NFT Collaboration with Kenny Harris Drops November 11!

I’m thrilled to announce that I am releasing a First-Of-Its-Kind NFT with oil painter Kenny Harris on November 11 (pushed back from the previously announced October 3 date)! This is a totally new frontier for both of us, and we’re excited to be able to create, express, and share art in a brand new way!

For those of you who have never heard of an NFT (like me just a few months ago), it stands for Non-Fungible Token and it is essentially a digital file that uses blockchain technology (the same as cryptocurrencies like bitcoin) to make it unique and un-copyable.  You can make any digital thing into an NFT, like a picture, sound, or video, and those things can be owned by a person, sold, and re-sold the same way a physical painting can be.  

Unlike many current NFTs which are essentially digitizations of existing artworks, Kenny and I realized that an NFT was actually the ideal medium with which to express this new concept.  The seed for this idea started on the #WhereverYouAreTour back in fall of 2020.  We collaborated on a video of painting that showed a street, described in my song “There Are No Shadows In LA,” morphing from dawn to dusk.  Watching the time lapse video as Kenny changed the time of day right before your eyes on the canvas, with real paint, was mesmerizing and inspired us to ask, “what other stories could be told if you could experience a painting over time?”

I had just started hearing about NFTs early this year on Clubhouse and I was becoming fascinated by the creative potential for artists.  Serendipitously (literally the next day), someone from the Austrian company Soundlouder, a curation platform for NFT-based artwork, reached out about helping us release our piece as an NFT.  I’m so grateful for their guidance as we’ve navigated this brand new world.

We are releasing a limited number of NFTs in this collection:

- 1 package of the time-lapse video and physical oil painting, the only way to see what is hidden under the final painting

- 3 hi-res digital prints of the three portraits (hidden underneath the final layer of the painting)

- 20 sets of instrumental stems from “The Light” for songwriters, producers and storytellers to re-imagine, recreate and OWN the copyrights to their new versions

- 100 full quality copies of “The Light” audio track, each with one-of-one, individual cover art

 The NFT will drop to the public on Oct 3 November 11, but you can sign up to reserve a pre-sale slot now.  No more will be made once these sell out (the only way to get one is if an original owner re-sells it on the open market, much like a painting).  Go to SOUNDLOUDER.COM to find out more.

**LIMITED EDITION PATRON-ONLY NFT**
As a thank you to my PATREON COMMUNITY, whose support enables me to create projects like this, I am GIFTING A LIMITED NUMBER OF NFTS TO ALL ACTIVE PATRONS ON OCT 3. These will not be for sale and are only available to my Patreon community. Click here to become a patron.

I’m so excited and grateful to get to share this journey with you.

Fall 2019 Shows, New Singles

Hey team,

Hope you’re all having a great… October?!?!  Where does the time go??  Oh yeah, it goes right by the studio window on the other side of those blackout curtains I installed so I wouldn’t notice time passing.

It’s actually been a great month of studio activity… I finished recording the first of two LPs with Delta Rae, straight off of their incredible Kickstarter run (they are now the 5th most funded music Kickstarter OF ALL TIME).  Our first single “Take Me There,” comes out everywhere next month and it’s a JAM!  So excited for y’all to hear it.  This month I have also been producing Megan Slankard’s next album.  We’ve gotten to do some really fun stuff on this record including arranging for harp for the first time (that's the wonderful Liana Alpino playing)!

All this studio creation has been really fun but sometimes in work mode its easy to forget about the Outside World. Luckily Charlotte the dog does not forget, and has no problem reminding me to go the f**k outside. Here is a pic of her mid-scolding.

FALL EAST COAST SHOWS

Speaking of the Outside World, I’m really excited to tell you about some cool shows I have coming up this Fall with some of my favorite humans, including Megan Slankard, Delta Rae and Jesse Terry.  I’ll be up and down the East Coast so please come say hi if you’re in the area!  Details below…

OCT 18 8PM - STEEL CITY COFFEE, PHOENIXVILLE PA (W/ MEGAN SLANKARD) (TICKETS)

OCT 21 9PM (MEGAN SLANKARD AT 8PM!) - ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL, NEW YORK NY

OCT 29/30 - NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CITIZENSHIP, WASHINGTON DC (TICKETS)

DEC 14 - RALEIGH NC, LINCOLN THEATER (O/F DELTA RAE) (TICKETS)

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CITIZENSHIP - OCT 29 & 30

I am honored to be asked to play and speak at this year’s NCoC, a nonpartisan gathering of civic leaders (held annually since 1946!) working on the front lines of democracy.  This year’s theme is Bright Spots: Local Leaders inspiring hope in America.  I will be performing some of my solo material as well as songs from my duo album Kivalina (inspired by stories of climate change) with my collaborator Jesse Terry.  Jay Nash, Chris Pierce, Terra Naomi, and Yosimar Reyes are among the other artists performing.  Register here.

LINCOLN THEATER SUPPORTING DELTA RAE - DEC 14

I will be opening for Delta Rae at their hometown show in Raleigh NC on Dec 14!  I will play a set of my solo material then join them to play some drums in their set!  The wonderful Carrie Welling will kick off the night.

This will be a special show for me as they will play the first album I produced for them, Carry The Fire, front to back for the first time ever, complete with my string and brass arrangements performed live!  If you’re in the area I can’t recommend coming to this show highly enough!

NEW RELEASES AVAILABLE NOW!

The first two singles from my upcoming album are officially released! Show Yourself and In The Creases are now available on all platforms. The next single, “Just Enough (Feat. Elizabeth and the Catapult)” will be released on Oct 25. FOLLOW ME on Spotify to be notified as soon as it drops!

The Kivalina EP (duo album with Jesse Terry inspired by stories of Climate Change) is now available everywhere as well.  The album follows a young couple in Kivalina AK struggling with the effects of climate change on their everyday lives.

I’ll be honest with you, the biggest challenge releasing music these days is getting heard above the noise.  We’re all so inundated with content from every angle that it’s easy to get lost in the constant stream of stuff… so I don’t take it lightly when you take the time to listen to my music.  Thank you.  If you like the music I make and want to help it get out into the world, the best thing you can do is to SHARE the music with your friends, and FOLLOW ME if you’re a Spotify user.   I’m working hard toward the release of my full album on Feb 21 2020 and spreading the word before then will help so much!  I put my heart and soul into this album and I would love to give this music its best chance to be heard.

FIND ME ON PATREON

For those who didn’t know, I am a PATREON creator!  I share all of my music with my patrons before any of it is released, including songs not available to the public, behind-the-scenes videos, and insights into my songwriting and producing process.  If you’re interested in learning more about my creative process while supporting my ability to make art on my own terms, please consider becoming a patron. 

That’s it for now.  Thank you as always for being here.  It means the world to me.

Much love,

A

Headlining SF Show, New Music Video

Cellar Sessions at City Winery in NYC with Vienna Teng, Melissa Tong, and Megan Slankard

Dear Music Family,

Greetings from the lovely Comfort Inn in Arlington VA!

Writing from a rare moment of stillness… it has been an extraordinarily jam-packed month.  October began on an island in the north of Sweden and has taken me to Chicago to Ottawa to NYC to Washington DC, where I write you now.  In the past month I have: glimpsed the Northern lights, written songs with people from Taiwan, Ireland and South Africa, stayed up for 48 hrs to finish mixes for my upcoming album (90 minutes before leaving for tour), tried fried cheese curds for the first time, released my first single in six years, made a music video from the car, played in a wine cellar with some favorite friends (see pic), played 22 shows, driven 4000 miles, and celebrated Charlotte the dog’s birthday by buying her a lottery ticket (she won $2) and an argyle sweater.

Although there is so much more to share, right now I really want to tell you about two big things.

CO-HEADLINING SWEDISH AMERICAN HALL IN SF ON 11/9

I’m playing my biggest show yet as a solo artist on November 9 at Swedish American Hall in San Francisco CA.  I’ll be co-headlining with my tour-partner and fellow musical warrior, the absolutely brilliant Megan Slankard.  We’ve been touring together this past month and have many new songs, new arrangements and stories to share with you.  Maybe even some dance moves.  Here are the details for the show:

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9, 8PM (7PM DOORS)

SWEDISH AMERICAN HALL, SAN FRANCISCO CA

GET TICKETS HERE. 

I’ve been fortunate to play some nice venues all over the world supporting other artists, but this is the first time I’ll be playing a venue of this size as a co-headliner.  If you live in the Bay Area, it would mean the world to me if you could join us.  And if you don’t live in the area, please please please tell your friends in the area about the show!  This is a gorgeous venue with incredible sound, and I’m honored and excited to get to share my music with you there.

We are about to start the West Coast leg of our tour.  Here are our remaining shows on the West coast… I’d love to see you out there!

FRI 11/9 8PM SAN FRANCISCO CA - SWEDISH AMERICAN HALL** 

SAT 11/10 7PM LOS ANGELES CA - THE TROUBADOUR** O/F ANDERS OSBORNE 

SUN 11/11 8PM SAN DIEGO CA - LESTATS W/ KING TAYLOR PROJECT 

WED 11/14 8PM REDDING CA - VINTAGE WINE BAR 

THU 11/15 7PM CORVALLIS OR - HOUSE CONCERT 

FRI 11/16 7PM PORTLAND OR - HOUSE CONCERT 

NEW SINGLE “THE QUIET VOICE” AND VIDEO OUT NOW!!

I released a brand new single and video yesterday!  It’s my first solo release in six years and the first one ever under my own name.  Check it out here.  You can stream the song on all digital music platforms, including Spotify.

Here’s a little background about the song:

Surprise! I just released my first single in 6 years, called “The Quiet Voice.” It was written with my good buddy Elise Hayes and the video was created entirely by my amazing Patreon family!

This song was born from being sick and tired of power in this culture being falsely associated with brute force, aggression and bullying. In 100% of my life experience, when someone has resorted to anger, yelling or violence, they actually wield very little true power… They have become reactive, they have let the other side get under their skin... they have already lost the interaction.

Two weeks ago, I had no plans to release this song to the public and the video was not even an idea in my head... but in light of the immeasurably important election coming up I decided I needed to do something. I asked my Patreon supporters to send me clips of themselves defining what true power means to them, and was completely blown away by how many amazing responses I received. I mixed the song in the car between Toronto and Ottawa, and edited the video between New Jersey and Virginia so we could release it in time to encourage people to exercise their true power at the polls on November 6.

HUGE THANKS to my Patreon community who have given me the power to create art I believe in. I am so beyond humbled and grateful that so many people showed up to make this idea happen on such short notice. I hope you enjoy the song and video, and I hope you’ll share if it resonates with you. 

Since I posted the song 24 hours ago, it has been viewed 12K times and shared over 300 times!  I’m totally blown away by the support this message has received so far.  Please share the video if it resonates with you, get your ass to the polls next week, and let’s all redefine true power on our own terms from now on!!

Thank you for being here.

Much love,

A

European Tour starts next week!

Good evening/morning from London!

I’m currently sitting in a window booth at the Dukes Head pub in High Gate, slowly sipping on Lagavulin Scotch and free internet.  I’m in London for a few weeks producing an album with UK artist Rebecca Promitzer.  Her songs are creative and gorgeous, and I can't wait to share what we've done with all of you!  I am feeling incredibly grateful to get to cross an ocean to make good music with good people.  

Speaking of good people, as soon as recording is done, I will be embarking on a European tour with one of my very favorite artists/humans, Megan Slankard! We can’t wait to play lots of shows, meet lots of people and ride lots of trains.  Here is our tour schedule:

3/22 - LONDON ENGLAND - PRINCESS OF WALES

3/24 - AMSTERDAM NETHERLANDS - HOUSE CONCERT

3/26 - ROTTERDAM NETHERLANDS - HOUSE CONCERT

3/28 - PARIS FRANCE - HOUSE CONCERT

3/29 - LUCERNE SWITZERLAND - CHASLAGER STANS KULTURHAUS

3/30 - COLOGNE GERMANY - AGNES-KLAUSE

3/31 - MARBURG GERMANY - KAISER-WILHEM-TURM

4/1 - YORK ENGLAND - HOUSE CONCERTS YORK

4/2 - LONDON ENGLAND - HOUSE CONCERT

4/4 - COPENHAGEN DENMARK - MOJO BLUES BAR

We'd love it if you would let your friends in those cities know about our shows, or better yet come hang out if you happen to be in the area!

US TOUR RECAP

It’s been a busy month… it started off in February with a whirlwind trip to Kansas City MO to showcase at the International Folk Alliance festival, where I played way too many shows and got way too little sleep. However I also got a chance to play with my dream band of two cellos, which was a true highlight for me... I’ve always wanted to arrange my music for this instrumentation, and to finally be able to hear it live was a total joy.  Thank you to Mai Bloomfield and Sarah Clanton, two amazing musicians and artists in their own right, for bringing these songs to the next level with their talent.  Here’s a clip from one of our shows together.

Immediately following Folk Alliance Megan and I embarked on a tour of the midwest/East coast.  We had a great time playing music, trying to perfect the Philly accent (IT'S HARD) and meeting lots of lovely new people.  I'm pretty sure Charlotte the dog thinks that tour is basically driving a really really really long way to get a meatball in some other town and then turning around and going home.  Here are some pics from the last few weeks:

Seven Steps Up, Spring Lake MI (Charlotte's favorite venue in the country)

Daytime show at VML Kansas City

Top of the Sheraton Hotel, Kansas City

My badass trio's first band photo... we'll do better next time

After our last house concert in Mableton GA

With Mai Bloomfield, Sarah Clanton, and Megan Slankard

Tour buddles

Sweetwater Pop-Up Studio @ Folk Alliance

"We drove around a lot, then got a meatball, then drove back home. Oh I think they played music at some point." - Charlotte discussing tour

That's it for now.  I have some big announcements regarding brand new music coming very soon, so please stay tuned.  And thanks again for listening, sharing, coming to shows, and staying in touch.  None of this would happen without you.

Much Love,
Alex

Tour starts NEXT WEEK!

I can’t believe the Doers and Dreamers Tour is almost here! So excited to be hitting the road with two of my favorite artists/humans, Korby Lenker and Megan Slankard. I’m bringing a lot of new songs in the car with me which I’m excited to share for the first time. Below are the complete tour dates with links to purchase tickets. Tour dates below. Complete tour info HERE.

FEB 17 KANSAS CITY MO: FOLK ALLIANCE FESTIVAL – OFFICIAL SHOWCASE, ROANOKE ROOM
FEB 18 KANSAS CITY MO: FOLK ALLIANCE FESTIVAL – WISCONSIN ROOM, #543
FEB 18 KANSAS CITY MO: TEDx KANSAS CITY (WITH AMBER RUBARTH)
FEB 19 KANSAS CITY MO: FOLK ALLIANCE FESTIVAL – MPRESS RECORDS SHOWCASE, #542
FEB 20, KANSAS CITY MO: FOLK ALLIANCE FESTIVAL – ACCESS FILM RED ROOM, #630
FEB 20, KANSAS CITY MO: FOLK ALLIANCE FESTIVAL – ACCESS FILM ROUND, #552
FEB 21, DES MOINES IA – GRAVEL ROAD CONCERT SERIES
FEB 23, CHICAGO IL – EVANSTON SPACE
FEB 24, SPRING LAKE MI – SEVEN STEPS UP
FEB 25, PITTSBURGH PA – PITTSBURGH WINERY
FEB 26, FALLS CHURCH VA – STONE ROOM CONCERTS
FEB 27, PHILADELPHIA PA – WORLD CAFE LIVE
FEB 29, NEW YORK NY – ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL STAGE 3
MAR 1, THE INTERNET – CONCERT WINDOW LIVE STREAM
MAR 2, BOSTON MA – CLUB PASSIM
MAR 5, RICHMOND VA – THE B AND B (EMAIL FOR INFO)
MAR 6, ATLANTA GA – RED LIGHT CAFE
MAR 7, MARIETTA GA – HOUSE CONCERT (EMAIL FOR INFO)
MAR 9, NASHVILLE TN – LIVE AT ANGELHOUSE SOUTH BENEFIT SHOW (EMAIL FOR INFO)

SPREAD THE WORD AND GET IN FOR FREE!
One of the best things about touring is getting the chance to meet cool new people and introduce them to our music (also Waffle House). We want to encourage you to help spread the word… so for any show on this tour, bring three friends and your ticket is on us! There may or may not be a group hug waiting for you at the venue as well. Just email us beforehand and we’ll make it happen.

NEW VIDEO – ALEX WONG/ANDREW NEMR JAM
As a thank you for reading, here’s a little gift for you…My friend (and tap dance virtuoso) Andrew Nemr was in town during Nashville’s recent snowmaggeddon and we got stuck inside my house during a storm. Naturally, hijinks ensued, in the form of a living room percussion/tap jam. Here’s the video proof of said hijinks. Enjoy:)

I can’t wait to see you on the road!