Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alex Jack. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alex , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

I’ll never forget the first money I ever made as a singer. I was attending a New Year’s Eve gig in Palm Springs and the singer lost her voice towards the end of the night. I was in an original music project with a couple of the band members and they recommended that I take over. I sang for a little while to close out the evening, and after the gig the singer who lost her voice came over and smoothly handed me a folded up $100 bill. I was so excited to perform that it never even occurred to me that I’d be paid. In the years that followed, I went on to sing professionally. It was thrilling to have that first little seed of belief.

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?

I was exposed to a lot of incredible music growing up through school musical theater productions and choir, but my real interest came from my mother who is also a singer. She was in bands and always played the piano at home. Those are the places my ear really developed.

I have always been into creative writing, and that started showing up through songs around age 17. I wrote plenty of cringy diary songs- and being similar age to Taylor Swift, would practice my songwriting by trying to compete with her after I heard the story of The Beatles writing “Back in the USSR” to wink at Chuck Berry’s “Back in the USA” and The Beach Boys “California Girls.” My first real studio recording was an EP called “War Island” with Alexandra Jack and The Visions. I wrote the songs and my band, Chris Halo, guitar, Kevin Perez, bass, and Chris Starr drums, believed in the music and made an awesome record at MAPS studio in Huntington Beach (now Fullerton). I had a side project with the same guitarist called “The Dollybirds.” We were a jazz-pop cover band duo, and we played at special events and weddings all over Southern California.

I have done a lot of hilarious odd gigs to support my dream of being a professional songwriter and recording artist. You name it, I’ve done it: singing telegrams including wearing a penguin suit or dressing like Dolly Parton. Once I did an entire ABBA tribute show in full costume. When you’re hungry, you find out what kind of a chameleon you can be. I kept writing original music through the years and eventually found myself most comfortable with studio session work and vocal arranging gigs. I’ve been fortunate enough to perform on a good handful of albums. I love the studio.

Between the odds and ends of musician life, I found my way into nannying to ensure the bills were paid. I adore children, so it was a natural way to stay inspired. My songwriting continued to grow and I found immense inspiration from one of my nanny kids when we were separated in the pandemic. The result was writing “Mangos and Tangos”. Mangos and Tangos is a musical children’s project about kindness and The Golden Rule. With the help of my friends and family, I raised money on Kickstarter to launch a Youtube Channel with shows and music videos about my life as “Allie Mango”- the musical nanny. My plan is to create albums through this universe for the rest of my life.

Right now, in addition to Mangos and Tangos I am playing with a very cool original project called The Mercy Stone- check us out. I will also be reuniting with Alexandra Jack and The Visions for a 10 year anniversary show of our album, November 14, 2024 at The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa. It will be a wonderful night to celebrate our entire community and how much has happened in 1o years of music making. We might even jump in the studio again…stay tuned.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think the most important thing a creative person can have in their toolbox is resilience. All of the career musicians I know have had umpteen odd jobs, huge catastrophes, and a lot of failure. There is a lot of instability in wondering where the next gig or session is going to come from. And if you aren’t waiting for a gig or a session to come across your desk, you’re likely starting your own project, which is basically the same as running a small business. We keep going because we love it and cannot imagine doing anything else. It means the world to me when I hear someone sing something I’ve written.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

In my opinion, artists in all mediums tell stories as a way of attempting to relay the human experience. If there’s one thing I want to be remembered for through my art it’s the championing of the human spirit. That might look like a song that reflects passion or listlessness or devastation or ecstasy, or a song that expressly attempts to teach human kindness like the Mangos and Tangos tunes. I hope that my art helps people feel more alive within themselves. It helps me feel most alive to make music.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daffodiltelephone
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MangosandTangos