The beautiful voice of Lexi Todd is here. Thanks for being with us today. Please share with us the best part about living in Brooklyn.
Thanks for having me! I love being surrounded by people with alternative careers and lifestyles. Seeing so many people working out of coffee shops, filming TV shows, or even just sauntering casually in the middle of the day on a weekday inspires me. It's comforting to know that I live in a community full of creatives with similar work/life values. So many artists feel pressured to live a more "traditional" life, but you don't feel that living in Brooklyn.
Favorite music haunts in Brooklyn?
I really love C'Mon Everybody. It's the only music venue within walking distance of my apartment and they have a great sound and light system and friendly staff. A pleasant sound engineer really makes all the difference. I also love seeing shows at Brooklyn Steel--I've seen acts from Phoebe Bridgers to LP there. In terms of Brooklyn haunts in general, my friends and I frequent a near-by dive bar called The Bearded Lady. It was one of the first bars to open up in the neighborhood when my friends first moved in, and a lot of them worked there at one time or another, so it's a frequent late-night destination.
Tell us about your latest single, Madonna.
Madonna is about defying stereotypes. For me, as a woman on both the artist side and the business side of the music industry, I constantly feel like I'm being pushed to look a certain way and do a certain thing. I struggled a lot with that as an artist because all of the "advice" over the years made me really second guess my creative vision. Then as a young female music attorney, I realized the stereotyping was even worse on the business side of things. For example, I'm constantly assumed to be a secretary or assistant, talked over, or interrupted with a comment about my appearance mid-meeting. Being forced to confront that treatment made me more confident in all aspects of my careers to defy those expectations and set other people straight. Madonna is me saying that I finally know who I am and I'm going to be that person regardless of whether you agree with that vision or not. The song was released at a pivotal time in my solo career, since I finally have a collection of songs ready to be recorded that I think really nail my sound and what I'm trying to say. Now that I've cleared the slate and am clear on my artistry, I feel ready to show other aspects of my personality as well.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what five songs would you hope to have with you to listen to?
Gold Dust Woman by Fleetwood Mac (for when I need a fight song to get me through all that hard survivalist work). Fallingwater by Maggie Rogers (for when I'm feeling contemplative by the campfire). The Spot by Your Smith (for when I need a pick-me-up). In Love We Grow by Rufus (for those sad lonely moments). Harvest Moon by Neil Young (for all the other moments).
Favorites from your latest recordings?
I just finished recording my next single. Every instrument on the track was recorded live, which I'm really proud of. My drummer did an entire 3-minute take of just the chimes, which was hilarious to watch through the glass. We even recorded our claps live; our hands were sore by the end. It was also my first time adding a string quartet to one of my songs and I absolutely love how it came together.
How do you feel about the current music scene in Brooklyn and the NYC area?
I'm excited by the amount of musician-run events popping up in Brooklyn. Instead of nights curated by tastemakers and booking agents, there are a lot of artist-lead jams and showcases happening now. I think it's really fun and inspiring as an artist to step out of the performer role and into the host role. That's something I'd like to get more involved with in the next year. I have a friend that's hosting a free monthly Nashville-style songwriter showcase now, called "Double Dutch," which involves 3 songwriters taking turns playing songs in a round-robin. I plan on helping him host the showcases beginning next month, which is a cool way to give back to the artist community by providing a platform for other artists to connect with new fans.
If you had a superpower, what would it be and why? I'd love to teleport. I'm a very busy person, so skipping that commute time would change my life!
Who have been the greatest music supporters of your career? My parents definitely. I don't come from a musical family. Both of my parents are music appreciators for sure, but they don't play any instruments or anything like that. When I started begging for voice lessons as a child, they never second-guessed it. They always encouraged my interest in songwriting, guitar lessons, choir, band, theatre, etc. When I talked about growing up to be a singer, they didn't doubt me or try to talk me into a more "stable" career. In fact, they were surprised when I decided to go to law school and were relieved when I assured them that I would still be chasing my goals as a musician simultaneously. I'm really grateful that they were always so open-minded and supportive of my passion for music.
Any inside info to share with us regarding your next moves?
I'll be releasing a lot of unique content leading up to my next single release, including interviews with some of my closest friends. This will be the first time I get this personal on social media and I'm a little scared to open up so publicly, but I'm also excited to let more people into this world I've created. Keep an eye out for news about that release coming up soon.
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