The Alec Lewis Group – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

The Alec Lewis Group – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: What was the very first reaction to your music, from the first person to ever hear so much as a practice jam or the demo of your first song?

ALG: We are blessed enough to be affiliated with The Jive Hive, which is an incredible space and music haven for local artists and something you MUST look into if you aren’t familiar. Alec (guitar and vocals) and Noah (lead guitar) are a part of the Jive Hive team and thus are in the good graces of Tom O’Connor, the owner. Tom is an incredibly generous benefactor to the local music scene and unabashedly opens his doors to any one he can. So, we have been able to use the Jive Hive as our rehearsal space since our beginning. Thus, Tom in his comings and goings was the first person to hear our developing rehearsals week after week. It is hard to remember a single first reaction, as he is typically around for most of our rehearsals, but from the start he expressed big excitement, despite our clumsier beginnings. He always brings a critical, yet encouraging ear. We are close enough to know he doesn’t BS. He knows how to critique but make you feel good about it.

RRX: We have to play somewhere, and sometimes those places have more going for them than a stage and a power outlet. What is a memorable place you played, and bonus points if it’s not a well-known place.

ALG: I am a (live) sound engineer at heart and that means that I pay critical attention to how an audience will experience the music. The size and vibe of the venue will determine things like what drum kit our drummer uses, what amps myself and Noah use, what our PA for that gig will be, etc. I am meticulously careful in assuring we offer an accessible and enjoyable show for every space. And while we are a high energy funk band, I LOVE playing small rooms. So this is even more important. I don’t want anybody to leave the room because the snare drum is deafening, or the bass is overwhelming, or an amp is blaring right at their face. I want people to be able to talk and enjoy themselves in the likelihood they are not there specifically to see the band (and honestly, this makes you more likeable to strangers!!) So, all this to say, we have had a handful of REALLY great shows at this spot in Troy called 518 Craft. It’s truly an incredible hang. It’s tight and cozy and intimate and feels like a coffee shop that sells alcohol. Our last show there right before Christmas was the best crowd we’d ever played to and the most positive energy any of us had felt on stage. There’s something magical about packing a small bar when your sound is balanced and right for the room, people are just going to have a good time and they can’t help it.

RRX: With the exception of singing, everyone has an instrument, an inanimate object that has the distinction of being a lifelong friend. Smooth or temperamental, these objects have a character. So pick someone to answer, can you tell us something special about what you play, your technique, your instrument?

ALG: Anyone who knows me (Alec) or is a musician who follows our band knows that the only answer to this question is the Stratocaster. I am admittedly a Fender man. But Fender or not, there is no guitar I wanna pick up other than a stratocaster. And obviously, I REALLY love mine. A stratocaster is a crucial element to our sonic character. To the point where I “strongly discourage” / “will not allow” Noah (lead guitar) to play anything other than a stratocaster. And my enthusiasm has even rubbed off on him to the point where he recently sprung for a new Strat and has stopped asking to play his Tele all together. From sonics to the aesthetic symmetry I am married to the “two strat funk band.” This harkens back to practically all of my favorite guitar players being notoriously Strat players (Cory Wong, Mark Knopfler, John Mayer). And for all my strat enthusiasts out there, we heavily favor 4th and 5th positions.

RRX: We do this for the fans. For the blisters also, but mostly for the fans. Who’s one your best fans? Without necessarily giving their name, what are they like?

ALG: We have more than a few very loyal fans. Musicians and friends from the scene, as well as family. However, as I believe most musicians will tell you, there is nothing more heartwarming and rewarding than your first “total stranger fan.” We played a show in June 2024 at The Lark Tavern in Albany and had a great set. A week later we played a show at No Fun in Troy and were approached by a couple (let’s say their names are Zak and Sara) who said they stumbled into Lark Tavern randomly the previous week and ended up staying for our whole show, loved it so much that they came out to No Fun only days later. They were over the moon with encouraging and thoughtful words about our playing, songwriting and overall vibe. They’ve attended more than a few shows since then. Zak even came to a show on his own accord when his wife was out of town. He said “Don’t tell Sara I was here, she’ll be pissed Isaw you guys without her.” So while we live off our friends and family’s support and love, there is a special significance to absolute strangers seeing you and wanting more.

RRX: I know when pitching it helps to tell someone it’s “this meets that.” So let’s try that with you. If you had to give me two bands that meet each other in your sound, what are those bands? More than two bands?

ALG: Our influences are fairly specific. And I frequently reference these influences as a sort of north star for our band while writing new material. I find that this helps maintain a consistency across our music and gives our repertoire a succinct and identifiable blueprint. I have three main inspirations musically for this band: Cory Wong and the Vulfpeck universe, Dire Straits, and Steely Dan (likely in that order). I believe our music certainly is an extension of these artists. We have high energy funk grooves inspired by Cory Wong, Vulpeck and The Fearless Flyers. We have mid tempo, minor key bluesy tunes that I aim to remind people of Mark Knopfler with his kind of finger picking style. And I think the Steely Dan influence is not so direct in our music, sonically, but I don’t think people are surprised by the fact that Steely Dan is one of my favorite bands.

RRX: Let’s talk about your next project, your next few. Just not the ones you’re working on now. The ones you have your eyes on for the future. What’s coming to us?

ALG: We are a relatively new band, having played our very first show in February 2024. And we are releasing our first studio project very soon on 2/7/2025. It will be a four song EP titled Don’t Cross Me. Being a sound engineer myself, I take recording very seriously. I have music under my own name as a “solo artist,” this will be the first official release of The Alec Lewis Group as a band and separate project. And rightfully so this was a big group effort. Drums recorded at The Jive Hive and built up from there at my home studio. Myself and Noah worked throughout the summer and fall of this year honing in the guitar and bass parts. It is a guitar record. It is tight. It is punchy and catchy. It’s sarcastic and quirky. It’s fun and I think you’ll agree, so please give us listen come 2/7 and search for The Alec Lewis Group wherever you stream your music.

Links!

Hive Vibes, Vol. 1 – Live Concert Film

BandCamp – Live Album(s)

https://thealeclewisgroup.bandcamp.com/

Instagram: @thealeclewisgroup

Photo by KikiVassilakis.

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