Alexa Wilkinson Biography
www.myspace.com/alexawilkinson
www.alexawilkinson.com
ALEXA WILKINSON has come a long way in such a short period of time. After a fluke meeting with Katherine Heigl and an introduction to Heigl's then-boyfriend, Josh Kelley, Wilkinson quickly went from anonymous pretty, girl-next-door to national touring recording artist working with top music producers and came out with her debut album "Lullaby Appetite," in July 2007. She is currently finishing up a second album with producer Marshal Altman and poised to release in early 2008.
Virtually self-taught on the guitar, Wilkinson first took up music at the age of 10. Her music career began with taking trumpet lessons to impress a grade school boyfriend. After quickly learning she had a natural gift for music, she later took up the guitar when her dad gave her one for her 11th birthday. She recalls...
...the first song I ever learned was "Hotel California," which my dad taught me. My family was a huge influence on my love for music. My sister, who has always been good at finding awesome music, taught me everything I know about alternative music. The first tape I remember buying was Nirvana's album, "Nevermind." By age 12, I had come to love everything from Sublime, to Shawn Colvin, to The Eagles.Wilkinson later realized her vocal talents around age 13 after moving to Utah with her family. Being uprooted from her home state of New Jersey, she started writing poetry to express her emotions about leaving her friends back home. Eventually she began putting her poetry to music and soon fell in love with songwriting. Later in 2006, she had a lucky break of meeting recording artist Josh Kelley through his then-girlfriend, Katherine Heigl. Kelley was impressed with her music and took her under his wing, co-writing and co-producing 5 songs with Wilkinson, 4 of which were included on what eventually became her debut album, Lullaby Appetite, which was released in July 2007 on Kelley's indie label, DNK Records.
Lullaby Appetite consists of 11 songs that display a unique of blend of music from jazz, rock and folk influences. All penned and performed by Alexa herself, these songs represent her own personal journey through life, love, acceptance, and lessons learned. Her fresh, smooth vocals slide easily around the extremely memorable melodies, toe-tapping rhythms and spirited guitar playing. The lyrics are rich with expression, exposing a vulnerability and honesty without naïvete. There is an emotional maturity of looking at life with an optimistic eye, accepting one's mistakes, and moving on.
Her upcoming second album, Lions, is expected to release in summer 2008. Produced by songwriter and former A&R exec Marshall Altman (produced Marc Broussard and Matt Nathanson), this new album will include the single "Lullaby Appetite" from Wilkinson's first album. A new single "Miles Away" (co-written and performed with Josh Kelley) has already been featured on MTV's hit series The Hills and will be a bonus track on this new album.
Not surprisingly, Wilkinson has also gotten the attention and approval from several music critics, who all rave about her voice as well as her lyrics. Here are a few choice quotes:
Nicole Maroutsos - Music Director/Programmer for Jones Radio Network:
"I listened to every song on her MySpace page and I was really impressed. She's a perfect mix of indie originality and pop appeal."Coolpicking.com: "Her acoustic performances rock!"
CybersMusic.com: "Her fresh expressive vocals grab you right away. The lyrics beckon you into the storyline of each song, rich with emotion. The acoustic sound of her music is instantly likeable. You can hear the passion for every song in her voice."
SoundMojo.com: "It's nice to see a musician creating music that's far from the generic pop that dominates the airwaves but is still accessible and interesting. This is what the kids should be listening to instead of Avril Lavigne."