Graham Alexander & Co.
New York City, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2001 | INDIE
Music
Press
Alexander’s game plan was first conjured in 2011, when he found himself vexed by the music industry’s reluctance to commit to artists who didn’t conform to contemporary popular tastes. - SJ Magazine
Midway through his 20s, Alexander already is an accomplished singer-songwriter, bass player, studio producer and Broadway veteran, having performed as Paul McCartney in not one, but two Beatles-inspired Broadway shows.
Growing up in Haddonfield, Collingswood and Merchantville, Alexander was surrounded by music and taught to appreciate its past.
Now, as president of the Victor Talking Machine Co., he and his partners are unlikely heirs to one of the most culturally significant companies in American history.
For that, he has a Manhattan doorman to thank. - Courier Post
"As a kid I used to walk down near Camden with my mom," said Graham Alexander, 26, a South Jersey musician who now owns Victor Talking Machine Company. "I would point to dead factories. She'd say, 'That was RCA and before that it was Victor.' 'What does that mean?'" - WHYY Philadelphia
At the forefront of it all is Alexander, a 26-year-old musician and lifelong South Jersey resident. He has performed on Broadway in the shows Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles and Let It Be, released two albums and once ran a recording studio in Pennsauken. How he became president of a record label originally founded in 1901 is a bit of an unusual story. - South Jersey Magazine
When most preteen kids form a band, it typically starts and ends with middle school – maybe it'll last through your high school years, if you're lucky. But for New Jersey-born musician and songwriter Graham Alexander, the band he started nearly 15 years ago is still going strong, regularly touring and releasing new material.
What most people would be surprised to learn, though, is that in between pursuing his music career, it turns out Alexander is also a two-time award-winning Broadway performer. When we chatted with him recently about this, he explained to us how his work in theater helped him finance his rock project and expose him to new audiences, while also teaching him some valuable lessons about putting on a stellar show. - Sonicbids
Rock revivalist Graham Alexander first raised eyebrows when he stepped into the music scene with his self-titled album back in December of 2011 and his pop rock magnetism quickly won him a regional fanbase. In 2012, Graham was featured in our live studio sessions, performing alongside Find Vienna, and now the Camden-based artist is back again with new jams, a new record label and a new musical approach. - The Key
Graham Alexander is a musician, composer and entrepreneur who started off his business like many musicians – by forming his band of nearly 15 years. Their commitment to touring and their history at such a young age led to Graham Alexander & Co. In 2008 Graham formed LAIR Media as a parent company for the ventures of the touring production, as well as the administration of his own publishing rights. Through LAIR, he eventually formed a recording division which established studios in NJ for commercial recording production. - CBS Local Philadelphia
Graham Alexander may be something of a newcomer on the national music scene, but he’s far from inexperienced. “It’s a family-friendly show really, something everyone can enjoy, and it’s amazing to see people 10 years old with people that are 50 enjoying the same music together. And it’s new music — it’s not a blend of old music, it’s just new, written music. . . . There’s not a lot of acts who can do that these days, with the whole family.” - The Daily Gazette
Hearing and seeing this command of a stage was how I imagined seeing Springsteen, James Brown, or McCartney performing in their formative years. I didn’t think people like this existed anymore! The songs spoke to me, the lyrics intelligent, the melodies infectious, and all the while ORIGINAL. This “kid” hadn't studied computers or beat machines. He was a stone cold rock n’ roller with truly original and classic songwriting sensibilities that they just don't have in music today. - Larry Russell
Graham Alexander performed with Find Vienna as part of the fourth Key Studio Session Live concert which kicked off the 2012 Non-COMMvention. Listen here to Graham Alexander’s set. - The Key
Alexander The Great… There's something special about a 23-year-old with two first names who's already appeared in 150 shows on Broadway. Then again, that's Graham Alexander for you. The 23-year-old made heads nod and feet tap with his sizzling pop-rock single "Biggest Fan" off his self-titled debut EP released in December. The critically acclaimed song (ranked number six on Spotify's top tracks from 2011, selected by users) earned him multiple viral music videos… - Dover Post
page 16 - Tru4ia Magazine
The Beatles are ingrained into the musical fabric of Graham Alexander’s life. Alexander, 21, is the Paul McCartney lead in the Broadway production of the Beatles tribute “Rain.” Not to mention Alexander’s father, Fran Smith Jr. of The Hooters, formerly toured in “Beatlemania.” This is one book, or CD, that can figuratively be judged by its cover, as Alexander’s self-titled debut is exploding with Merseybeat melody and fine sonic craftsmanship in the venerable Lennon/McCartney tradition.
Sounding something akin to Sir Paul reborn through the filter of smart, Third Eye Blind-like melodic fire, “Don’t Give In Tonight” is laced with confident, crashing guitars and thick, orchestrated vocal harmonies. “The Light That Guides You Home” is pure Beatle-esque nirvana, like a lost Abbey Road outtake with its complex vocal cadence and crisp, resonating acoustic passages. Alexander’s songwriting encompasses all of the finest points of post-Liverpool pop, as traces of everything from Sugar’s Bob Mould to XTC’s Andy Partridge can be identified.
The gently jangling piano ballad “Have A Good Life” is a performance that belies Alexander’s age, the track carries an emotional weight in its theme of gracious, tip-of-the-hat romantic sendoff. Elsewhere, “Paralyzed” features one of the disc’s more radio-format crossover sensibilities, with an electronic hip-hop tinged beat and Jack Johnson-inspired lazy groove. At once inspired, musically daring and melodically contagious, Alexander’s music is the sound of an old soul being distilled through a 21st-century pop blender.
Expertly executed musical character, Alexander’s debut opens up a limitless world of Sgt. Pepper-influenced soundscape — his future couldn’t be brighter. - The Weekender
However easy it may be to dismiss The Beatles worshipper as retro-pop, Alexander does it all so well that he ends up infusing the sound with a new sense of warmth and honesty. And that's the most dangerous part about it. - The Deli Magazine
Alexander’s songs are without a doubt more fresh, hip and modern sounding without however losing that ever-present nostalgic sounding touch. - jamsphere.com
Graham Alexander delivers a debut album that is a better McCartney (Paul, not Jesse) album than any McCartney album in recent memory. With 10 infectious tracks backed by solid musicianship and even better singing, the future looks promising for this young artist. - Steve Karsch
"He has a great flexible voice, multi-instrument skills, and is a remarkable songwriter. His stuff is far more sophisticated than what Macca was writing at the equivalent age." - The Serial Obsessive
"Take a sample listen to Graham's debut EP and experience the talent that is Graham Alexander!" - Adaumbelle's Quest
When most people think about the epicenter of the recording industry, major cities like Los Angeles, New York, or even Memphis come to mind. But if you ask Graham Alexander, president of Victor Talking Machine Co., the city of Camden is really where it all started and he's on a mission to bring the historic label back to its roots. - South Jersey Magazine
Discography
- Repeat Deceiver (album), December 2014
- Graham Alexander (album), December 2011
- Graham Alexander (album) - Japan Release - September 2013
- Graham Alexander, Vol. 1 (EP), July 2011
- "Long Way Home" (single) - December 2013
Photos
Bio
Graham and his band perform original music, and if cover songs are requested, they have a solid repertoire of 100s of songs from the 50s, 60s, and 70s that they can perform.
With a style that is both eclectic and signature, Graham Alexander's
life has been dedicated to performing, composing and producing music
from an early age. Graham's upbringing brought him an incredibly diverse
palette of pop artists from Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra and American
folk music of the early 20th century, to Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Michael
Jackson, and 2Pac Shakur. Born in a severely depressed post-industrial
Camden, N.J., Graham's first guitar was picked from the garbage on
account of not being able to afford one on his own. From that point, he
and music of every kind became inseparable.
Having grown up with
the birth and progression of the internet (and the vast media
availability it granted the world), Graham never saw music as something
that needed to be genre-based. As a songwriter, he preferred the freedom
of writing what struck his mind as interesting at the moment rather
than adhering to a trend. This fearless and rebellious attitude towards
genre bending pushed him to produce and self release his first album in
2011 to rave reviews (quickly becoming a cult classic). Critics and fans
alike lauded the album for its neo-retro sensibility coupling
irresistibly catchy songs with organic and incredibly detailed
production. Spotify's top 100 songs chosen by fans playlist even
included the first single from the album "Biggest Fan" at #6 in its 2011
list. Shortly after, Graham Alexander with his band toured in support
of the album, building the Graham Alexander brand one set of ears at a
time.
In addition to his career as a solo artist, Graham's passion
for performance was nurtured by his work on Broadway as an actor,
musician, and musical director in various productions at the Neil Simon,
Brooks Atkinson, and St James theaters in New York City. It was during
his tenure in New York Cities' Broadway circuit that he began work on
his sophomore album, Repeat Deceiver.
In 2012, after
declining to sign his debut release to a record label, Graham sought to
form his own record company and label to sign and release his sophomore
follow-up album, Repeat Deceiver. Having purchased the
Victrola, His Master's Voice, and Victor Talking Machine Co. labels,
Graham acquired and reactivated Radio Corporation of America as the
parent company of his newly rebooted Victor Talking Machine Label Group,
returning it to the Camden, NJ area. In 2014, Graham merged his
original companies' production and administration facilities with Radio
Corporation of America and launched the recording division, Victor
Talking Machine Co./Victor Talking Machine Label Group.
Victor Talking Machine Co. issued Graham’s sophomore release, Repeat Deceiver, on December 19, 2014 on the revived Victrola Label.
Graham Alexander & Co. helped launch Victor Records' new headquarters along with the next single from his Repeat Deceiver LP. The label headquarters contain the label offices, historic archives, and a live music venue in the Greater Philadelphia area. The Repeat Deceiver/Victor Talking Machine Co. press tour began in the fall of 2015 and in January of 2016, Graham Alexander was named SJ Magazine's Person to Watch.
Band Members
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