Connecting the Dots with Brandi & The Alexanders
(Brandi & The Alexanders, Photo Credit Beth Crane)
Brandi & the Alexanders are a 5-piece genre-bending R&B band from Brooklyn, NY. Initially formed as a classic soul cover band, by 2016 they had begun writing original material inspired by Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, and Lauryn Hill, culminating in their 2018 release How Do You Like It? released by Red Parlor Records. Their unique brand of music fuses Brandi's stunning vocals and confessional delivery with 90’s g-funk arrangements and a swaggering rhythm section that will make you want to raise your fist.
In preparation for the band's Delaware debut, we chatted with powerhouse front person Brandi Thompson about her musical beginnings, some of her biggest challenges, and more. Catch Brandi & The Alexanders at The Ladybug Music Festival in Wilmington, Delaware May 20th at 6:40PM at Studio on Market!
(Brandi Thompson; Photo Credit Ry Thompson)
Name, place of birth, and where you live now?
Brandi Thompson. Born in Chicago, Illinois and currently residing in Brooklyn, NY.
How did you get into music?
I've been singing since I was a toddler, but only got interested in performing as a teenager. When I moved to NYC for college at NYU, I majored in journalism, but also joined a collegiate a cappella group, where I unknowingly made my first connections in the industry with aspiring undergraduate performers. While working in news (and later in other fields), these connections would ask me to perform with them. The work became frequent and paid enough that I eventually left my 9-5 and began singing full time, and I haven't looked back!
Where was your ‘Live in Brooklyn’ album recorded? What was something memorable about that night?
Our album was recorded at The Creamery Studio in Greenpoint. It was done during covid, and a few of us in the band and on the production team have little kids, so we were playing and singing and mixing fully masked the entire time! It was bizarre and a little nerve-wracking (we couldn't turn on the air-conditioning for ventilation because of the sound), but we all made it unscathed!
What has been your biggest challenge as a musician so far? How have you or how are you trying to overcome this?
My biggest challenge at far is never thinking my music is good enough! I constantly compare myself and my music to what others are producing, but am learning to let go and allow others to make up their minds about our songs and not make up their minds for them.
What’s one of your proudest moments as a singer so far?
It's a tie: singing background vocals for Aloe Blacc at the King's Theater here in Brooklyn; singing "God Bless America" in front of almost 40k Mets fans at Citifield (and they won the game)!
What are you looking forward to in 2022?
I'm looking forward to finally releasing this music that we've been working on throughout the pandemic, and getting to write and produce more as life gets back to normal!
(Photo Credit Alison Christiana)
If you could pick today what the last meal of your life would be, what would you choose?
Ooooohhhhh, I don't know, but definitely some kind of shellfish! I'm a HUGE seafood lover!
If you had to listen to one album on repeat on a road trip from Brooklyn to Nashville what would it be?
Aretha Franklin's "Aretha Live at Fillmore West".
Anything you would like to let readers know about? Music releases, big shows, tour announcements?
We've got lots of shows coming up in and around NYC! Pete's Candy Store on May 19th; The Ladybug Music Festival in Delaware on May 20th; our "Fire" Single Release Show on June 3rd at Rockwood Music Hall; Cafe Nine in New Haven, CT, on June 10th; and a few more that are soon to be announced!!
