“I remember just being like, ‘Oh, damn, people keep saying Sandy Alex G instead of just Alex G,’” chuckles Alex on our follow-up call, “which makes sense why they would say that in hindsight, but I guess I was hoping people would see it as silent.” He returned to just Alex G in 2020.

In fact the entirety of Headlights was written, played, and recorded by just Alex G, alongside regular producer Jacob Portrait (Jake or “Snake” to his friends), save for its final song, “Logan Hotel (Live),” recorded with his touring band—guitarist and keyboard player Sam Acchione, bassist John Heywood, and drummer Tom Kelly—around a piano at the downtown Philadelphia hotel. Back at his local dive, I ask, why make a track like this? “Two reasons,” says Alex, “One, selfishly, because they’re amazing musicians, and so what they’re bringing to the song, it’s special and I am trying to capture that. And then two, I want them on the album because they’re my people.”

That’s the same reason twice, and a good one, but what I say is, if “Logan Hotel (Live)” was recorded in private and assembled from multiple takes, what makes it any more “live” than the rest of the album, the songs Alex recorded solo? He looks as though he hasn’t considered this before.

Alex G: I guess ’cause we just played it all at once. It wasn’t overdubbed, you know, but outside of that, it’s basically a studio song. But I like putting “live” on shit.

Pitchfork: I feel like you might be pulling our leg a little bit. Like, you’re not lying, but it’s a little misdirected.

Alex G: [laughing] Right?

That’s Alex G—coming to you live (almost).

PRODUCTION CREDITS:
Photographs by Bowen Fernie
Grooming by Laramie