Livestream New Jersey
Contact: [email protected]
Web: alixmusic.com
Players: Alix, vocals; Paul Sikoral, guitar, keys
Material: Alix is a California girl—you can hear it in her lyrics, when she recites the words to “Easy Living,” a contemporary R&B song that the Bay Area singer penned as an ode to sunny days, warm weather, lowriders and her favorite neighborhoods to visit in Southern California. Over the course of the past three years, she has taken her supporters for a soothing ride throughout her diverse catalog of pop music. But in 2020, she shifted into overdrive by co-writing her brand-new album, while executive producing projects for other artists under the independent record label that she owns. This livestream of original compositions ranged from R&B and soul to alternative R&B and electro-pop.
Musicianship: Alix created her latest album, Feel Better, with her longtime collaborator Paul Sikoral. In addition to producing and mixing the entire album, Sikoral played three instruments on the LP and it was apparent that the multi-instrumentalist provided a calming presence for Alix during their livestreaming performance on. Stylistically, his production is comparable to music by groups like Surfaces or The Free Nationals. It’s a sound that dovetails well with Alix’s vocal tone over tracks such as “Young,” on which she sounds very similar to recording artists like Kehlani and Raye.
Performance: Alix performed in the middle of her living room and sang the entire track list from her new LP, Feel Better. The cozy background gave the show a personable undertone, but what heightened the entertainment value of performances for “Golden” and “Dreams” was the fact that her producer, Paul, built the beats for these songs on the spot. He manipulated the sound of her music with his launchpad, while casually switching back and forth from his keyboard to the electric guitar.
As their supporters looked on, virtually, it became apparent that the favorite song of the night was a track called “Lucky.” It’s a soulful groove with chord progressions that are structured similarly to “Lost Without U” by Robin Thicke.
Summary: Alix and her accompanist created this show with the purpose of donating the proceeds to teachers and schools via the ClearTheList Foundation. The best part about this virtual performance was Alix’s honesty and sincerity throughout her set. She made herself vulnerable and she wasn’t afraid to be imperfect in front of her supporters. When she forgot her lyrics, for a brief moment, during her rendition of “Let’s Leave,” she playfully admitted it out loud. Moments like these made the artist appear more likeable and relatable. In the show’s closing minutes, Alix and Paul improvised a bluesy-styled ditty that lasted until the final seconds ran out on their live set. This gave their audience an in-depth look at the way in which this songwriting duo creates music together. And it was a nice way to end the night.
