Meet Joseph Alexander | Pop Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joseph Alexander and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joseph, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Anything worth doing usually has some risk involved. Being an artist is all about risk, anyway—you’re not guaranteed income, you’re not guaranteed to find an audience, and there’s no clear and obvious path to be successful like some other career paths. If I didn’t take risks, I wouldn’t be an artist. I’d just be another daydreamer, scared to do anything about it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art comes from a place of pure love and adoration for pop music and pop culture. Pop is so much more than what people might think are just catchy radio hits; it has true soul and passion like any other type of music or artistic expression. The beauty of pop music is that you can both be serious and completely ridiculous and “shallow” at the same time, and there are countless opportunities to be subversive and really make people think. It’s just in pop music, they’re also probably dancing and partying.

Perhaps what sets me apart is that I’m deeply uninterested in what people think and say about me. I love hearing support and praise, of course, but that will never dictate my artistry. I do what I do for myself before anyone else, and just hope that maybe someone will feel what I put into my music. After all, any “successful” artist has to be at least a little bit delusional.

I’m very excited right now; my new single from the upcoming album, ‘Soulless,’ is out everywhere on 10/20! It’s a really fun, slightly satirical take on the “soullessness” that’s associated with pop culture and social media. It’s also a genuine question—”Am I soulless, baby? Have I lost my humanity?” Growing up and witnessing the birth and evolution of social media can certainly make you question reality and the humanity of the digital realm.

I’m also incredibly excited for my collaboration with Buenos Aires pop star La Dro (from his upcoming album), coming in November!

Getting to a point where you actually release finished music is a huge milestone for any artist, and I encourage any songwriter or artist of any kind to share your work. This time around is not my first rodeo, but it’s just as nerve-wracking as the very first time. I’ve learned that there’s no perfect time and you can drown yourself in the details and get in your own way. There’s no right way or right time, you just have to commit.

If there’s any takeaway about who Joseph Alexander is, it’s that I’m not a salesperson. I make music because I think I’d die if I didn’t, and it’s the purest expression and most honest I could ever be about myself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My best friend did actually visit recently for a weekend trip! We didn’t have enough time to go everywhere, but we hit Southpoint for some shopping, Flying Biscuit for brunch, and MILKLAB for some late afternoon Boba.

For nightlife, Legends in Raleigh is somewhere you have to go at least once. Pinhook in Downtown Durham is also a really fun, intimate bar and Vivica C. Coxx and the whole House of Coxx are incredible performers, and such a joy to watch perform. Tip those queens, darling!!!

Silverspot movie theater in Chapel Hill is a favorite, too. Who doesn’t want cocktails delivered directly to your seat?

I also have to say that any of the many trails around the area are awesome. Eno River (a personal favorite) is so beautiful and serene, and there’s so much to explore. My fiancé and I take our dog daughter Sace there every year for our anniversary!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I can’t narrow it down to just one, all these people are so instrumental.

I’m incredibly grateful to so many people who’ve influenced and inspired me to never give up, but more than anyone else, my parents. Both of them are violinists, so they never squandered my childhood dreams of being something of a rock star and always, always believed in me. I still send my dad demos and concepts of songs I’m writing because I know he won’t BS me and give me empty praise. Having your family support your dreams and truly believe in you is such a privilege, and I’m so thankful to have the family I have.

Al Jacob at Warrior Sound took me seriously as an artist when I’d never been in a studio before, and he’s recorded every single track I’ve released so far and I’m excited to continue collaborating with him. Chris Bradham (aka Dovetails) also assisted in some production and mixing my album, and had such wonderful insights into crafting music and really added something special to the final record.

I also honestly couldn’t answer this without mentioning Lady Gaga—growing up as a queer, first-generation Asian-American in North Carolina was never easy, but seeing this fearless bleach blonde, meat-wearing, vessel-riding weirdo dancing and singing her heart out with the most infectious passion, with INTENTION behind every move, made me feel like I could do and be anything. I owe most everything I know about pop music to her.

Finally, I have to thank my incredibly talented friend and fellow pop artist from Buenos Aires—La Dro. We found each other on Twitter (back when that existed…) and had such mutual admiration for each other’s art and started keeping in touch. His belief in me as an artist gives me a sense of obligation to follow through. It’s easy to want to give up, but Dro texts me everyday to “just release your album, you’re killing me, please I need it.”

Instagram: instagram.com/thejosephalexander

Facebook: facebook.com/thejosephalexander

Youtube: youtube.com/@thejosephalexander

Other: Spotify Profile: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ABWXHXaNPK8iZNDn2gZuf?si=LCD7wL8ISb6WpF3Q8JHwyA Apple Music Profile: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/joseph-alexander/1274527480

Image Credits
Josh Flynn Tanner Messer Joseph Alexander Jenna Schad