Check Out Alex Amsterdam’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Amsterdam

Hi Alex, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started playing guitar when I was around 11 years old. I found my mom’s old Yamaha in the basement of our old home – it was a relatively unused guitar my dad bought for her back in the 80’s when they first started dating. She seldom played it when I was young. I began learning like everyone else new to the guitar – powering through with bleeding fingers to create simple melodies and chords. Eventually, I began to get better and started writing songs alone in my bedroom, mostly through high school. It wasn’t until I was out of college and living back at home that a friend of my sister’s got me out of my room to play in front of my family for the first time.

Soon after that, I began to write more and played in a few short-lived bands as a bassist and rhythm guitarist. Brother Valiant kind of sprung out of that. I wrote some songs and put together some rough demos on GarageBand. I started it just messing around with some originals I wrote and would try out at local open mics. Soon after, friends and acquaintances started to join me and Brother Valiant became more of a band/project. At one point, there were seven of us. We played a lot around my hometown in New Jersey and New York City. We started off playing dive bars on weeknights (usually at 12/1 am) with little to no people in attendance. Eventually, we made our way to playing small festivals and venues on the weekend prime time slots…just had to keep working at it. There was still plenty of work to go. It was going pretty well at one point.

However, after the death of my father, I sort of let the entire thing fall apart – I didn’t have it in me to continue. There were too many other things to deal with at the time. I still sort of regret how I responded to it, but it is what it is.

I started to get back to it during the COVID lockdown in 2020. This was after I stopped playing and writing entirely for over 2 years. I recently moved to Nashville, finished and released a new record, and now I’m just trying to figure out the next steps in this new chapter.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
So many struggles… I don’t think you go into music even somewhat professionally without anticipating a struggle. Most of the struggles for me came from starting as a solo project, having it grow into a band, and then back again. Managing people, personalities, tough decisions, and awkward conversations. It’s all part of the process when you have creative people in a room all working towards a common goal. Most of the time this isn’t a bad thing. I think a room with no tension will get nothing done. There needs to be tension and honest talk with yourself and others to get the results that you want.

Other struggles I also still find are both promoting yourself and convincing bookers to take a chance on you. “Can you fill a room?”, “Where other venues have you played to warrant you playing here?”, “Why should we trust you to play at 8pm on a Friday or Saturday night?” The scene has changed a lot back home on the East Coast, with venues closing left and right. I’m sure it’s the same in a lot more places. It is tough out there.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I feel my true strength comes from writing lyrics. I always found that to come easy to me since I was a kid. I think there is something to be said about meaningful connection with the words you set to your music, and see if others may feel the same way when you play it for them. I think what sets me apart from the slew of other songwriters and musicians out there is that I am “me” – nobody else can do that. Just like nobody can be anyone else, even if they try their very hardest to emulate them.

Being honest in how you express your thoughts, feelings, and emotions is like a thumbprint. Sure, it can resemble others from a distance, but when you look very closely, it is one of a kind and wholly unique. I like to write my music with that in mind, hoping that the sounds being used and the words being sung reflect the nuances of what makes my music sound the way it does.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I don’t see a bright light at the end of this tunnel. I think the industry will end up on a trajectory with ultimately two very clear paths: One path is AI automation of music that becomes so refined, that musicians will no longer be needed. Film, tech, and other huge industries will go this way if it means they save money. Why hire musicians or pay to use their material when you can get AI to write originals for you at a fraction of the cost? Some people will be all about it and not care where their music comes from, sort of like how some people don’t care how their food is made or their carbon footprint on the planet.

Others will latch onto the “organic” or “handmade” nature of music recorded by real musicians. They will go to concerts with live musicians playing. They will support the artists on a more local level. That I feel will always be there. However, as hard as it is for artists to make money on their music now, it does seem that it will become exponentially harder in the next 2-3 years. It’s honestly sad to think about.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brothervaliantmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brothervaliant/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrotherValiant/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrotherValiant