Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our listeners to some deserving up and coming artists/bands. They have made an impact on us for all of the right reasons. We think they kick ass and we hope you do too! Today we’d like to shine the spotlight on award winning songwriter/producer/musician Billy Alexander!
After racking up countless road miles on tour with his band YYNOT, John Waite and Anna Nalick, producing, writing, and recording for various artists, and having two Billboard charting songs with his band Feel, Billy Alexander is set to deliver his debut solo album Rock & Roll Diary in 2024.
The first taste of what’s to come is the song and video release for “Hammer Of The Gods” on March 5. Stream it here: https://orcd.co/q9kqr55
His upcoming debut album Rock & Roll Diary is a nine song-set that covers the full spectrum of rock n’ roll genres. “After writing and producing three albums for my band YYNOT and years of writing for other artists, I started writing a batch of songs with no aim or intention other than just to write for myself. The songs were shaping themselves up to be a kind of reflection of my early influences and inspirational bands and artists from my youth and beyond. Some progressive rock and others more classic rock. Hints of Rush, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Tom Petty, The Beatles, and others were creeping into my creative process more and more,” shares Alexander.
He continues, “When it came time to start putting the songs together in the studio, I felt even more liberated to just make a record in the spirit of the ones that lit my fire as a young teen and helped shape me as a guitarist, songwriter, and musician. Yet, I didn’t just go for an obvious “retro” vibe as I’m still very much into the here and now in terms of current influences and growth in all areas. As much as this record is a celebration of my rock and roll heroes, at its core it’s my story. But hopefully a story many others can relate to. My goal was to make a modern-classic Rock and Roll record similar to the ones I love.”
Alexander has also established himself as a songwriter and producer earning one of Songwriter Universe Magazine’s Top 5 Best Songs “Life is Beautiful” with Ginger Reyes (Smashing Pumpkins). He won ‘Best Country Album’ at the San Diego Music Awards and was named Best Producer by the LA Music Critic Awards for his work with Alaina Blair.
We sat down for a short, but fun Q&A session with Billy Alexander!
Every superhero and villain has an origin or backstory and an artist is no different. Well, minus the radioactive spiders and secret government experiments. What’s the origin of Billy Alexander’s musical career?
Well, the “journey” probably started at 5 years old plunking on piano, my Uncle’s guitar. Then after becoming a KISS fan at 8, turned to posing with my Sister’s tennis racket to get more “stage moves” LOL.
I Bought a neighbor’s crappy acoustic when I was 10 for $30. A year after that, got a beat up electric I played through my Sister’s stereo (which I cranked to get it to distort) to play Rush riffs. Then by the time I was 16 I was playing professionally 4 days a week in clubs. At 17 I was teaching guitar lessons in a local Maryland music store. At 19 I wrote and recorded my first original songs in a professional studio and by 21 I moved to Los Angeles to start a more serious desire to be a full-blown original artist.
Tell us about your new album song “Hammer of the Gods” and upcoming album Rock & Roll Dairy. What were the writing and recording processes like for you?
“Hammer Of The Gods” is a salute to some of the bands of the 70’s who went big and bold. Re-shaping rock by allowing their imaginations and musical skills to take them to new places. Not afraid to experiment with new sounds, arrangements or write more intellectual pieces. Critics of the time often calling them “self-indulgent” while I call it “adventurous”.
This was the last song I wrote for the record. It came pretty quickly as I’m so often inspired by looking back to the groundbreaking artists from what I consider for me to be a bit of a golden age. I felt like so much of this record is my personal diary or love affair with music and specifically the Rock music and bands that just sent my imagination wild.
For the recording I just went for every natural instinct without questioning anything. If I felt like going over the top or anything that I would not normally do in today’s modern music environment, and that that little voice in my head might tell me to pull back, I did the opposite. And once again going all in as a tribute to those bands that went big and bold with no apologies.
Some artists cite when they heard a specific album or saw a band live as when they knew music was going to be their life. When were you bitten by the music bug?
I would have to say it was when I heard Rush’s 2112 “Overture and The Temples Of Syrinx” when I was 10 years old while sitting in the back seat of my sister’s boyfriends’ car after school one day. I thought I heard the name “Rush” as I was looking for something new. So, I asked him if he had any cassettes of a band with that name and he popped that one in. That day changed my life.
You have written songs for and produced various artists in multiple genres and recorded and toured with your band YYNOT and John Waite just to name a few of your accomplishments. Can you talk to us a bit about how all of this impacted your decision making when it came to the creation of Rock & Roll Diary?
I’d say it’s all of that; my experiences (good and bad), what I’ve learned from working with great people, what I’ve learned not to do, what I’ve learned from watching people who are just doing it at a world class level. That includes other engineers in the studio I’ve observed and the various live musicians I’ve had the pleasure of working with. I’m a sponge, because while I may never be great, I have an endless desire to learn from anyone and everyone to at least make me better.
So, when it came to making my own record, I brought all of that into it. And for the first time in my career, instead of handing over my songs and ideas to another artist (which I do love), I thought I’d just try making a record exactly how I heard it in my head and make a record I’d like to hear. And there was a lot of freedom in not writing for someone else to represent but instead just doing whatever I felt like. There can also be a certain loneliness in working entirely by yourself too though. And of course, I’ll always love working with others and especially my own band YYNOT. There’s nothing like the energy and enthusiasm of working with people you dig and have chemistry with.
“Hammer of the Gods” has a classic rock energy, while still feeling fresh. Was that organic or intentional?
As I said previously, most of it was just letting it happen for better or worse and just going for it. I think that was the most fun thing about it. A few times when I was recording it, I was sort of chuckling to myself at how almost silly it was because it was a bit like that little kid in me from all those years ago was saying “yes! Cool! Do that! That’s awesome!” So, my serious adult producer mind just said fuck it, have fun.
You have spent a good part of your career touring. Do you have a favorite tour or show story you can share?
There are so many! Some years back I was in a band on Curb records and our album art designers Henry Diltz and Gary Burden (The Eagles, The Doors, CSNY etc.) were around us a lot taking photos of us and getting to know the band to design the album artwork. During that time Gary’s best friend Neil Young watched us play and hung out with us a bit. There was a moment during one of my guitar solos that Neil was doing air guitar to me lol and I missed it! The guys told me after. Later that year at the end of a long tour our RV and trailer and all of our gear was stolen in Philly. We had one show left on the tour in Nashville on our way back to LA for Christmas and we rented a van and used rental gear to play that last show sort of with our heads hanging low, yet still not losing our sense of humor about it. Hey that’s life and that’s show biz. You gotta take the good with the bad. Makes for good songwriting and I guess a good story lol.
If Rock & Roll Dairy were a cocktail, what would be in it?
Old Fashioned. Classic bourbon, dash of bitters, some sweet sugar with a twist. Followed by a few beers with friends.
Connect with Billy Alexander online:
