Making it as an artist today can require a heavy helping of DIY spirit, and Tommy Alexander has that in spades. It carried the California born musician all the way to Burlington, Vermont, where he founded Jenke Arts, a nonprofit artists’ collective and record label, and eventually all the way back west, where he found a new artistic home in Portland, Oregon. Once in Portland, Alexander connected with producer Mike Coykendall, who has worked with a slew of indie darlings, including M. Ward, She and Him, Bright Eyes and Blitzen Trapper.
In January, 2018 Tommy founded Pilot Light Booking, a boutique booking agency based in Portland, OR. Since its inception, Alexander has kept a busy touring schedule of his own while managing and booking tours for a sizeable group of talent, including and not limited to; TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, Kassi Valazza, Bart Budwig, Izaak Opatz, Whiskerman, Henry Chadwick, Ezza Rose, and Mike Coykendall.
Alexander is also the head talent buyer at Bunk Bar, a 150 capacity live music venue in Portland. At Bunk Bar, Tommy focuses on facilitating a mixture of touring bands and curating a space dedicated to showcasing local talent.
Alexander creates a unique, infectious indie rock style all his own. His honest and heartfelt lyricism come to life in his songs which will strike a chord with you the very first listen. On June 5th the singer-songwriter plans to release his new album ‘Waves LP‘.
Today Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of “End Of The World,” a song that seems aptly and perhaps ominously timed for our current moment. But, despite its grim title, there is a glimmer of hope in the the ballad as Alexander pleads with us to take comfort in little moments of brightness at a time when those are really all we have. With the help of Taylor Kingman on guitar and backup vocals, Adam Witkowski on guitar and piano, Ian Wade on bass, and Buddy Weeks on drums, Alexander and his musical compatriots stir up a restrained and thoughtful alt-country song. There are twangy guitar solos to liven up the tune, but the poignant lyrics and vocals stay front and center throughout.
Alexander explains the inspiration and process behind the song:
“I wanted to write a victorious ballad for the protagonist in all of us. A light song about the heavy shit – rolling with the punches. In the end it became about empathy and how kindness and humility are heroic gestures in a world so self centered.
I wrote this song a week before we went in to make the record. The initial writing process was a freestyle onto a tape recorder. It was a song that almost came out in real time. At the time of making the record we hadn’t played the song as a band. We ran through it a couple times and then cut the track live. Listening back there was magic. It had raw feeling, restraint, drive and passion. The guys were all very enthusiastic about the take and the feel we had sunk into as a group.”
LISTEN:
Waves LP is out June 5th. For more music and info visit tommyalexander.com.
