Australian musician Alex Lahey writes songs that sound like conversations -- that are honest and direct, like the way she speaks.
"If I really want to get a point across to someone then there’s very little nuance," she says. "That probably comes through in my music as well."
She also loves wordplay and double meaning, like in the song "Backpack." Lahey says it’s about how difficult a relationship can be with someone who is constantly on the move. Not only because they aren’t always around, but because when they leave they have their backpack on.
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Lahey released her debut album, “I Love You Like A Brother,” in 2017. It landed on several year end "best of" lists.
The album also reached an international fanbase, in part because listeners seem to really connect with her lyrics. A fan favorite is “I Haven’t Been Taking Care of Myself.”
"'I Haven’t Been Taking Care of Myself' is one that people are like, 'This song really speaks to me because...' And then it’s like, 'Insert a variety of reasons here,'" she says.
Lahey wrote the song after looking back on an unhealthy relationship.
"I got a bit sucked into it in a way because I probably didn't have much self-confidence at the time to steer my own path," she says.
The album was Lahey's opportunity to work through issues like relationships and her own well-being. She says it helped her uncover some new things about herself.
"There’s even been songs that I’ve written when I thought that I’ve been really happy about something," she says. "And then reflecting on it and being like, 'Oh wow! There’s actually all this underlying stuff that I haven’t addressed.'"
Lahey’s success has taken her out of her native Australia and on tours around the U.S. and Europe -- not too bad for a new artist in their mid 20s.
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