Alex G

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 with 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, and his ninth album God Save the Animals was released on September 23, 2022.

Alex G
Alex G performing at the St Jerome's Laneway Festival in Brisbane, 2018
Alex G performing at the St Jerome's Laneway Festival in Brisbane, 2018
Background information
Birth nameAlexander Giannascoli
Also known as(Sandy) Alex G (from 2017–2020)
Born (1993-02-03) February 3, 1993
Havertown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
GenresIndie rock, indie folk, slacker rock, lo-fi, folktronica, alternative
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • drums
  • keyboards
  • bass
DiscographyAlex G discography
Years active2009–present
Labels
Formerly ofThe Skin Cells
Websitesandyalexg.com

Early life and career

Giannascoli was born in 1993 in Havertown, Pennsylvania.[2] His father's family originates from Abruzzo in central Italy.[3] At age 11, he learned how to play his brother's guitar 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, which 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] In 2011, Giannascoli enrolled at Temple University, where he studied English in hopes to become a teacher, but eventually dropped out to pursue a musical career.[2][6]

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.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9]

In 2015, Giannascoli signed with Domino Recording Company and released his debut with the label Beach Music on October 9.[10] The following year, Giannascoli worked with Frank Ocean on his albums Endless and Blonde, providing guitars and arrangements for several songs.[11]

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".[12][13] 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".[14][15] 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".[16] 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.[16] 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.[17]

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.[18] In June 2020, he dropped "(Sandy)" from his stage name, returning to going by Alex G.[19]

Giannascoli scored the film We're All Going to the World's Fair, released on April 8, 2022.[20]

Giannascoli's ninth studio album, God Save the Animals was released on September 23, 2022.[21]

Musical style

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
Main article: Alex G discography

Studio albums

Soundtrack albums

References
  1. "Alex G Officially Drops the (Sandy)". June 16, 2020.
  2. "(Sandy) Alex G | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  3. "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. 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.
  6. 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. Feinberg, Hannah (April 8, 2014). "On Our Radar: Emerging Philly Musician Alex G." Philadelphia. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  8. "Alex G is sharing his hidden talents". Crack Magazine. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  9. "Alex G – Trick / Rules". luckynumbermusic.com. January 27, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  10. Spanos, Brittany (August 13, 2015). "Prolific Indie Singer Alex G Announces New Album, 'Beach Music'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  11. Strauss, Matthew (October 13, 2016). "Alex G Opens Up About Working With Frank Ocean". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  12. Dandridge-lemco, Ben (March 2, 2017). "Listen To Two New Songs From Alex G's Upcoming Rocket Album". The Fader. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  13. Rettig, James (March 2, 2017). "Alex G – "Bobby" & "Witch"". Stereogum. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  14. 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.
  15. Michelle, Kim (April 4, 2017). "Alex G Changes Name to (Sandy) Alex G". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  16. 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.
  17. Richards, Will (May 4, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G Shares Two New Tracks And Announces Uk Tour". DIY. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  18. "The 50 Best Albums of 2019". Pitchfork. CN Entertainment. December 10, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  19. DeVille, Chris (June 16, 2020). "Alex G Officially Drops The (Sandy)". Stereogum. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  20. 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.
  21. Bloom, Madison (June 21, 2022). "Alex G Announces New Album, Shares Video for New Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
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