American-based artist Alex Rossi is currently featuring at Adelaide Fringe with a series of shows that started last month and continues throughout March.
With a mix of funk, hip hop and blues, his show is titled 'Alex Rossi & Friends: The After Party' and will have you “dancing into the early hours of the morning”.
With his early years spent listening to hip hop artists while growing up in Minnesota, Rossi admits the artists he tuned in to have played an important role with his own music.
“I was lucky enough to grow up in the golden age of hip hop. I was one of the guys that got caught up between Tupac and Biggie – I loved them both.
“Ludacris was also a big influence. I was also majorly inspired by Outkast – they weren't afraid to add other genres to their sound.”
Which probably explains his interest in a genre that none of his friends were. “I started getting into blues, and not many of my friends were going down that path – it was kind of my own thing. Jimi Hendrix is the reason I'm inspired by the blues.”
Reflecting on his most recent album that he recorded with producer John Fields, 2017's 'Echos From The Arches', the project holds an endearing time of fun and creativity for the performer. “Overall, it was a really challenging but really amazing experience that I got involved in.
“I learnt a lot and it came out as a really fun record. It was also a strange experience to open up your creative process to somebody else, so creating with this producer in real time was something else.”
During his stay, Rossi also plans to work on some new music in his down-time in between a deep-sea fishing trip. “One of the main goals on the trip during our down-time is to write and get some material out with some of the equipment we have here in the house we are staying at.
“I've got a lot of stuff that is ready to go, I just need to sit down with people to hammer out arrangements, so I'm super excited about that.”
He's also keen to return to the studio with John Fields after his Australian stint. “I talked to John before I left [the US] and I think we are going to get a little something done, maybe [get] a few songs out. We've basically planned to [do] another record when I go back.”
