7 From the Women with Jo Alexis of Happy For No Reason
Jo Alexis is a songwriter, producer and vocalist of over 150 songs for her many projects including Alexis/Alexander, Happy For No Reason and her latest, GALEXI. Often compared to Sinead O’Connor, Sarah McLachlan & Bjork, she not only brings great hooks to enchanting melodies but her vocals leave the listener wanting more.
As a prolific songwriter, Jo has recorded in Nashville, Los Angeles, NYC, Philadelphia and Portland with some heavy hitters like Brad Rabuchin (played with Ray Charles) and Jef Lee (played with Roberta Flack.) She’s also shared the stage with Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary and she’s had a song placed in the video game “Reactor/Master Ground 3.”
We got the chance to speak Jo Alexis about her music, career, and opinions in this edition of 7 From the Women. So, let’s dive in:
What Have You Been Working To Promote Lately?
“Canaries (Hot Summer Night)” is a raucous sing-along drinking song, like the rat pack with a female lead! It is from my newest LP by Happy For No Reason, my jazzy folk band. We finished recording and mixing and making the music video during the pandemic which was challenged us to work remotely. However, a musician who I deeply respect told me that my lead vocals were “too aggressive” and it sounded like I was yelling. So, I bought a new microphone and redid my lead parts alone in my bedroom. I also learned how to use Logic, the DAW (digital audio work station) and spent many hours putting together the flute (Mark Pritchard) and piano solos (Matt Weiers). Those jazz cats had so many takes and it was quite a fun undertaking to put them together. We shot the music video in Portland but our director, animator and script writer, Christian Bolorinos, was in Barcelona. So we FaceTimed with him during the shoot which actually worked out really well! So far, we've hit 135k views on FB!
Please tell us about your favorite song written, recorded, or produced by another woman and why it’s meaningful to you.
Wow! So many good ones so I’ll go with my favorite artist and my favorite song of hers- Joni Mitchell’s, “A Case of You.” I love the new version they released recently: ”Archives, Volume 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971)” On Disc 5, there’s an incredible version with her and James Taylor on guitar in December 1970, live at the Paris Theatre. It is so amazing to hear them together like this and her voice is truly perfect - remarkable really. My Mom used to play Joni's records and I learned a lot of her music on the piano as a kid. And of course, I tried to imitate her voice in all of the nuances. Joni was my God as a young girl and I see now that I was not alone in that worship…
What does it mean to you to be a woman making music/in the music business today and do you feel a responsibility to other women to create messages and themes in your music?
I strongly feel the pressure to be a more upstanding, responsible member of society. I really have to call on ALL of my grit to stick with it and keep believing in my dreams. I am so clear that all I want to do is write songs and make records yet I feel burdened to prove my worth with the mighty dollar.
I also feel a responsibility to other women and girls to be fully myself, especially as a mother of a special needs child. Many of the moms in my community devote 100% of their life energy to their child. It is tempting! However, my motto is a good mother models the possibility of pursuing and succeeding in what she was born to do. Fingers crossed.
Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so, why or why not?
I definitely consider myself a feminist. I hear that feminism is the radical concept that women and men are equal:) My Mom is an activist and she raised me right with a community of women who taught me the importance of loving yourself and speaking your mind. I went on marches for the ERA and served cheese platters for women’s hang outs. I think people are afraid of feminism because they are afraid of female power.
What was the most challenging thing you have had to face as a female artist?
I think women musicians including myself are subjected to looksism in a strict way both from society and internally. People want you to look a certain way but not if it makes them uncomfortable. I recently had a friend tell me my outfit was too sexy so I had to remind her that Beyonce isn’t holding back. And looksism is deepy connected to ageism- at a certain point, the music industry stops taking older women seriously based on her sex appeal and age. Let’s change that, yes? We are clearly just humans who make choices about our lives and hopefully in 2022, women get to do that in a strong, expressive and solid way.
If you could collaborate with any other female artists, who would you choose?
If you could form an all woman super-group who would play in it: Chaka Khan on drums, St Vincent on guitar, Christie McVie on keys & MeShell NDeogocello on Bass, of course. And I get to sing lead!
What do you hope to share with other women in the industry with your music?
I would love to tell other women and girls that your voice is important. Your poems and musicality is unique and needed in this world. And you are not less, worse or inferior to men- simple but true! I wish young women could know their worth. Also, don’t give up! I love being a band leader in both of my projects(all men) and getting to work with incredible musicians all of whom treat me with the deepest respect. There are plenty of amazing men out there who greatly value women. And, it is important that I value myself.
Find Jo Alexis via:
Website / Facebook / Spotify / YouTube / Soundcloud
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