July 21 2018

We recently caught up with Los Angeles Singer/ Songwriter and Composer, Andrae Alexander:

Exposed Vocals: Please share with our readers how you got started playing music.

I come from a musical family where everyone either sang, played an instrument, or wrote music. On top of that, my grandma took me to church EVERY Sunday, I was exposed to some great musicians there. I also spent a lot of time with my great-grandma who would let me play trumpet in a rural area in Maryland, Brandywine, and she would encourage me to play my pieces over and over again as if it was the best thing she had ever heard. Looking back, I know it sounded horrible. lol

Exposed Vocals: Are you originally from LA and do you find LA a highly competitive town for independent artists?

I was born in PG County, Maryland and I moved to Washington, D.C. when I was in junior high school. I moved to Los Angeles on March 1st, 2009 and have been working here ever since. Los Angeles is highly competitive because the best of the best come here to find success. One thing that I have learned is that Los Angeles has a fast and high turnover of people. Besides working to be better every day, if you stay past the 2-year mark, you would have statistically beat the majority of your competition.

Exposed Vocals: We read that your music has been featured on TV programming such as Empire and beyond. Please tell us how composing for TV is different from writing your own musical compositions.

Composing for TV is different because the experiences that you are writing about are not always your own. You have to create a story based on a character who has had experiences that you may not have had. With writing for myself, I can just sink into whatever emotion I’m feeling at the moment and let the words come.

Exposed Vocals: Who are your musical influences and how have they shaped your journey?

My mom is one of my biggest musical influences because of her love for a lot of different genres of music. She does not discriminate between Country music or Trap music, she only cares about a well-crafted song. She also gave me a love for learning. When my mom saw my musical ability developing, she bought a keyboard, later a trumpet, and then paid for lessons to prepare me for a career in music. It was her love for music, willingness to allow me the time and space to be a really bad musician, and of course her money that paid for lessons and competitions and trips; all of this laid the foundation for me being able to do what I do today.

Exposed Vocals: You have worked with some of the top names in the industry, any favorites?

Everyone that I have had the privilege of working with gave me a nugget of knowledge that has shaped my way of thinking about music. I appreciate every experience, however, Allee Willis, Jesse “Corparal” Wilson”, Ne-Yo, and Priscilla Renea are my favorites. Once you see them work, you are clear on where the bar for whatever is above excellence is located.

Exposed Vocals: Favorite venues you have played?

I have played at quite a few venues while playing for major artists. On my own, The Blue Note in New York, The Cotton Club in Japan, and Blues Alley in D.C. have been my favorite spots because of the intimacy you feel with the audience.

Exposed Vocals: Favorite venues you have yet to play?

To be honest, I would say festivals would be my next move. There are still countless other venues that I would love to play, I would be interested in seeing how it feels to be a headliner for large venues. A dream come true would be to play at the Kennedy Center. I have been dreaming of performing on that stage since I was in the 8th grade when I did not make it into their youth orchestra program.

Exposed Vocals: Tell us about your new single and the inspiration behind the music.

I was asked to write a song for a movie. Once I sat down to write, I saw this beautiful scene in my mind of a couple simply enjoying each other’s company. In a culture that would rather text than actually meet in person, I wanted to embody the feeling of being with someone that you want to be around, creating experiences that you will be able to tell your grandkids about.

Exposed Vocals: Where can we catch a live show soon?

I’m performing at the Central Avenue Jazz Festival on July 29th, 2017 at 4:15pm on the Tito Puente stage. Other than that, I open to performing at more festivals.