We were lucky to catch up with Alex Aston recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I was a late bloomer when I comes to music. I started playing guitar at close to seventeen, which is a great time to start but much later than many musicians. I had played French horn in middle school and, looking back on it, that time in concert band was invaluable. I learned how to read music, how to play a role and how to practice. We all love soloists and individuals, but the ability to communicate with and play off of other musicians well is what makes a great band member in my opinion.

By the time I was in high school I’d lost interest in concert band and spent most of my time in theatre. I loved music but I wanted to use my voice more and be on the stage in a more forward facing manor. It made me so much more aware of all the other aspects of performing. It’s more than just knowing your lines or your notes. It’s being active on stage, it’s feeling the presence of other performers and an audience, it’s subtle changes to delivery and finding the pockets to push and pull.

I’d be remiss to not mention my dad, Michael Aston, and the opportunity to watch and play in Gene Loves Jezebel as a huge part of my education. I’m lucky to have grown up watching professionals and to have had his guidance.

Alex, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hey there, my name is Alex Aston. I’m the lead singer and guitarist of Hangman Blind, an LA rock band that’s in it only for the money. We’re a four piece band that is entirely selfish when it comes to our music. We swing when we feel like it, we pull it back when we think the room needs it and we push distortion to pull a crowd in. Sonically, we’re chasing changes. For us that means a disinterest in genre and a focus on strong and diverse rhythms accompanied by lyrics which strike. We play the show that we want to see and that show has broken down ballads and blistering blockbusters in fluid motion. We want to reflect our music to reflect our interests and backgrounds in different styles of music but also to reflect the room we’re playing in. This band does not exist in a vacuum. If the room we’re playing is a prom themed party for late 20-somethings then you better bet we’re breaking out the sweet and slow stuff. We feel we’re adaptable and active.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Go to shows, buy records, get a t-shirt with a frog on it and wear it around, share a cool song online that your friends haven’t heard of. All artists, and especially smaller artists, are up against a wall financially. As much as I love to stream every new album that doesn’t pay anybody’s rent (well, Apple’s or Spotify’s it does). It’s not the listener’s responsibility but your support means the world.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The goal right now is a full length record. Something that we’re proud of that we can stay proud of even if we’re the only ones that ever hear it. After that anything else is gravy.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @hangmanblind
• Other: email: hangmanblind@gmail(I should note that the band is going through some changes in the lineup and we are looking at changing the name in the coming weeks. If that does happen I’ll email Chris with any updates)

Image Credits

All photos by Rachel Kendrick (@rachelkendrickphotography on instagram)