Shane Alexander

Last night I found myself at Hollywood’s Roxy music venue listening to the sweet whispery sounds of singer songwriter Shane Alexander, who many in the music industry believe is on the brink of stardom. His Jeff Buckley-esque quality and relaxed stage presence drew the eagerly awaiting crowd into his soulful and seemingly effortless set.
Although compared to solo artists Jack Johnson, James Blunt and Damien Rice as well as bands like Keane and Coldplay, Shane Alexander holds his own, with his unique sound- a blend of raw melodies and soft vocals, haunting background harmonies and complex guitar parts.
Alexander, a Los Angeles native, spent years as the lead singer and front man for LA band Damone until their break up in 2003. Alexander immediately thereafter launched his solo career with his first album, 2005’s The Middle Way. Produced and distributed independently, The Middle Way received more critical praise than many commercial projects. Soon after followed his next record, the recently released Stargazer, produced by Heroes and Villians, and has been described by the Los Angeles Times as, “a touching collection of rootsy pop.� Most notably, songs from Stargazer have been popping up all over the radar- the song “Little Woman� was featured on ABC’s hit TV series What About Brian, and the songs “Shipwrecked� and “Ride the Tides� can be heard by tuning into MTV’s The Real World and Laguna Beach series. XM Radio has even joined in on the fun by putting “The Open Road� into rotation.
These hits were among his eight song set at the Roxy last night. Performing at nine thirty, after two other bands, Alexander drew a crowd of one hundred thirty people on a school night to the Sunset Strip, which isn’t bad. He opened the show with “The Open Road� which satisfied many waiting audience members and soon followed with my personal favorite, “The Moore Hotel� a sad love song about returning to ‘The Moore Hotel’ after saying goodbye and bringing a girl to the airport. It conjures up images of sleepless nights, city lights, and speaks to a fellowship of lost souls. A line in the song, “I never felt so alive or so alone� really sums it up, and as I looked around to the audience I could see his fans mouthing these words- in fact they knew most words to most of Alexander’s songs and didn’t hesitate to show it. Shane Alexander closed his set with the aptly titled as well as beautiful “Feels Like the End�.
His band was right on point and Alexander said afterwards “I thought the show went really well. The band played together as one and the sound was fantastic.� I agree. He also went on to note, “The Roxy is a great venue and they took good care of us.�
In 2005, Alexander toured Europe and the United States, opening for the likes of Jewel and Lisa Marie Presley. And if Alexander’s momentum keeps up, and he continues with powerful shows like the one last night, he’ll need to start looking for acts to open for him.
- LA's the Place Magazine

Crummy childhoods: What would therapists, memoirists and songwriters do without them? Rotten parents have launched a thousand Billboard chart-toppers and countless heart-wrenching ballads. It sounds a little cynical but next to heartless girlfriends, rock musicians have turned to absent fathers more than almost any other topic.
L.A.-based singer songwriter Shane Alexander is a little different. He hasn’t mined his family drama for song lyrics so much as used the record collection he sought comfort in during those tough times as continuing inspiration. Alexander remembers how, at the age of 5, he first listened to Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits. “It was sad and beautiful and it kind of soaked into me,� he explains.
Listening to Alexander’s most recent album, Stargazer, that influence is present in everything from the instrumentation to the softness and rusty warmth of the vocals. The album is a collection of delicate and often melancholy tracks that cover everything from love (“Front Porch Serenade�) and loneliness (“The Moore Hotel�) to the fleeting nature of time (“Spaces In Between�).
“On the second record, we used some of the best session guys in L.A. — really versatile players. I like to think of it like a John Lennon record with more genre-less, timeless music … It’s a little softer, a little bigger, a little more beautiful,� explains Alexander, comparing Stargazer to his first full-length album, 2005’s The Middle Way.
Although listeners may not be immediately familiar with Alexander’s name, they might find that they are familiar with a few of the tracks off of his recent album, as a number of them have been picked up by mainstream television. ABC’s What About Brian and MTV’s Laguna Beach and The Real World have used Alexander’s music as soundtrack material.
So, does he tune in to hear his own songs? “That’s what TiVo’s for,� he says, laughing. “Some I approve of more than others. But it’s a huge blessing to have your songs out there.�
Aside from television, others may be familiar with Alexander because of his gig as an opening act for Jewel in 2005 and 2006. During that time, he performed at venues as large as the Greek in Los Angeles, with just his acoustic guitar.
“It’s empowering to be out there by myself and have my songs connect … I just want to get my music out to as many people as possible,� he says.
- Ventura County Reporter

"Well-written poetic lyrics and a voice that falls somewhere between Jeff Buckley and John Mayer". - Music Connection

"The Middle Way is a bucketfull of charm". - The Los Angeles Times

..."smooth easy-on-the-ears contemporary pop". - Performer Mag