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Alex G

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Alex G
Alex G performing at SXSW in Austin, Texas, 2015
Alex G performing at SXSW in Austin, Texas, 2015
Background information
Birth nameAlexander Giannascoli
Also known as(Sandy) Alex G (from 2017–2020)
Born (1993-02-03) February 3, 1993 (age 31)
Havertown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • drums
  • keyboards
  • bass
  • banjo
DiscographyAlex G discography
Years active2009–present
Labels
Formerly ofThe Skin Cells , MOTHER , Darrell And His Barrels , Japanese Water Plant, The Debasers
Websitesandyalexg.com

Alexander Giannascoli (born February 3, 1993), better known by his stage names Alex G or, formerly, (Sandy) Alex G,[1] is an American musician, producer, and singer-songwriter. He started his career playing in multiple local bands such as the Skin Cells before he decided to pursue his own music career as a soloist. At 17, he began to record his own music and released his first album under the name Sandy (Alex G) in 2010. DIY self-releases on Bandcamp and began building up an audience with his label debut, DSU (2014), released on Orchid Tapes to critical acclaim from various publications. He later signed with Lucky Number, who reissued his earlier releases, Rules and Trick (2012).

In 2015, he signed with Domino Recording Company and released his sixth studio album, Beach Music. He followed it in 2017 with Rocket, which received further acclaim and recognition. Giannascoli's eighth studio album, House of Sugar, was released in 2019. In 2022, Alex scored American director Jane Schoenbrun's film We're All Going to the World's Fair, and later released his ninth album, God Save the Animals. He signed with RCA Records in early 2024, and additionally scored Schoenbrun's I Saw the TV Glow.

Early life and career

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Giannascoli was born in 1993 in Havertown, Pennsylvania.[2] His father's family originates from Abruzzo in Southern Italy.[3] He also grew up with his older brother, David Allen Scoli. At age 11, he learned how to play the guitar that David gave him and began recording music.[4][5] While attending Haverford High School, Giannascoli made two albums that he shared with friends.[6] He experimented with different musical styles while making collaborative music. This included the "goth techno" he made with his sister in their band MOTHER, as well as the projects involving his high school band The Skin Cells, described as "pop rock that accidentally ended up being punk".[4] The Skin Cells band was home to some unreleased music from Alex (such as "Tie me down", "Nintendo 64", and more). In 2011, Giannascoli enrolled at Temple University, where he studied English in hopes of becoming a teacher, eventually dropping out to pursue a career in music.[2][6][7]

After self-releasing various albums, EPs, and singles on Bandcamp from 2010 to 2012, Giannascoli's popularity spread through word of mouth, blogs, and reverence by other musicians.[8] The Fader called Giannascoli "the internet's secret best songwriter."[4] This led to Orchid Tapes signing Giannascoli to its roster, as well as the release of his label debut DSU (2014),[4] which garnered acclaim from music critics.[9] Following the release of the album, Giannascoli went on tour throughout North America and Europe.[6] In November, DSU was released by Lucky Number in Europe on all formats with two new bonus tracks. The label later also reissued his two preceding releases, 2012's Rules and Trick.[10]

In 2014, Giannascoli signed with Domino Recording Company and released his debut with the label Beach Music on October 9.[11] The following year, Giannascoli worked with Frank Ocean on his albums Endless and Blonde, providing guitars and arrangements for several songs.[12] He also joined Ocean's live band on guitar for his 2017 tour.[13]

On March 2, 2017, Giannascoli announced that his second album with Domino, titled Rocket, would be released on May 19 and shared the first two singles, "Bobby" and "Witch".[14][15] On April 4, Giannascoli announced the change of his stage name from Alex G to (Sandy) Alex G, with no further explanation, and shared another single from the album, "Proud".[16][17] The music publication Spin attributed the name change to a legal conflict with singer and YouTuber Alex Blue, who was operating at the time under the trademarked name "Alex G".[18] On choosing the name 'Sandy', Giannascoli said it "was the first thing [he] put on Bandcamp" and that he had "just used that 'Sandy' as a sort of [social media] tag" since then.[18] On May 4, he released two more singles, "Brick" and "Sportstar", before the release of the album. Rocket received acclaim from music critics and appeared on multiple publications' year-end lists of the best albums of 2017.[19]

Giannascoli's eighth studio album, House of Sugar, was released on September 13, 2019. The album received positive reviews and placed 17th on Pitchfork's year-end best albums list.[20] In June 2020, he dropped "(Sandy)" from his stage name, returning to going by Alex G.[21]

Giannascoli scored the film We're All Going to the World's Fair, released on April 8, 2022.[22] Giannascoli also scored Jane Schoenbrun's film I Saw the TV Glow, which was released by A24 in 2024.

Giannascoli's ninth studio album, God Save the Animals was released on September 23, 2022.[23]

In January 2024, Giannascoli announced his signing with RCA Records and an upcoming tour supporting the band Foo Fighters.[24] He contributed to 8 tracks on The Great Impersonator by Halsey.

Musical style

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Giannascoli's music is often characterized as indie rock with a lo-fi aesthetic due to him recording all of his music by himself in his home. He is frequently compared to singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, who is an influence of his. Other comparisons include Built to Spill and The Martinis.[4] The Philadelphia Inquirer praised him as "a particularly gifted melody writer" whose "fuzzy, sometimes distorted songs, which hark back to slightly askew 1990s bands such as Pavement, can't hide his skill as a pop craftsman and a constructor of elliptical narratives that call for repeated listening."[6] He stated that his creative process consists of him usually working alone in his room with his guitar and adding other instruments later. When asked about working in a professional recording studio, he replied, "I feel like I'm eventually going to have to do that, but I just don't want to. Because I don't know how to work all that stuff, and I don't want anyone else to have control. I just want to follow my own ideas, and I'm uncomfortable doing it any other way."[6] Despite being formerly hesitant to record his music in professional studios, Giannascoli's God Save the Animals was studio-recorded with help from Jacob Portrait during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Discography

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Main article: Alex G discography

Studio albums

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Soundtrack albums

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References

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  1. ^ DeVille, Chris (June 16, 2020). "Alex G Officially Drops the (Sandy)". Stereogum.
  2. ^ a b Donelson, Marcy. "(Sandy) Alex G | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  3. ^ Ianne, Stefania (September 14, 2019). "Intervista a (Sandy) Alex G: "Il mio processo creativo è far girare i dadi, fino quando ti dici: oh eccolo!"". Rumore. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e McDermott, Patrick (May 1, 2014). "Who is Alex G? Meet the Internet's Secret Best Songwriter". The Fader. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  5. ^ "Where Is My Mind?: Alex G". The Deli Magazine. Retrieved October 13, 2018.[dead link‍]
  6. ^ a b c d e DeLuca, Dan (December 7, 2014). "Alex G: One-man band a Philly indie success". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  7. ^ Borcas, Matt (September 30, 2015). "The Prolific Alex G Professionalizes his Song Machine". grantland. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  8. ^ Feinberg, Hannah (April 8, 2014). "On Our Radar: Emerging Philly Musician Alex G." Philadelphia. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  9. ^ Thompson, James F. "Alex G is sharing his hidden talents". Crack. Crack Industries Limited. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  10. ^ "Alex G – Trick / Rules". luckynumbermusic.com. January 27, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  11. ^ Spanos, Brittany (August 13, 2015). "Prolific Indie Singer Alex G Announces New Album, 'Beach Music'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  12. ^ Strauss, Matthew (October 13, 2016). "Alex G Opens Up About Working With Frank Ocean". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  13. ^ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (August 1, 2017). "Meet The Band Members Behind Frank Ocean's Intimate Festival Performances". Fader. The FADER Inc.
  14. ^ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (March 2, 2017). "Listen To Two New Songs From Alex G's Upcoming Rocket Album". The Fader. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  15. ^ Rettig, James (March 2, 2017). "Alex G – "Bobby" & "Witch"". Stereogum. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  16. ^ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (April 4, 2017). "Alex G Announces Name Change To (Sandy) Alex G, Shares New Single "Proud"". The Fader. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  17. ^ Kim, Michelle Hyun (April 4, 2017). "Alex G Changes Name to (Sandy) Alex G". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  18. ^ a b Arcand, Rob (May 19, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G Is Indie Rock's Humble Star: "I'm Just Trying to Make Songs That Sound Good"". Spin. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  19. ^ Richards, Will (May 4, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G Shares Two New Tracks And Announces Uk Tour". DIY. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  20. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2019". Pitchfork. CN Entertainment. December 10, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  21. ^ DeVille, Chris (June 16, 2020). "Alex G Officially Drops The (Sandy)". Stereogum. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  22. ^ Torres, Eric (April 19, 2022). "We're All Going to the World's Fair (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Pitchfork. CN Entertainment. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  23. ^ Bloom, Madison (June 21, 2022). "Alex G Announces New Album, Shares Video for New Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  24. ^ Rigotti, Alex (January 20, 2024). "Alex G announces record deal with RCA and 2024 tour". NME. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
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