A Dirty Dozen with NICOLE ALEXIS – March 2026

Photo credit: kesa_luxe

According to a recent press release: “Alt-acoustic artist Nicole Alexis (stylized as N/A) is excited to announce her forthcoming EP Mirrors and Smoke, due out April 17th. Mirrors and Smoke features recent single “Don’t Tell Me To Breathe” as well as 4 brand new tracks, all written and conceived by the multi-instrumentalist songwriter, who oversaw every element of the production. Nicole Alexis is a Nashville-based alternative singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer carving her own lane in modern DIY rock. After spending years behind the scenes writing and producing for other artists, Nicole quietly built her own project from the ground up. Performing, producing, and engineering every release herself. Despite her technical precision and self-produced catalog, Nicole maintains the grounded accessibility of the girl next door, cultivating a transparent and highly engaged online community that grows with every release. As she prepares a new wave of acoustic-leaning EPs and live performance projects, Nicole Alexis stands as a true one-woman operation — proving that modern alternative music doesn’t need a machine behind it, just vision, grit, and truth.” We get Nicole to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

My latest release lives somewhere between alternative rock and confessional singer-songwriter. A lot of it comes from real situations and relationships that stuck with me longer than they probably should have. I tend to write very honestly and then build the production around the emotion rather than the other way around. One thing listeners might miss on the first listen are the small sonic details buried in the production. I produce most of my music myself, so treat production as a way to add extra emotion. There are subtle guitar layers, background textures, and vocal stacks that are meant to create atmosphere rather than jump out immediately. There are also a lot of lyrical callbacks across songs. Certain lines or ideas reappear in different ways depending on the emotional perspective of the song. For people who follow the project closely, it starts to feel like pieces of the same story unfolding over time.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I always knew I wanted to play music. From a very young age I was drawn to instruments and experimenting with sound. When I was about five years old, I told my parents I wanted to play drums, so they took me to our local music shop to sign up for lessons. The owner looked at us and said I was probably a little too young to start on drums and suggested I begin with piano instead. After just a few lessons, we realized I had a pretty natural ear for music. I could hear a melody and play it back quickly without really thinking about it. Not long after that I finally got my drum lessons, and that opened the floodgates. Suddenly I wanted to learn every instrument I could get my hands on. The music store also had a rock band program, and that’s where things really took off for me. I started playing in bands and performing all over the Atlanta metro area throughout middle school and high school. Around that same time I began writing my own songs based on personal experiences. The moment I realized music was more than just a hobby was when I discovered I could express emotions through songwriting in ways I couldn’t always say out loud. That was the point where I knew I didn’t just want to play music, I wanted to build my life around it.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

The 90’s and early 2000’s alternative era had a massive impact on me. Bands like Linkin Park, Goo Goo Dolls, and Smashing Pumpkins were huge influences because they combined melody with emotional intensity. Songs like “Iris” or “Numb” showed me that rock music could be vulnerable without losing power. Those artists balanced big emotional songwriting with really strong sonic identity, and that’s something I’ve always tried to bring into my own music.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

John Mayer had a major impact on my guitar playing and I have huge respect for his guitar pieces. If I could collaborate with anyone it would probably be him just so I can learn whatever guitar riff he were to come up with, that would be so fun!

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

When I am not in the studio or on tour I am most likely recording videos or practicing videography. I love film, story telling and color grading. Capturing the emotion of a moment and visualizing that whether through video or music is something I love. If I am just chilling at home, I am most likely playing video games or hanging out with my puppies.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I usually describe it as alternative singer / songwriter. There’s a mix of raw emotional songwriting, atmospheric production, and guitar-driven moments. Some songs lean stripped down and intimate while others are more explosive heavy strumming. As far as comparisons, I’ve had people say things like “female dashboard confessional,” or “Michelle Branch” which is a huge complement because I grew up on 2000’s alternative rock and pull massive influences from the 90s and 2000s melodies and lyrics.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Everybody in the band is pretty chill! Normally when we’re together on a run it consists of lots of fast food, food trucks and Buc-ees visits. My brother plays with us sometimes and he’s always the first to crack out the acoustic and never doesn’t have a guitar in his hand.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

The last time I was starstruck was when I was in the elevator at Vans Warped Tour with Demi Lovato. I couldn’t even get myself to say hi even though we were the only ones in the elevator lol.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best part is the connection with people. There’s something really powerful about playing a song live and seeing an audience react in real time. Music has a way of making complete strangers feel connected for a few minutes. If I couldn’t be a musician, I’d probably still want to work in some kind of creative field. Maybe filmmaking or visual storytelling. I’m really drawn to the idea of creating immersive worlds, whether that’s through music or visuals.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

A question I wish someone would ask more often is “What part of songwriting still surprises you?” Even after writing a lot of songs, it’s still surprising where ideas come from. Sometimes the best ideas show up when you’re not trying to write at all and you’re just playing around with a guitar or a melody and suddenly something clicks. Those moments are what keep the process exciting and I never know what is going to come out and the real time processing of emotions is so cool to me. A question I’m a little tired of is the classic “Where do you see yourself in five years?” because music careers don’t really follow predictable timelines. Most artists are just trying to make the next great song and build from there.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

There is no single moment I wish I could have a “do over” however there are many moments I wish I would have taken a bit more of a risk. In the past I have held back releasing music because I was either scared of how people would interpret the lyrics or I didn’t feel like the production was quite there. Looking back at all the music I have released, it reminds me of that period of time and what was going on in my life and exactly how I felt in that moment. I wish I would have been less picky and just got more music out.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would love to go back in time to be a part of the making of Brand New Eyes by Paramore. The musicianship on that record is insane and I am always fascinated by Zac Farro’s drumming. The amount of times I listened to this record growing up is insane and being a fly on the wall while they made that would be so cool.

NICOLE ALEXIS LINKS:

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Category: Interviews