In a world where it seems half of today’s artists use AutoTune, what actually constitutes a real musician? There should be some sort of checklist an artist has to go through to be considered “real.” To be celebrated as a musician, one must be original, write his or her own music, preform live and have a damn personality.
Honestly, most of today’s music doesn’t come close to the groundbreaking and inspirational tunes of decades past. In Nicki Minaj’s song “Fly”, she claims, “I represent an entire generation.” I nearly cried. Is this really it? Nicki Minaj is what we’re going to be remembered for?
Well I’m glad to say there is at least some hope. With YouTube sensations’ rise in popularity, more and more everyday musicians with exceptional talent are getting a chance at the limelight. Of these YouTube personalities, one of the most notable is singer and songwriter Alex Goot.
Alex Goot is a cover artist who began on YouTube and has soared into the big time. Since 2010, Goot has been performing both original songs as well as his renditions of popular songs, yet he somehow makes them entirely his own. He has covered everything from Taylor Swift to Michael Jackson to Eagle Eye Cherry. His seemingly random song choices and newfound fascination with collaborators like Tyler Ward, Tiffany Alvord, Dave Days, Chad Sugg, and Alex G has made his appeal stronger than ever.
What makes Goot so different? Is it his goofiness, his innocence or his irresistible charm? I was lucky enough to get a phone interview with him to find out. He’s been messing around with his old family piano ever since he “had the strength to move the keys.” But his real first influence came from the most played album on his brother’s old CD player: Green Day.
He claims to have been fascinated by it, and was blown away not just by the songs themselves, but by their production. Some of his main influences throughout his years have been bands like Blink 182 and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, all the way up to singers like John Mayer. Since then, he’s become a master of sorts at analyzing music, figuring out chord progressions and notes. But when asked how being so analytical has affected him in regards to finding new songs to cover, he simply said “it’s important to let that go and just feel it.”
YouTube has been a serious vehicle for Alex’s current success. After all, some of his videos have more than 5 million hits a piece. When asked how he discovered this medium as a means of exposure, he mentioned seeing Dave Days’ YouTube channel and being instantly encouraged. However, he was going to take a different approach. Instead of turning up the funny like Days is known for, Alex was more interested in showing his audience all the work he puts into a song. He records everything from the piano, drums, bass, vocals and more already, so he decided to tape his process to let the secret out.
Currently, Alex is working on a lot of his own music and getting ready for an upcoming tour (even he couldn’t tell me when and where yet). So do yourself a favor, and check him out. Check him out at gootmusic.com.
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