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.

Alex G
Alex G performing at the St Jerome's Laneway Festival in Brisbane, 2018
Background information
Birth nameAlexander Giannascoli
Also known as(Sandy) Alex G (2017–20)
Born (1993-02-03) February 3, 1993
Havertown, Pennsylvania
GenresIndie rock, bedroom pop, folk
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • drums
  • keyboards
  • bass
Years active2010–present
Labels
Associated actsFrank Ocean
Websitesandyalexg.com

Early life and career

Giannascoli was born in 1993 in Havertown, Pennsylvania.[2] At age 11, he began recording music when his parents bought an Apple computer, and learned to play the guitar with one his brother owned.[3][4] While attending Haverford High School, Giannascoli made two albums he shared with friends.[5] He experimented with different musical styles making collaborative music, such as the "goth techno" he made with his sister, and his high school band The Skin Cells, described as "pop rock that accidentally ended up being punk".[3] In 2011, Giannascoli enrolled at Temple University, where he studied English, but eventually dropped out to pursue a musical career.[2][5]

After self-releasing various albums, EPs and singles on Bandcamp in 2010–2012, Giannascoli's popularity spread through word of mouth, blogs, and reverence by musicians.[6] The Fader called Giannascoli "the internet's secret best songwriter."[3] This led to Orchid Tapes signing Giannascoli to their roster, and the release of his label debut, DSU (2014),[3] which garnered acclaim from music critics.[7] Following the release of the album, Giannascoli went on a tour throughout North America and Europe.[5] On 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.[8]

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

On March 2, 2017, Giannascoli announced that his second album with Domino, Rocket, would be released on May 19, and shared the first two singles, "Bobby" and "Witch".[11][12] 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".[13][14] Music publication Spin (magazine) 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".[15] 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 further 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 (website)'s year-end best albums list.[18] In June 2020, he dropped "(Sandy)" from his stage name, returning to going by Alex G.[19]

Musical style

Giannascoli's music is often characterized as indie rock with a lo-fi or "bedroom pop" 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.[3] 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."[5] 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."[5]

Discography

Studio albums
List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
Title Details Peak chart positions
US
Heat.
[20]		 US
Indie
[21]
Race ——
Winner
  • Released: July 4, 2011[23]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
 ——
Rules ——
Trick
  • Released: November 6, 2012[25]
  • Label: Haze Tapes [lower-alpha 1]
  • Format: LP, CD, cassette, digital download
 ——
DSU
  • Released: June 17, 2014
  • Label: Orchid Tapes
  • Format: LP, CD, cassette, digital download
 ——
Beach Music
  • Released: October 9, 2015
  • Label: Domino
  • Format: LP, CD, cassette, digital download
 9—
Rocket
  • Released: May 19, 2017
  • Label: Domino
  • Format: LP, CD, cassette, digital download
 723
House of Sugar
  • Released: September 13, 2019[26]
  • Label: Domino
  • Format: LP, CD, cassette, digital download
 516

Live albums
List of live albums, with selected details
Title Details
Live at Third Man Records
  • Released: June 25, 2018[27]
  • Label: Third Man
  • Format: LP, digital download

Extended plays
List of extended plays, with selected details
Title Details
Easy
  • Released: August 21, 2011[28]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Paint
  • Released: September 9, 2013[29]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download

Split 7"
Title Details
Alex G / R.L. Kelly Split
  • Released: September 24, 2013[30]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download

Singles
List of singles, showing year released and album name
Title Year Album
"Sandy"[31] 2011 non-album singles
"Good"[32]
"Lucy"[33] 2013
"Joy"[34]
"Hollow"[35] 2014 DSU
"Harvey"[36]
"Bug"[37] 2015 Beach Music
"Salt"[38]
"Kicker"[39]
"Bobby"[11] 2017 Rocket
"Witch"[11]
"Proud"[13]
"Brick"[17]
"Sportstar"[17]
"Gretel" 2019 House of Sugar
"Hope"
"Southern Sky"
"Near"

Credits
Title Year Artist Album Credit(s)
"Possession (Full)" 2016 Julia Brown An Abundance of Strawberries[40] Writing, recording (coda)
"Wither" Frank Ocean Endless[41] Guitars
"Slide On Me"
"Rushes"
"Higgs"
"Self Control" Blonde[42] Guitars, arrangement
"White Ferrari"
"Leave the House" 2018 Porches The House[43] Backing vocals

Music videos
List of music videos, showing year released, director(s) and album name
Title Year Director(s) Album Ref.
"After Ur Gone" 2013 Linnea Nugent DSU [44]
"Sorry" 2014 Sirus F. Gahan [45]
"Hollow" John Vizzone [46]
"Harvey" Colin Acchione [47]
"Bug" 2015 Micah Van Hove Beach Music [48]
"Kicker" John Vizzone [49]
"Brite Boy" Elliot Bech [50]
"Mud" 2016 Alex Giannascoli and Colin Acchione [51]
"Bobby" 2017 Colin Acchione Rocket [52]
"Gretel" 2019 Zev Magasis House of Sugar [53]
"Hope" Puppet made by Madalyn Freeman [54]
"Southern Sky" Elliot Bech [55]

Notes
  1. Reissued and remastered by Lucky Number on March 23, 2015.[8]

References
  1. https://www.stereogum.com/2087978/sandy-alex-g-name-change/news/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. "(Sandy) Alex G | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  3. McDermott, Patrick (May 1, 2014). "Who is Alex G? Meet the Internet's Secret Best Songwriter". The Fader. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  4. "Where Is My Mind?: Alex G". The Deli Magazine. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  5. DeLuca, Dan (December 7, 2014). "Alex G: One-man band a Philly indie success". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  6. Feinberg, Hannah (April 8, 2014). "On Our Radar: Emerging Philly Musician Alex G." Philadelphia. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  7. "Alex G is sharing his hidden talents". Crack Magazine. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  8. "Alex G – Trick / Rules". luckynumbermusic.com. January 27, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  9. Spanos, Brittany (August 13, 2015). "Prolific Indie Singer Alex G Announces New Album, 'Beach Music'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  10. Strauss, Matthew (October 13, 2016). "Alex G Opens Up About Working With Frank Ocean". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  11. Dandridge-lemco, Ben (March 2, 2017). "Listen To Two New Songs From Alex G's Upcoming Rocket Album". The Fader. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  12. Rettig, James (March 2, 2017). "Alex G – "Bobby" & "Witch"". Stereogum. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  13. 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.
  14. Michelle, Kim (April 4, 2017). "Alex G Changes Name to (Sandy) Alex G". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  15. 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.
  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. "(Sandy) Alex G – Chart history: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  21. "(Sandy) Alex G – Chart history: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  22. "Race | Alex G". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  23. "Winner | Alex G". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  24. "Rules by (Sandy) Alex G on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  25. "Trick by (Sandy) Alex G on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  26. Minsker, Evan (June 4, 2019). "(Sandy) Alex G Announces New Album House of Sugar, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  27. "(Sandy) Alex G Live At Third Man Recordsvinyl at Juno Records". juno.co.uk. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  28. "Easy | Alex G". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  29. "Paint | Alex G". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  30. "Alex G / R.L. Kelly Split". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  31. "Sandy | Alex G". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  32. "Good | Alex G". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  33. "Lucy | Alex G". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  34. "Joy | Alex G". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  35. "Alex G – Hollow, Rough Trade, Manchester". Lucky Number. September 18, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  36. "Alex G – Harvey Video". Lucky Number. December 8, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  37. Joyce, Colin (August 27, 2015). "Alex G Provokes Young Love, Desolation in 'Bug' Video". Spin. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  38. "Alex G's Beach Music Out Today, Shares Video For 'kicker'". Domino. October 9, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  39. Joyce, Colin (September 21, 2015). "Alex G's 'Kicker' Calls Back to Indie Rock's Salad Days". Spin. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  40. "An Abundance of Strawberries | Julia Brown". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  41. "Here Are the Full Credits from Frank Ocean's 'Endless'". Noisey. August 19, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  42. "Here Are The Full Liner Notes To Frank Ocean's "Blonde"". Genius. December 12, 2016. Archived from the original on December 14, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  43. "The House - Porches | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  44. "Alex G | "After Ur Gone" (Official Video)". YouTube. February 27, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  45. "Alex G - Sorry on Vimeo". Vimeo. June 27, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  46. "(Sandy) Alex G - Hollow (Official Video)". YouTube. October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  47. "(Sandy) Alex G - Harvey (Official Video)". YouTube. December 8, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  48. "(Sandy) Alex G - Bug (Official Video)". YouTube. August 27, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  49. "(Sandy) Alex G - Kicker (Official Video)". YouTube. October 9, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  50. "(Sandy) Alex G - Brite Boy (Official Video)". YouTube. November 20, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  51. "(Sandy) Alex G - Mud (Official Video)". YouTube. March 8, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  52. "(Sandy) Alex G - Bobby (Official Video)". YouTube. March 2, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  53. "(Sandy) Alex G - Gretel (Official Video)". YouTube. June 4, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  54. "(Sandy) Alex G - Hope (Official Video)". YouTube. July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  55. "(Sandy) Alex G - Southern Sky (Official Video)". YouTube. August 13, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
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