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

Alex , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I began playing music and writing songs when I was about 13 years old. My friend from school’s mom took us to see Green Day in concert, and this was right after I heard their song “Holiday” in the “Tony Hawk: American Wasteland” soundtrack! During the concert, the band pulled someone from the audience on the stage and had them play a song with them. As soon as I got home from the concert, I picked up my guitar, figured out how to read tablature, and learned every single Green Day song!

I think it might’ve sped things along and maybe saved me from picking up a few bad habits had I watched some YouTube videos or started taking lessons at first instead of just figuring it out the way I saw fit. However, maybe that worked to my advantage. Maybe learning my own way is what helped me shape my own style of playing.

I think motivation and determination are my most essential skills on this subject. Nobody was there telling me “you have to practice” or “You need to write a new song today!” I did it because I wanted to be good at it, and because I love it.

Some obstacles I ran into along the way mostly come from comparing myself to other musicians and songwriters. Thinking things like “their songs are so much better than mine!” or “I could never play as good as them!” Is the quickest and most surefire way to take the joy out of what you’re doing. Nowadays, I like to think “wow, that was cool! I’m gonna try to do that!” and I’ve been much more satisfied with myself and my creations!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m the lead songwriter for the band Common Crime! We’re based out of Philadelphia, but I’ve been writing songs and putting myself out in the world long before now. I grew up in Tampa Bay, Florida, playing in a bunch of punk and hardcore bands. I learned so much from the other bands there, and tried my best to apply the things I learned to this current band! I joined my first band when I was 15 years old. An older kid approached me in a guitar store and asked if I wanted to join his band. I played my first gig a year later and haven’t stopped since. After 10+ years of nonstop writing/touring/gigging, I’d like to think I’ve picked up a few tricks of the trade!

Common Crime is an Alternative Rock band that pulls influence from bands in the punk/emo genre. Our music is out in the world to show others that they’re not alone when they feel down, or displaced, or alienated. The songs I’ve written so far have all been about my move from Florida to Pennsylvania, and the loneliness that comes with starting over in a new place. I want people to hear my songs and know that somebody feels the way the feel, too. The same way certain songs do for me. We’re never as alone as we think we are, and there’s no shortage of transplants.

It’s hard to pick one thing that I’m most proud of, as I’m extremely proud of this band as a whole! We put out our debut EP “Signals and Signs” and was met with all the love and support a new band could ask for! Being from a whole different part of the country and being welcomed into the music scene here, as well as being supported from heavy hitters from the scene in my hometown, has been an indescribable feeling. I want my fans and friends to know that I appreciate them for hearing me out, and doing their part in pushing me forward! I do it because I love music, and I think it’s very easy to tell!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think the most rewarding part of being an artist is just seeing an idea come to fruition. It’s so hard to pinpoint where or when a song fragment or an idea for a design will come to mind that I can’t help but be amazed when it becomes a fully realized part of the world. I get so caught up in, as I think a lot of musicians do, whether or not my songs are “good” or “bad”. Sometimes I lose focus of the fact that I’m literally making stuff up as I go. I created something out of thin air. So, who cares if somebody thinks it sucks? Sometimes it takes a few minutes, sometimes days, weeks, months, or years. Regardless of how long it takes to finalize a piece of art, it doesn’t take away from how incredible it is that before it existed, there was nothing like it, and likely there will never be anything just like it ever again.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’ve found reading books on the music industry, as well as picking up a couple songwriting exercise books have been super helpful. The hard part about being a creative is that you can’t always “turn it on” like a light switch. Most of the time, we’re seeking out something to be inspired by. I mean, how do you just wake up and decide “ok, I’m gonna write a song about ____ and it’s gonna be great!”

I’ve read tons of autobiographies from famous musicians, lyric workshop books, a bunch of books in the “..for dummies” series, and found little gems in all of them! I’ve learned so many tricks and tips about writing songs and operating a band like a small business from these books. There’s a clear difference between the bands I was in before I began researching “how to operate a professional-level band” and the bands I’m a part of now! Knowledge is power, and you should seek out every corner and crevice you can to learn how to master your craft!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://commoncrimephl.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commoncrimephl/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommonCrimePhl/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CommonCrimePHL

Image Credits

All photos taken by Josh Gmba! @joshgmba4 on Instagram!