I am re-releasing my 2010 EP Are You Listening. It will be streaming on all major services this Friday the 13th of December.

 I released a pair of albums in the 2010's using my full name Ian Thomas Alexy. Consequently, I appear as two separate artists on music streaming sites. So, I am re-releasing those albums with new artwork under my current artist name (and real name) Ian Alexy.

Revisiting this music has brought back a flood of memories from my years living in Minneapolis and also my time out west on the road with Hobo Nephews Of Uncle Frank. The Hobos had just recorded and released three albums in the three preceding years, so I wanted to do something a little different.  So, I leaned into my British folk and blues influences, namely Led Zeppelin. I am forever a student of music, and I tried to I tried to capture some of the Zeppelin vibe. I went as far as studying Jimmy Page's guitar harmonies on Zep songs like Dancing Days and Misty Mountain Hop. I attempted to discover how he got those Arabic sounding intervals that are very particular to Zeppelin. In the end I got something else, that is hopefully closer to myself. However, this study pushed me in some interesting directions particularly on the songs You Better Pray, Not With Words and A Little Bit Further Back.

The record was recorded by Jeff Engholm in St. Cloud MN. and Jim Bartell in Minneapolis. The musicians include Paul Grill on drums, Jimmy Rodgers on bass, Carrie Deans on bass and backing vocals and Nate Sipe on Mandolin.

I just released a video for my version of Bruce Springsteen's Dancing In The Dark. This is the sixth and final video from my new EP Campfire Extraordinary. All six videos have been posted to the “videos and pics” page of this site. As many of you know I am originally from New Jersey, and yes I have been hearing Bruce Springsteen all of my life. However, I didn't really become a fan until after I moved away from home and heard the record Nebraska. Someone lent me the CD while I was painting a house. I listened to it over and over and have been a fan of The Boss ever since. I heard the him play Dancing In The Dark solo acoustic on his Broadway Netflix special and realized how well it works that way. My own version is in a different key with different chord voicings, and I did not try to replicate the iconic synth line that defines the original version. Much like with the rest of the cover songs from my Campfire Extraordinary EP I let this one filter through my own musicality and come out naturally through my own limitations. At any rate I hope I did a little bit of justice to it.

The video was shot by my friend Sarah Jane Hale and it also borrows footage from a public domain film called “Show Em' The Road.” Give it a watch and check out the new EP if you have not already. Thanks a million.

-Ian

artwork by Jake Manders

My new EP Campfire Extraordinary will be streaming on all major platforms Tuesday July 16th! It is a collection of six cover songs played mostly solo acoustic. I wanted to get some documentation of the cover songs that I do in my live sets. So I set up the mics in the dining room one night and played through a bunch of songs that I play regularly. When I listened back I was pleasantly surprised at what I heard and thought it might be nice to release some of them. I did two more sessions after that and picked what I felt were a group of songs that sat well together. The songs also tell a lot about my musical personality and influences.  

Paranoid. The opening song by Black Sabbath is one of the first songs I ever attempted to play on the guitar when I started at age 13. I always loved this vocal melody and the despairing lyric.

After The Gold Rush. Neil Young is probably my greatest musical influence and this is one of his very best songs. Usually played by Neil on the piano. The second verse contains the greatest lyrics I have ever heard.

A Face In The Crowd. This is one of the songs that made me a Tom Petty fan. Very haunting, but completely relatable. I added some chord voicings on the guitar that use the notes from the instrumental melody and hopefully add to the melancholy vibe song.

Little Lies. I didn't realize this was Fleetwood Mac when I heard it on the radio as a kid. I thought it was a newer 80's band because of the, at the time, modern synthesizer sounds. Christie Mcvie wrote incredible songs that can stand up in any environment. With just an acoustic guitar and a rough voice, this song still sings.

Angeles. This is the kind of song that can actually seduce you. Elliot Smith could just pull the listener into another world with enticingly sad songs. I tried to emulate his flamenco-like finger style guitar playing but could never get it. So, I instead used a country blues finger picking pattern with alternating bass notes played with the thumb.

Dancing In The Dark. I know this one has been covered by everybody and their cousin but it's hard to resist. Bruce Springsteen's songs are very challenging to sing for me because he changes the phrasing of each line to accommodate the lyrics. He could sing the same melody with three words, or thirteen words. It's like he reinvents the song with each line. Masterful. That's why they call him the Boss.

Tonight March the 12th, I will be doing a solo performance at The West Theatre in Duluth MN! I have played at the West before with Babie Eyes, and The Sydney Hansen Band and enjoy the space and the wonderful acoustics. This will be my first solo performance at the West and I am super excited! 

I will be supporting Tinsley Ellis who is on tour supporting his Billboard #1 Blues album The Naked Truth! It is a sparse and beautiful record that I definitely recommend! I'm looking forward to hearing it live.

Check my tour dates for more upcoming shows. Hope to see you up the road.

-Ian

We are just putting this website together so bear with us. However tour dates are posted!