Alex G

There's a sense of sophistication and a restless creativity at the heart of Alex G's endearingly scrappy music. Born in 1993 in Havertown, Pennsylvania, the singer and guitarist otherwise known as Alex Giannascoli formed his first bands with his older siblings and school friends, drawing both from the askew alt-rock of Modest Mouse and Aphex Twin's more radical ideas about sound and texture. Alex G gained a following for the DIY recordings he began releasing online, songs that variously evinced the vulnerability of Elliott Smith and the dry humour of Kurt Vile. Giannascoli followed the series of self-released albums that began with 2010's Race with more ambitious and elaborate outings on larger labels, including 2015's Beach Music. He also showed eagerness to venture beyond his comfort zone by writing and producing songs for Frank Ocean and scoring the 2021 film We're All Going to the World's Fair. Released in 2022, God Save the Animals was further proof of Alex G's artistic growth even as his music retained its quirky, rough-hewn charms.