Cagle says, "I knew he was an excellent songwriter — very creative and dedicated to the craft. What I didn't know until we started recording was that he's a talented multi-instrumentalist (he's credited with playing 10 instruments on the disc) and how good he was at arranging and harmonies. "
  
  Alexander says being on an indie label has meant one important thing: People take him seriously.
  
  "Having a CD that's not just your own thing lends you some credibility in the minds of bookers and venues. It says this person is serious, that it's not just a hobby."
  
  Out of Place is a striking, diverse collection. Venus Rising and Siren are elegant pop songs; On The Down Side is a gentle Americana tune; there's piano-backed soul on Like a Knife. What I Choose is ripe for country radio.
  
  Also notable is the fact that the man can write songs about something other than love. Sure, he's got the love songs (Better Him Than Me is particularly fine), but they're thrown in with songs about politics and social issues that -- get this -- don't preach. Now that is a gifted songwriter.
  
  "There are three camps of inspiration for my songs: The easy one to distinguish is the political or social issues: editorials put to music. Another is the common love-gone-wrong stuff. The other is nonromantic relationships, which get confused with the romantic songs.
  
  "Someone was talking to me about how one song reminded him of an ex-girlfriend. I didn't have the heart to tell him that it was actually about my grandfather."
  
  Alexander has been gigging regularly for about a year with a band that includes Steven Gibbs and Julian Samuels on guitar, Andres Bermudez on drums and Troy Griffin on bass. And now that he's played for more of Texas, he has come to appreciate Houston's "loyal" crowds.
  
  "Houston crowds really rock. There is a family thing that goes on here. And it's a really cool time to be making music in Houston because there are so many great artists here. It's like a team. If we can make some noise down here in this swamp, maybe we can put Houston back on the rock 'n' roll map."
  
  
  

• ENVY Magazine Interview [+ Show ]
  

  Alexander’s Songs are a blend of folk, rock, and country, with a maturity not often found in a songw...Alexander’s Songs are a blend of folk, rock, and country, with a maturity not often found in a songwriter his age. The musician’s influences are key in not only his development as a songwriter, but also in the vast array of sounds his songs cover.
  
  ENVY: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
  
  Lee: I get asked this a lot and it’s a difficult question to answer without sounding vague. “Musically ADD, hodge-podge, folksy, rocky, eclectic singer-songwriter stuff,” is the best I can come up with. That answer is not meant to be evasive or anything. It’s just that in terms of genre, the material is all over the map, so there is no real definitive handle for it.
  
  ENVY: What do you consider to be your primary influences?
  
  Lee: Well, the variety found on many of the later Beatles’ albums goes without saying. Moreover, I’ve always admired Paul McCartney’s ability as a multi-instrumentalist. It allows him to see the “big picture” in what he’s composing, and it motivated me to learn various instruments as well. As a kid, The Traveling Wilburys had a lot to do with my musical upbringing. They were influential not only because of the diversity and simplicity of their music, but because they were also sort of the equivalent of taking a course in “Rock History 101.” From there I spring-boarded into each individual group member’s body of work prior to the Traveling Wilburys. George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne…I ask you, has a greater pantheon of songsmiths ever existed all in one group before or since then? Other mutli-genre songwriters like Patty Griffin, Ben Harper, Paul Simon, and Steve Earl also have left their mark on me. Lyrically speaking, I’m influenced by the cerebral and satirical like Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Chris Cornell. I also read a lot…mostly philosophy, history, and world events, so that to has a direct impact on me not only in the form of inspiration, but in the way I that write verse as well.
  
  ENVY: Have you been around the local music scene long? I know you moved from Nacogdoches, right? How do you view the music scene in Houston?
  What do you think might make it better?
  
  Lee: I went to college in Nacogdoches, where I really came out of my shell as a musician and performing songwriter, but I’m a native Houstonian. As a solo artist I’ve been performing here for nearly 3 years now. The level of talent in this city has increased 10-fold in recent years, and there are so many great writers here now. In terms of new, burgeoning talent, the acts I’ve seen in this town are comparable to anything you would find in Austin. I also like the family atmosphere of everyone involved in the music scene – whether you’re a musician, producer, or in the media, we all seem to have one goal: we want to see the Rock/Americana end of this music scene explode on a national level. The talent level is here, but whether or not the rest of the nation will pay attention is debatable. Of course, urban sprawl coupled with not having a centralized original music scene has always put musicians here at a grave disadvantage. It makes gaining a following of new listeners, and maintaining a consistent turnout, an uphill battle for both artists and music venues. Oh well, what can you do? Houston city planners have never really been known for their pragmatism. I think the best you can do is just keep plugging away at it in spite of this obvious setback. However, I do see one little ray of hope. My attention lately has turned toward that little developing nook on the 3700 block of Main St. where Continental Club, Tacos a Go-Go, The Big Top, and Sig’s Lagoon are located. If someone came to me asking for advice on a good spot to start a new live music club, that’s were I would direct them. Lord knows if I suddenly came into money, that’s what I would do. Right now there are 7 buildings either for sale or for lease in that area, and I can envision it developing into something much bigger down the road.
  
  ENVY: How does your band approach the songwriting process? Is it a collaborative effort from the start or do each of you bring different things in and then work from there?
  
  Lee: Well, up until recently I’ve been the sole writer and arranger for everything. I can’t say I’ve had any particular approach to speak of. Songwriting is a more or less a cathartic practice for me. If I feel conflicted over some issue or another, I write a song about it, get it out of my system, and move on with my life. But I think that writing process also spills over into the studio. Songs morph into newer approaches to its construction. For example, Venus Rising was originally written as a reggae tune.
  But now that I’m working with a band again, that process has changed. I still write on my own, but toss new tunes to the guys to dissect and rearrange. They come up with ideas in rhythm and arrangement that I hadn’t considered before, so it’s nice having others bring little things here and there to really polish the songs up. I’m hoping to do some co-writing with them, but we’ve been so busy lately there hadn’t been a lot of time to just sit down and do that.
  
  ENVY: What do you think of the reaction you've gotten from music fans and the press in Houston? I know John Lomax had nice things to say about your record...
  
  Lee: Well, I think you hit the nail on the head there. Lomax’s good opinion of my work was the first thing that changed how I was perceived in this town. Actually, I wasn’t really “perceived” at all before his review. For a long time I had been the Invisible Man of this music scene. But then his review came out in the Houston Press, and all of the sudden a lot of people have become curious about who I am and what I do. On the heals of that came the Press Awards, followed by a favorable article in the Chronicle, and suddenly the attendance to shows triples. As far as gig opportunities go, doors that I had been knocking on for years suddenly flung right open. It’s all really taken me and the band by surprise, but it’s nice to be appreciated now.
  
  ENVY: Many of your songs are written from a lovelorn, jaded point of view yet I get a real sense of hope in many of the songs. What were some of your inspirations for the songs on Out Of Place?
  
  Lee: Actually, it may surprise you to know that only 3 of the songs on the album (Better Him Than Me, On the Downside, Evergreen) are really lovelorn tunes. Even Siren is not technically a love song, it’s a warning I issued to a friend who was pursuing a woman that I considered to be a nothing but trouble. While I do write about relationships a lot, most of them are platonic. I realize that with these “platonic-relationship” songs, people often attach memories of their past romances to them – but that’s normal I think. I remember when U2 came out with the song “One” and I thought in was a love song, which of course it isn’t. It’s still a good song, and it still has a private meaning to me. So when a listener does the same thing to so something I’ve written it’s perfectly understandable.
  I think the jadedness you touched on is probably merely a product of that catharsis that I mentioned earlier, but I tend to smooth it out with satire. And in satire there is always a sense of hope…even if you don’t solve the problem, there is always a humorous solace that comes with the acceptance that you can’t change the way things are. Not everything I write is like that, but it’s those “on the horns of a dilemma” type songs that people seemed to identify with and really respond to at shows – that’s why they made the cut on the album. But I am also inspired by socio-political issues as well…Venus Rising (ecology), Be On Your Way (elections), Save It All (religious Armageddon fanatics), Soul of America (unfair labor practices, spilling into a Woody Guthrie tribute), and Ain’t No Crime (the congressional lobbyist system), are all examples of this.
  
  ENVY: What else can you tell me about your debut album?
  
  Lee: If there was an award for “Most Unconventional Album”, I could probably win it hands down. It started off as a shoe-string budget, Do-It-Yourself project, mostly recorded in closets and bedrooms. We’re talking percussion played with suitcases and maracas made from coke cans and rice…yeah, that level of cheapness. The drums and bass (courtesy of Mando Perez & Jeff Enlow) were recorded in a real studio after being signed to Montrose Records, but this is totally backward from how songs are typically recorded. Another backwards aspect of it is that there was no band involved with it, rather the band was formed 2 months after the CD’s release. But despite the ill-conceived and unorthodox making of the CD, it all came together somehow and everything else has just fallen into place. In truth, there were seemingly hundreds of mistakes and setbacks in the making of the CD, but there isn’t much point in griping about that now…in the end of it all, I consider myself very fortunate to have had things turn out the way that they did.
  One funny thing I would add is that the gargantuan amount of songs on the CD is due to the fact that I was still writing like crazy during the recording of the album. I couldn’t stop myself from bringing new songs into the studio to work on and eventually the producers practically had to pull me off the mixing board kicking and screaming. There were a lot of unfinished songs still left, but it was the right thing to do I suppose. Besides, it left me plenty of material to base a follow-up album on.
  
  ENVY: What are some of the bands you are listening to these days?
  Anything you recommend?
  
  Lee: My chief recommendations would be two local Petes. One is Pete Scafidi, who’s just put out an extraordinary acoustic pop album in September. The other is Pete Simple. He’s graced me with the rough mixes of this amazing CD he’s currently wrapping up. It’ll probably be released by the time this article is published. Other than that, I dive in and out between old records, and newer artists like The Format, Phil Ayoub, Jolie Holland, Alexi Murdoch, and Ray LaMontagne.
  
  ENVY: What are some of the local bands/musicians you enjoy?
  
  Lee: Well, given that I love diversity in music, I enjoy all the local staples of the scene like Michael Haaga, John Evans, Ray Younkin, Hayes Carll, Lanky, Walkabout, Orange is In, Lisa Novak, Arthur Yoria, Mando Saenz, and L.L. Cooper. But there are also a number of my fellow “open-mic vagabonds” whose songcraft I really admire. Guys like Jodi Torrez, George Palomarez, and Jonathan Dewveall.
  
  ENVY: What's next for Lee Alexander?
  
  Lee: Well working with the new band and promoting the new album will be the primary focus over the next year. Of course, I will continue to write new material, which has been less of a struggle thanks to the band. The biggest aggravation I had with writing Out of Place was that my imagination far exceeded my own ability to actually perform what was in my head. Now, instead of me bumbling around through guitar solos, I have extraordinary guitarists like Steve Gibbs and Julian Samuel to add their own innovations to the mix. This also frees me up to play other things besides guitar on stage. And as a rhythm section, Andres Bermudez and Troy Griffin seem to effortlessly lock in and read the direction I’m trying to go in when I present new material at practice. I’m very blessed to have all these guys on board with me now, and I’m really excited about the momentum we’re building as a team.
  

Setlist

The set list is varied depending on the venue's wishes, and can last as little a 30 minutes or go a long as 2 hours. Lee Alexander can perform either solo, or with the band.

Basic Requirements

Calendar