We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alexis Jade a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alexis, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I’d like to start off by saying that I am extremely grateful and blessed to call myself a full time artist. It is something that I have dreamed of since I was a child. However, I wasn’t ever sure that it was an actual obtainable goal. Prior to my first semester of college, I wasn’t aware that you could have a career as a musician in any capacity other than a Grammy Award winning, stadium touring, Billboard top 100 artist. Although those are some top tier goals I and many other fellow musicians hope to accomplish at some point in our lives, I found that there is a community here in Memphis of local musicians that make their way in this life doing what they are so dearly passionate about, making music their way, by their own rules, and in their own scope of success. I, like so many others, have had my doubts throughout the process of my career. Of course there is the time old tale of the pressure to “get a real job” and give up a dream that others thought was a dead end, head in the clouds sort of alternate reality. That is something that we all have to persevere through with a determination to make this into our “real job”. Although I have had to face that stigma in some areas of my life, I’ve been lucky enough to have family and friends that support this endeavor, and even work to help me through in any way they possibly can. I think personally my biggest struggle in this aspect would be the critiques and pressure I put upon myself. The fear of failure and short comings is always present in the back of my mind, and unfortunately this experience is not unique to myself. The threat of falling short in a business that is so fast paced, haphazard, and sometimes competitive is enough to plant the seed of a “normal” 9-5 job being a bit easier to pursue. There is a glimmer of appeal when job security, routine, and consistent cashflow come into the picture. However, the glow of the stage lights, camaraderie of a group of creatives bringing a song you wrote in your bedroom to life, and the feeling of accomplishment after releasing your first project far outweigh any 401k (for me personally.) Each time someone shares their favorite song off my EP, asks about an upcoming show, or tells me that I somehow impacted their own journey in life, I add it to my list of assurances that I am doing what I was put here to do. Nothing is easy in this life. No matter what path you decide to take, so you might as well pave the one you desire and walk down it with a fierceness. 
Alexis, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Alexis Jade and I am a singer/songwriter from the small town of Rosemark, TN, about 30 miles north of Memphis. Music has always been a prevalent part of my life. As a child, my grandmother would sit with me on her front porch swing and teach me old folk ballads about love and loss. My mother exposed me to a plethora of genres throughout my life, each emerging in their own ways in my music today. I awoke every morning to a new rendition of some old country song my dad would change the words to in order to fit the daily situation. “Every light in the house is on, the utility bill is running strong” was a way to remind me to flip the switch on my record player before I left the house. I began performing around the age of 1 and a 1/2 years old, my mother at my side. As I grew older, I jumped at each and every opportunity to be on stage. Local festivals, school productions, church services, and living room sold out performances at family gatherings. This eagerness soon turned to a passion for the craft, and a lifelong mission to make it my whole life. Once I got into college, I started to meet other artists and musicians who shared the same sentiment. I played my first gig as “Alexis Jade” my first semester of college. Shortly after I was signed to the University of Memphis Record Label “Blue Tom Entertainment”. Because of this, I was able to record my debut single “Return to Sender”. Once I got a taste of the studio experience, I was determined to get back behind that glass. I continued to gig around town until I could save enough to pay for the recording process. With every show, I gained more confidence, as well as even more appreciation for my fellow musicians. I was able to make several connections, earn opportunities, and gain experience throughout the process. In August of 2022, I cut “With Love, Alexis Jade” and the experience changed my life. I met some lifelong friends, learned valuable lessons, and felt as if i had found “my sound”. My goal as an artist is to create authentic, unapologetic music that connects with an audience as my favorite songs resonate with me. I strive to write how I feel, regardless if it fits the narrative of one singular genre. I think that my music is unique because it can’t be put into a box. (a marketing nightmare, I know) I’d like to chalk that up to a creative choice, however I think it’s a culmination of various musical influences throughout my life, the range of emotions I experience and ways I feel they should be expressed sonically, and ADHD.
I am extremely proud of what I have been able to accomplish as an independent artist, but it couldn’t have been possible without my family, friends, and incredible team of fierce and amazingly talented women, also known as Lady Management. I hope to continue to create content that speaks to people in a way that sticks with them.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
This is a question that I get asked quite often, and the answer seems to change by day. I think that life goals and missions are made up of smaller achievements and successes that you strive for. When I was presented with this question in the past, those are what I would get stuck on. Do I want to win a Grammy? Play a stadium tour? Go platinum? Maybe! But I never could muster a solid answer, I would respond with something along the lines of “i just want to be better than I was yesterday.” Although that is the truth, I think it was sort of a cop out answer. I’ve learned recently that the more you vocalize and visualize what you want, the easier it becomes to reach those goals. If I had to name a major idea of success to forecast the purpose of my entire life and career, it would be doing what I love. It may sound simple, but I have found that it has lead me to my greatest happiness. What I mean by that is doing the things that bring me joy until they don’t. If a day comes along where I find that I’m the most content in the studio and the guitar no longer feels at home in my hands, I’ll put it away until the urge comes along one day. Life is short, but the road is long, and my dreams are big. So I’ll soak in every moment, put on my walking boots, and work until my dreams are a reality.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me there are a few things that make all the work and stress of running basically your own little business worth it. One being the pure joy and appreciation that you develop for your peers in the music business. Of course you love to listen to others’ craft and support what they are pursuing on a surface level. However, once you get a taste of what really goes into organizing a show, recording an album, booking and promoting gigs, etc, you realize that these people pour every part of themselves into their art. It’s an eye opening and heart warming experience. On the other side of the same coin, there comes the love and admiration that listeners, fans, friends, family express in regards to your music. It’s amazing to hear what people have to say about what you create. Sometimes people resonate with your work in a way that you never would have imagined. One of the songs I recorded for my EP, Motel 6, was a struggle from start to finish. Just one of those that i never could get quite right. I am my own worst critic after all, who isn’t? To my surprise, it has become the fan favorite. It just goes to prove that there is something for everyone. The point of creating is not to be perfect, but to be truthful and raw. Even though I hated that song during the recording process, it ended up meaning a lot to a lot of people. It’s a very special thing to be able to make a living by connecting with others.
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Image Credits
Logan Schaal instagram @logan_schaal Jamie Harmon instagram @amuricaphoto Morgain Gaines instagram @macmo Cole Creasy instagram @colecreasy