Being bad at things with Alexander 23

In a conference hosted by the °1824 division at Universal Music Group, Alexander Glantz, better known as Alexander 23, talked about the message behind his sophomore EP “Oh No, Not Again!”, his journey to the top of the charts, and why he likes being bad at stuff.

Alexander 23 officially launched his solo music career in March of 2019 with his debut single “Dirty AF1’s”. Since then, Alexander 23 has been busy releasing his critically acclaimed debut EP “I’m Sorry I Love You”, as well as his single “IDK you yet”, which has gone viral on Tik Tok.

Alexander 23 writes, records, and produces all of his music in a self-built studio in Los Angeles, which is where he greeted us from, iced coffee in hand.

“I got my iced coffee, it’s nice in L.A...you know there’s a lot wrong in the world right now but I’d say I’m doing alright.” said Alexander, a room strewn with shoes, speakers, microphones and lava lamps behind him.

A Chicago native, Alexander 23 has been playing guitar and making music since he was 12 with full support of his family behind him. “When I was 17 I would book these bar gigs. My family would always come with me because I couldn’t get into the bar on my own at that age. They’ve always been super supportive like that."

After studying mechanical engineering for a year at college, Alexander 23 decided he needed to pursue music full time and joined a New York based band, Heydaze. “Being in a band was like music college. I really learned so much about the industry and stuff and I’m so thankful for that,” Alexander said, “But I was just sick of relying on other people to make my dreams come true. There’s no reason why I can’t work hard and figure out how to do this myself.” he said. “Being a solo artist, I think the lows can be lower, but the highs are also so much higher."

Alexander’s sound has evolved since he played bar gigs and traveled with a band. The indie-pop artist explained that finding his sound took time. He wants young artists, or anyone trying something new, to get comfortable being bad. “Don’t be afraid to suck. People think you just sit down one day and write a masterpiece, and that's not how it works. Don’t be afraid to go out there and experiment. Find out what feels good instead of putting too much thought into it.”

Don’t think Alexander doesn’t practice what he preaches. “I have a lot of hobbies because I like doing things that I’m bad at. It’s fun to see that rapid improvement when you’re just starting out at something.” he said. His cooking skills, he says, are still in the works.

Alexander’s latest EP “Oh No, Not Again!” chronicles the lifespan of a relationship. “This EP, you should take it somewhere. Take some time with it. I want people to know that there’s another real human who feels the same way they do.” Alexander said. “This is such a cliche, and I hate myself for saying it, but I’m just gonna let the cliches rip. You’re not alone.”