Alex Lashlie

Alex Lashlie spent his formative musical years playing bass for DreamTwins, forging the band in early 2005. DTs applied for the 2006 Freeza Battle of The Bands in Hampton and won based on the crowds response. Winning the $500 Studio 52 recording session helped DTs record their first and only studio record, how ever basic it may have been. The band had their first taste of the Melbourne music scene in early 2007 at the Barleycorn Hotel in Collingwood, DTs started playing larger venues like the Esplanade Hotel, The Ding Dong, Revolver and The Greyhound with bands such as The Priory Dolls, and Tin Pan Orange. Alex began writing and recording new material that was not suited for DTs & it didn’t take long ‘til he had enough of these sketchy, loose tracks to compile a small disk of demos. He sold some while he was busking in Centre Place in the city, and handed some out to venues to try and get some solo shows. One of the places he happened upon was Pure Pop Records in St Kilda. Little did he know that the old dude (Dave Stevens) at the counter would become his close friend and mentor, and the person to give Alex his debut solo show. And show he did. After a couple more Pure Pop performances, Alex was offered an open-ended Friday night residency there. During this time he was packing the courtyard out and attracting the attention of various music industry bods.
Mikey Cahill from the Herald Sun called Alex “a young Genius”. The residency lasted for over 12 months. All the while, Alex and DTs were turning out more and more songs, and the band were growing with their music. One by one they all turned 18 and were allowed to play the big-boy parties. After a short stint in New Zealand playing and busking Alex returned to Melbourne with a swag of new songs and the need to expand his horizons, he gratefully accepted the offer when Miles De Carteret (now of Gabriella Cilmi’s band and Buchanan) asked him to sing for his new band The Mothertones. The group was made up of Miles and two other jazz students from VCA. Working with these fellas really helped Alex develop his stage presence and vocal technique. The MTs played St Kilda fest two years running, as well as winning an award for best song in a Freeza/Push Over competition. They were honored when asked to play at the awards ceremony at the Melbourne’s Art Centre in 2009. Over the next year Alex continued playing with The Mothertones, Big Beat, solo and with DreamTwins. It was around this time that DreamTwins were picked up by Premier Artists, who helped the band play larger venues with more renowned bands such as Hungry Kids Of Hungary, Spiral Stairs (of Pavement) and Davey Lane (of You Am I). Throughout this time Alex was consistently writing, and slowly completing his next record, aptly named Fountains Of Wine. He was also planning a 9-month adventure over to Europe, The U.K, and Africa, and in June 2010 he left, headed for Amsterdam. During his travels Alex completed the 1500km Camino de Santiago de Compostela across Spain and France. On the road he would play for the locals and the pilgrims and would be recognized as “the kid with the hair and the guitar”. This experience would later lay the foundations for his next record GROWL. By the end of 2010, Alex found himself alone in London, regularly playing at open mic nights. He would test run his new songs, playing to the usual crowd of withered drunks and cross dressers. After spending one of his coldest winters there, he tripped off to Manchester to stay with a fellow travelling friend. In Manchester he immediately fell into the scene. He lived for two months in an apartment, which housed many a musician. It was in this flat that Alex met folk musician Liz Green. While living on the lounge room floor with the other roustabouts, Alex completed writing GROWL, and recorded some demos with the other people in the house playing banjo and piano
March, 2011 rolled on and Alex returned to Melbourne. For the first couple of months he attempte