Get Your “Trying-to-Impress-That-Indie-Girl” Outfit Ready: Alex G Set to Begin US Tour

In just a few weeks, Alex G will perform in Houston as part of his US tour.

With some dates already sold out, this tour is bound to be a triumphant post-lockdown return to touring for one of indie music’s most acclaimed stars in recent memory. The influence Alex G — formerly known as (Sandy) Alex G — has maintained on the indie music scene in the last few years is matched by few.

Initially building a following on the Bandcamp platform, he has managed to maintain a loyal audience throughout the years, largely attributed to his inventiveness and boundless creativity — even when writing music more traditional than experimental.

Alex G’s musical style is clear and consistent in the near-decade between his first and most recent albums, 2010’s Race and 2019’s House of Sugar. How exactly he approaches his music, however, is ever-evolving. A true singer-songwriter at heart, he continues to find new ways to keep his music from stagnating while sticking to his DIY ethos.

Photo by Tonje Thilesen

Long before the current trend of “bedroom pop” became marketable, Alex G was recording with a minimal, lofi setup. He still records this way, according to one interview, just with a “nicer microphone” and a laptop. The changes to his music have been in things like the instruments he uses, such as the violins and saxophones that appear in his later work, rather than the style.

By the mid-2010’s, Alex G had managed to attract the attention of one of music’s biggest names, Frank Ocean, who invited him to work on his 2016 albums, Blonde and Endless. Though the collaboration has been discussed ad nauseum since audiences became aware of it, I still find it significant enough to mention because of Alex G’s contribution to one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the last decade with his work on guitars for “Self Control” and “White Ferrari”. Not as spoken about, but just as impressive, are his contributions to five cuts on the visual album Endless.

Alex G has shown few signs of slowing down. Notoriously prolific and constantly touring, he is moving along today as fast as he ever has. His album streak since his label debut Beach Music should attest to the steam he still has left. If you want to be witness to one of the most eccentric contemporary songwriters, be sure to catch Alex G on tour this year in a city near you.