"Band of Gold - Music & Lyrics: Russell Alexander (ASCAP)"
"Dear John - Music & Lyrics: Russell Alexander (ASCAP)"
Hitman Blues Band
I grew up in Amsterdam the Netherlands during the 80's and 90's My Dad, I have never known. My mom was a piano teacher and now she does not do much music these days but did have an uncanny resemblance to LeAnn Rimes and so back when I was a kid she'd grab an old nylon-string guitar, put a leg up on the couch and sing "Somewhere over the rainbow, Sunday Kind Of Love, Craze, all the songs from the album" Everybody's Sweetheart "." I look like my mom so I guess I have an uncanny resemblance to LeAnn Rimes as well. So, I grew up listening to pianists of varying talent and LeAnn Rimes songs. An odd mix, but at least we were surrounded by music.
I lived in München, Germany, for a while, and played many a coffeehouse... My theory was that since it was so cold, folks who came out to coffee houses to hear you A) really wanted to hear you and so didn't talk through your whole set, and didn't really want to head back out into the cold and so stayed for your whole set! This was new and strange for me and gave me much-needed motivation. I also played with the ECCB for a while until I met LB. I married him and soon we got a baby, Raphaela.
Now I'm settled down in Austin, TX, living it up with my husband, baby and dog. I like songs evolved from the twenty-something identity thing to singing about love, anniversaries, and blackberry pie. All the stuff of life ... I hope some day I would like to write my own music. But then I still learn a lot about, because the only thing I can take my Guitar and sing. But Writing down the music on pappier is quite a lot different than play the music.
I am inspired by the singing of Sam Cooke, Mavis Staples. LeAnn Rimes, Janis Joplin, Loretta Lynn, Jessica Andrews, Traci Kennedy, The Judds, Terri Clark, Emmylou Harris and much more hahaha.... Lyrically I am in awe of Bob Dylan, Greg Brown, Iris Dement, John Prine, Lucinda Williams... How do they take those everyday words and arrange them so perfectly?
My little ep has been a long time coming. It is truly an honor for me that you choose to listen.