Conversations with Eli Alger

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eli Alger.

Hi Eli, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I picked up the guitar at 15 years old and taught myself to play and sing by watching the “Garth Brooks Live at the Wynn” boxset. I would go on to be a finance major at the University of Iowa where I paid for school by chopping wood during the day and cutting my teeth playing bar gigs at night on the weekends.

Covid hit right when I graduated, and I was lucky enough to have grandparents with a Lake home on Lake Rathbun, IA in the middle of nowhere. I did nothing but hunt, fish, and play guitar for 6 months down there. I then moved to Nashville in September of 2020, I started playing writers rounds and broadway shows at AJ’s. Once summer rolled around and the world began to open back up it seemed all the gigs I had wanted in Iowa began to become accessible.

I would go on to drop my debut single “Rednexico” in September 2021 which has opened a ton of doors and is continuing to bear fruit, for which I am very grateful. I am now looking ahead to a summer of playing fairs, festivals, opening acts, rodeos, and my first ticketed show in Iowa City Iowa at the Wildwood.

Corn-fed and headstrong, Eli Alger is churning new dirt in an old-school way amidst the Nashville country music scene. The Iowa native singer/songwriter has raised both cutting woods and cutting his teeth playing bars. With black & white fridge door pictures of his great-grandpa Larry Elmo working stellar crowds sporting overalls and a fiddle and parents who sang to him since he was in diapers, Alger was constantly exposed to all kinds of music, but that George Strait/Garth Brooks traditional 90’s country twang is what truly resonated.

Between his world champion wrestler father, Royce, and his successful business owner grandfather, Larry, as role models, Eli developed a “stick-to-itiveness” attitude seeing that anything was possible if you were willing to give it your all and put in the work. Taking the lessons he has learned from his heroes, he has now begun to establish himself as an old soul with innovative nuances. Holding lyrical depth, truth, and emotion in high regard and that traditional soul in his back pocket, Alger embarked on his journey to Music City.

In July of 2021, Eli performed an unreleased original song entitled “Rednexico” when opening for Lorrie Morgan where he received a massive standing ovation of over 1,500 people. He then went to release the explosive yet savvy tune in September, where it has amassed over 160,000 streams on Spotify alone. Since “Rednexicos” release, the tune began circulating on numerous local radio stations throughout the country, peaking the question, “What does Alger have coming next?”

Not one to leave questions unanswered, Eli has recently been featured in a slew of interviews, magazine articles, and major news station segments. Alger’s upcoming tour schedule includes multiple opening acts for major artists, and headline dates for fairs, festivals, and rodeos alike. Alger’s goal is to bring energy, sincerity, and intensity to the country music table that is not often found. Eli’s passion and goals are clearly heard when speaking to fans about his dream to give his beloved home state of Iowa a never before had voice in the world of country music, and a big one at that.

Eli has opened for major acts like Lorrie Morgan, Jesse Keith Whitley, Tyler Booth, and James Carothers (to name a few). When opening for Lorrie, Eli received a standing ovation from a packed venue of 1,000+ attendees. One of Eli’s proudest moments thus far is when he performed at the Garth Brooks tailgate after-party at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln NE on August 14, 2021, where Alger played to a crowd of over 1,500 people and received another standing ovation.

In September 2021, Alger released his much-anticipated debut single “REDNEXICO” to country radio where it has since amassed over 165,000 streams and is being played on independent radio around the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Since “Rednexicos” release Alger has gained recognition both in Nashville and around the U.S. It also, amongst other achievements, has earned Eli and his band FASTER HORSES an almost full tour schedule of fairs, festivals, rodeos, big-name artist opening acts as well as interviews and spotlights on major news stations, podcasts, and talk shows.

Alger is actually scheduled to duke it out with the midwest’s finest in a Battle Of The Bands on March 20th, where the winner gets to be direct support to Carley Pearce in front of 25,000 people in 2022! Faster Horses will be performing their very first ticketed show in November of 2022 at the 550 person capacity Wildwood in Iowa City, Iowa, and in Eli’s words:

“Not only is my goal to sell it out but to put on the BEST country concert those good people will have ever attended.” – Eli Alger

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing worthwhile is ever easy! One of my biggest challenges has been developing internal rhythm, my dad is completely beat Def if you can believe that, lol, and I believe some of that has passed on to me. I work with a metronome almost every day trying to fix myself.

I thought I was going to wrestle for the Hawkeyes in College, but in my Senior year of high school, I broke my right hand pretty bad, after 8 months of physical therapy I gave up wrestling and decided to tackle music. Getting hit with a plague straight out of college was certainly not ideal, and I’ve always struggled to find a true audience on social media that resonates with my music.

I think it’s more me just not being very tech-savvy whatsoever, lol. Doing the whole independent artist thing on your own is rough, they say “it takes a village” and that is no joke. Nobody has enough time in the day to make stellar social media content, book the tour schedule, build the website (and keep it up to date), design the merch, and hone/create the very thing it is you are trying to sell… the music.

Without the music, all the things listed above wouldn’t have a catalyst, and without all the things listed above, well, then the music remains unheard.

It’s all growing pains, the next step is building a team

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I like to say I play both kinds of music, Country AND Western, lol! I specialize in entertaining, I feel comfortable on stage, and I take the stage with the mentality that my job is to remove the audience from reality and take them on a journey. To relate to them and give them something to remember.

I’d say I’m known for my song “Rednexico” and the overalls I wear on stage, I sewed American flags into the inseams of the flaps so when they flail while I’m on stage the crowd can see the flags. Love those things

As of now, I am most proud of “Renexico”‘s success and when I got a Standing Ovation in front of 1,500ish people when opening for Lorrie Morgan. THAT was awesome

So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why?
I’d say my fiance, my guitar “Ol Ethel”, and 90s style country music.

Pricing:

• I book my solo show for $1200 + hospitality regularly.
• I book the band for $3000 + hospitality, travel expenses (gas) included if over 1 tank of fuel round trip.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://elialgermusic.com/home
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elialgermusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EliAlgerMusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDcsqQP8m1cX7Z6eOKOCJpA
• Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/eli-alger/1564372511