Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexi Hill
Hi Alexi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Since childhood, I have used writing as an outlet to further understand my feelings. Because there was a piano in my childhood home, over time I found myself adding musical components to my writing, which then became songs. At first, I was writing solely out of pain; but as I became more comfortable with the piano, I found myself creating songs not only out of pain, but to celebrate other feelings, like joy, curiosity, and humor. This led me to teach myself how to play the piano more fully. I then taught myself how to play the ukulele and a little bit of guitar.
In 2016, I moved to Austin to pursue a degree in Geosystems Engineering and Hydrogeology at the University of Texas. I immediately fell in love with the music scene and created a rock band called Midnight Archives. I taught myself the bass so that we could start performing as a duo rather quickly. At some point, we were gigging around three times a week, and it was very difficult trying to balance earning a STEM degree with exploring my love for music at the same time. Everything came to a head when I found myself failing a lot of engineering courses. I ended up switching to Sustainability Studies as a major, which is the degree I ended up graduating with. I found that my love for music was too great to let anything else take priority over it.
After Midnight Archives disbanded in 2019, I created a jazz-rock band called Beach Blossom. We made music and performed together for several years. After some band members moved away, I realized that I am the only person whose commitment to music I can ensure; that I am the only person who has my particular vision of how I want my music career to go. Therefore, in 2022, I created my solo project: Alexi 8bit.
After performing solo for a while, I found myself needing more excitement on stage. I had played in bands throughout my time in college because I loved the energetic exchange between people on stage. It’s electrifying. After I released my first single as Alexi 8bit, I let the Austin music community know that I was looking for bandmates for my solo project, and other musicians reached out to me to see if we would be a fit. Soon, I found what I now refer to as my ‘8bit band’!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been smooth, and there were many struggles along the way. Even growing up, I had so many adults (especially teachers) tell me that I simply cannot pursue a career in the arts – that it is not a viable life path. That you have to be a very special individual, and that I was not gifted in that way. It took me a long time to figure out that I should not be ashamed of my relentless passion for creating music, that my art is worthwhile, and that I can indeed make a living as a musician!
The issue of confidence and self-assurance was my first hurdle to jump. After that, the other struggles along the road seemed more manageable because they were actually tangible: sharpening my skills, managing finances, finding other musicians to play with, etc. After coming to understand myself and what I truly want out of life, things became more doable. It was as if I understood, “I know where I’m going now – I just need to figure out how to get from A to B.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a musician and producer, and create what I like to call “heartfelt indie pop,” best described as electronic pop with soul influences. I am most proud of the unique productions showcased in my music. My music feels like a combination of everything I love: the hearts of soul and jazz musicians I admire, sounds reminiscent of video games I adore, and messages about learned life lessons that I feel need to be put out into the world. I strongly believe that the specific challenges and lessons you undergo in life, when healed and understood, are the pieces of wisdom and medicine you give to the world. It can help others heal and understand what they went through, too.
Yes, I write for expression; but I also write so that people feel understood. I write so that others do not feel so lonely in their loneliness.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is that others do not feel alone in the human experience. As humans, we are meant to be in community. We thrive in community. We heal in community. I suppose that, because the feeling of loneliness is something I’ve greatly connected to my entire life, I know the painful depths of it, and I do not wish it upon anyone. The ebbs and throws of life can be tough, but if you are surrounded by others, they aren’t as destabilizing or catastrophic; if you are held by others, they can be more of a ripple. It takes a whole community to create a healthy, happy person. And everyone deserves to experience a healthy, happy life.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.alexi8bit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexi8bit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexi8bit
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexi8bit
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRZdsE502y3YD1ekhzv4PNA
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/07BiHF5kaOxjLgePv3Gtz6?si=6Ur7_0bARVa4Jk2GX6V3bA
Image Credits
6 of 8 photos by Zachariah Williams.
1 photo (“Austin Music Love”) by Johnny Fantana.
1 photo (where I am performing alone with my piano to the far right, blue spotlight) by James Farmer.
