PipemanRadio Interviews Alyxx at Inkcarceration 2025

0:04 Hi, you love them too, Yes, that's true. For see why for you your incarceration America's Rock, Metal and Tattoo Festival. This is pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man W four c Y Radio, and I'm here with Alex Nice. You're an incarceration yes. So first I gotta say, I think I wanted to interview because your. Hair yes selling factor. So everybody around here this festival is like, what happy your hair? Like? Bartender up there, she knows me. She's like, where's your blue? My hair is normally blue? Rockville. We had somebody backstage that was doing Old Ara's hair, so I started talking to her and she was introducing me.

0:52 I'm like, hey, do my hair during the interview. I do it all and shit like that all the time. I don't care what you do with it. Do whatever you want nice and I'll look afterwards. And she did it purple. It had pink and blue underline, so went faded. It was like pink and purple and blue when it faded. I'm right, it was cool. It was very cool. It's a lot. We were just talking up there and it's like it's a lot of work, Like I did it for years. I regret doing this. It's been five years and every day I'm like. Fuck, I know, and it's like you can't get rid of it either. It's like, first of all, it became my trademark. It's even on my logo and.

1:35 It's all my business cards is on now my T shirts. And then people anytime you do try to change, you're like, oh, what happened? What happened your hair? You know? Yeah? I think honestly, it's funny. There's so many people that are like, I can't picture you with anything else. All I've known is this, and I was like, this is my life now. It's funny because Ash from New Year's Day she just turned her hair black and I'm like, I didn't even recognize her. It's like, where's the black and red? It's funny. When I met her, I was like, I'm your joker to your Harley Quinn. It was so funny. Oh that's so true.

2:16 She was really sweet. I love it. So you have classical training, which is way cool, and I love mentioning that because there's a lot of people in metal and rock to have classical training. Like people think, especially metal bands, so oh they don't know how to play they don't know how to do it. They're not into the music, and they actually know how to play and sing better than the average person. So how'd that all start for you? So I actually grew up doing theater. So I started like singing when I was six and just learning how us singing classically and then I was also like a ballerina for a while, so it was always around classical music and stuff. So that definitely influenced me a lot growing up, especially writing like I love and like making those orchestral pieces, and I do a lot of reimagine versions of different songs and my own songs included. But yeah, just so I just threw up doing that theater classical sound and I'm slowly starting to merge back more into like metal, but my comfort zone is theater.

3:17 Well you can combine it like yes see, to me that would be better because nowadays metal, a lot of metal bands they like follow this formula to where they do actually sound the same. So when somebody like you has a unique other type of blending in and perspective, I think that's what makes a great artist. Thank you. Yeah, I try to like be true to myself too, because I don't want to sound like anyone else. So I just I think it's funny when I do covers, I sometimes have a tendency to cumulate the way that they sing them. So that's why I love doing my own stuff because then it's just, you know, I have no one to compare it to, and then I'd really confine my own voice. And that's especially like this EP, I was really finding what my sound really is.

3:58 So I feel like this is the best thing I've done so far. That's so true too, Like if you try to cover somebody else and you don't change it, people are always going to compare it to the original. But if you come up with something totally different, that's totally you, they don't do that. In fact, there's some that are like that through history that nobody even knows is a cover, Like Metallica's done a bunch of covers that people didn't even know they were covers. Exactly because they really made it their own exactly. And then, so, what's your favorite cover that you've ever done? Favorite what cover that you've ever done? Even just playing around, what did I do? Oh? I did a cover of following in a verse?

4:40 Just release a song. God is a Weapon Oh yeah, I did a orchestra cover of that, and I thought that was pretty cool. He probably would like that too, because like, look at you did that. I'm sure you've seen it, because he's all over social media. I know, right. Honestly, I'm scared if he doesn't like it. I wanted to be like, what the fuck? Yeah, because he definitely is outspoken. Honestly, I like reading hate comments because I think they're hilarious. I mean, great attitude, because some people can't handle it, but you only have to laugh at people. I blame theater and being a dancer, growing up walking to a room with someone looking at you and being like no, and you're like twelve, and you're like okay, right. So you'll developed a thick skin very early on.

5:20 Oh that's so true, especially in Broadway stuff. Oh my god. Yeah. And it's like I said, literally, there are rooms where it's called like typecasts. You basically walk in and sometimes you don't even get into the room. They just look at your resume and your picture. But sometimes you walk into the room, they stand there they stare you up and down like mm hmm. Next, and you're like, I didn't even do anything. Wow. Yeah, I actually went to New York Academy and Dramatic Arts. Oh nice, okay, And like I experienced someone that it's like you walk or you walk for an addition, and there's one hundred people that look exactly like you. Yeah, they're like, well, you have to be different. I'm like, well, I mean I can't dye my hair really because you're like the thing the callus is like blonde, right, like whatever specific thing.

6:04 So you have to be unique but also look like everyone else. Yeah, hard thing, right, Clearly. I stopped doing that. I got tattoos side my haird that. Yeah. Now you have no choice. You have to just be yourself. Yeah, and I like being myself. I'm tired of being other people. It's the only way you should be too, especially as an artist. And I love that you said you're finding your sound because I think people don't realize, especially when they're original fans. They never want you to change. But why do you want to stay like a garage artist that doesn't really know their craft yet? Why wouldn't you want to evolve and find out who you really are as an. Artist exactly, find out what makes you you and like what differentiates you from other people is really just being yourself.

6:48 Yeah, And I think it makes a difference when you're on stage, Like you can tell when somebody's being their true authentic self because they're having so much fun up there, opposed to somebody that's trying to be a rock star or whatever, because they're like not having fun. Yeah. I mean when I got up on stage today, the first thing, I literally took two steps and we're like, this is awesome. Right, He's having the best bucket time in my life. So, I mean Shawshank prison, I know that's even cooler. So, like I keep saying this because it's so true. My youngest door because I go and tour and do all the festivals, and she's like, so you're excited for this festival. I'm like, I love doing It's a lot of fun.

7:30 I don't know if i'd use excited. Well, it's I'm doing it every weekend. But when I came here for the first time, I called her up. I'm like, now I'm excited. I'm calling you from the prison yard of Shawshank. This is so cool, right, And I think of artists because you know, there's a prison right next door. And I've noticed some years where the prisoners are out in the yard while the festival's going on, and I'm like, man, I would be cool to be an artist and be like being Johnny Cash and you're playing to the prison. No, it's really funny. So I think the people who that used to be here are now over there are like whatever, Like that's the actual new building. Yeah, And I was thinking that too.

8:12 I was like, can they hear this? Because it's pretty fucking loud. So I'm like, I'm wondering if they're enjoying it, so. They can definitely hear it. They could probably hear it inside too, I'm sure. You know, well they got a show exactly. Well, you know, have you done a tour in the prison yet? So I did a little bit of a tour when I came here two years ago, because I sang at the campground two years ago. And then I'm doing the Blood tour, which I think is like the haunted thing. I'm doing that later. I'm very excited. Do you know it really is haunted though? I hope so. So you're gonna go on this Blood Prison tour, you may not know whether it's real hauntings or the characters. My house is actually haunted. I'm convinced there's just been way too many weird interactions with spirits and whatnot. And I'm not like really into that, but there are things I'm like, I can't explain this.

8:58 So I lived in the house with my kids at Wedsline. They used to tell me stuff all the time. I didn't know anything. And I have a friend that like does that stuff. And she was like, and it's really good. And she's like, oh, yeah, they're right. The problem is it's you're too powerful. They won't fuck with you. And she literally said that, oh shit. Yeah. And because I wasn't experiencing anything, they were telling me stuff and I was believe them because I believe in that to a point. And it's like, but I'm not seeing it. I'm not feeling to experience it. And I did the thing where I poured the stuff around the house, like the salt a on the house, whatever it was like, to make my kids feel better. I did it. Even if it didn't work, you know. But after I did it, either it was me putting it in my kid's mind or I really did get rid of them. Kids didn't complain about happening anymore.

9:54 Hey, it sounds like. I know right, they used to be seeing on the couch and they said somebody's coming up and scratching her head. Now, usually that would have been me, because I I've gone in here and I'll hide out during tours, like I'll bring my helper. I'm like TikTok this and I'll hide like in the walls and stuff and scare the shit out of people. Oh my god. So I mean the people who work there part like it. Is haunted, I know, right. But Baylan reeves he's playing here. A killer's confession was in mushroom went, so he filmed the video here. Oh wow, in the torture room. There's torture rooms here. Oh my god, what the hell? He came out with scratches all over his body for real.

10:35 That must have looked awesome for the video though. I know, right, good day. You didn't stay in there too long filming, so he got what he needed and he loved totally. So tell us about the new music and what else you got going on after Ink? So, I have a new EP out called Emberwick and it is I think that's technically it's my second EP, but the first like official one. I like to say, so I just came out in April. One was just practice. The first one was just like I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing. Yeah, so yeah, so that's coming out. That's already and then I have some other collaborations with other artists that is coming out the rest of this year. I'm working on more music as well, and then just you know, trying to book a tour and stuff like that for next year.

11:16 So the rest of this year is just gonna be filled with a lot of music. Nice. I love it. And so what was that moment or experience you had that made you transfer from Broadway to metal? So I was in a girl group for a hot second there. So it was during audition season. I was just auditioning for everything, and I ended up booking this girl group and it was my first insight into like the recording world. Hated being in a girl group and it didn't start as long at all. But I was like, oh, I like I always wrote my own music, and I was like, you know what, maybe I'm just I'm going to try this. So the girl group kind of fall apart, and then within like a month. I wrote a single, released it the video. All that fun stuff, and then I was like, oh no, no, no, this is it. This is when I do I don't know everything kind of like fall into place.

12:02 I love it. I do love nowadays. I'm an old school metal head. But let me tell you we were stupid back in the day because females are way more brutal on stage than males are. Like every female that is in Metal Front's metal, I'm like, they are a fucking badass, you know. And like you take people like Courtney and how they sing, and it's like, oh my god, yes, fuck do you sound like that? She's like a goddess. Right, Like I watch her too, and I watch her mouth because I used to sing thrash metal, but I can't aimore because I did it wrong because it didn't teach you back then how to do it right, so you just fucked up your throat, you know. And I watch her where mouth like it's like this, yeah, you know, I'm showing my hand like like some monster go biting on something, and like she's got so much control over voice, you know, and there's screams. I'm like, man, how is she not horsehaf for that? You know?

13:06 Sam slowly learning how to scream, I say, slowly funny. So one of the songs that I'm collaborating with the friend of mine on, he sent the song and I was listening to it and I was like, I gotta learn how to scream because I have to scream on the song, like there's no way. The whole thing starts with a scream, Like I have to do it right. And I sent it to him and I was like, if this is horrendous, you don't need to keep it, and he was like, no, it's like, do not scream, Like I that was the first time I would try to scream. Is what I just sent you. So I'm just. Gonna keep practicing it and getting my shit together and hopefully I can add more screams. Love. How do you like doing it? I do. It's very rewarding when I do it right the first time, right, but then it's just finding out how the fuck I did that. It's a kind of therapeutic too, like you put your emotions and put it into that scream and pull it out there very much.

13:51 So, I mean, that's the thing you gotta make sure. I don't like just yell right exactly. It has to be done right or else no voice box exactly. So hell, everybody had to how they reach out to you on socials on the web buy your merch because they have to buy your merch. Just listen to my show. Buy my merch. You can find me everywhere at official Alex and that's spelled a l y xx dot com. All of my links to everything is going to be there. Most of my shouldstals are official Alex, so I cat try to keep everything very the same. Nice. Yeah, and is there anything you want tell the listeners that we haven't covered already? What was that? Is there anything you want to tell the listeners that we haven't covered already? Not really? Just yeah, check out my website.

14:32 I do have a lot of new merch there and some cool, fun signed items that are limited. And I have the physical EP now available for sale, so go check that out too. Okay, So I have a funny question or an idea. Okay, do you have the EP in green and purple vinyl? I do not, there's an idea want vinyl. I will do it, but there's no demand for it for me right now. But you know what, maybe I'll make a poll. If people do it, I'm totally gonna it's going to be purple. And or you know, it's been trend lately bands doing cassettes, like it sets. You didn't know that. So since COVID, when the whole vinyl shortage happened, Yeah, bands start doing cassettes. Like Metallica's new album is on cassette. So you can make a cassette that one side is purple and the other side's green.

15:18 I could do that. Interesting. I didn't realize people still listen to cassettes. I know, right, it's wild. It's it's like everything keeps making a comeback. It's true vinyl and definitely I'm interested in then, So maybe I'll do that. Maybe a track. Wow, let's just go all the way back, I know, right. My first Ozzie album was on a track. Really Yeah, it's weird though, Like you have to like take the you had to prop it up for to sound the right speed, and then it would break in between two tracks. So like imagine your song and cut off in the middle, fading out. You hear this click to the track and it fades down coming back exactly. It was weird. So okay, so I'm not gonna do that. Yeah, don't do that anything maybe vinyl.

16:01 Yeah, vinyl would be cool, especially if you did like maybe the vinyl one side green, one side purple. I was thinking, just like a marble that. Would be cool too, or like your nails because they're cool. Because I've been watching during the interview. Because of the pearlides, it's like I can't tell which color they are because they keep changing. I thought they were green when I bought them, and then I put them on. I was like fuck. I was like, oh, they're changing color because I thinked up one it looked purple and I was like, there's one purple. Now. Like the whole interview, I thought you had like some were blue, some were green, and then it's like wait now they're all green. Wait now and they're all blue. What happened? What's going on? Well? You rocked incarceration. So thank you for being here and thanks for being on the Adventures of pipe Many.

16:46 Thank you for having me. This is awesome. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of pipe Man on w for CUI Radio.