Artist Spotlight ~ Lasers Lasers Birmingham

Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our readers to some deserving up and coming artists/bands. They have made an impact on us for all the right reasons. We think they kick ass, and we hope you do too! Today we’d like to shine the spotlight on Lasers Lasers Birmingham!

Tipping the Stetson hat that covers his scruffy hair, Lasers Lasers Birmingham carries on the legacy of hard living, left of center country music from the city of angels.

Alex Owen says he is inspired by classic country but with themes that are very “un-country.” Explaining further he said, “I believe the job of the artist is to report on their time, place and experience. So, it would be inauthentic of me to attempt to sound exactly like my country music heroes.” With a knack for lyrics, phrasing and songwriting, Owen accomplishes what he sets out to do and The Daily Country has described his music as, “…awash in modern day storytelling that retains true, traditional country sensibilities.”

You can tell it will be an atypical night just by scanning the crowd at a Lasers Lasers Birmingham show. Mohawked fans mingled with unironic cowboy hats, and some country-loving fans bring their kids along. Every show has a few guarantees: Self-aware cowboy songs ranging from sarcastic to tender, an engaging performance where the audience is encouraged to shout out or sing along, and at some point, you will witness something simultaneously familiar and absolutely brand new.

We sat down with Alex Owen of Lasers Lasers Birmingham for a fun Q&A session.

Every superhero or villain has an origin, and a band is no different minus the radioactive spiders and secret government experiments. What is the origin of Lasers Lasers Birmingham?

A lot of people ask me how I landed on the band name, so here it goes. I had a great baseball coach in High School, his name was Birmingham. He told me “Life is easy, you learn the fundamentals and you execute them.” I’m still working on that one, but when I arrived in Los Angeles I found out pretty quickly that fundamentals aren’t enough. You need something flashy to get people to pay attention. Lasers Lasers is the flashy bit, and Birmingham is the down-home bit. Seems to work since I’m doing classic country inspired tunes at a time when everyone seems so distracted or has so many options for entertainment.

Name five albums that inspired you to become a musician.