Alex Merrill on SoundBetter

Alex Merrill is a funk session/touring keys player whose played with the likes of Baby Jake, Riley Clemmons, Aveva, Morgan Myles and even, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, of Steely Dan/Doobie Brothers acclaim. He specializes in all styles with an emphasis on 80's Funk, 70's yacht rock, and Gospel/blues with a vintage-synth tinge.

My name is Alex Merrill. I'm a keyboardist/producer based out of Nashville, TN. I started playing live gigs as early as the 6th grade where I developed a love for bands like Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers. The way they were able to blend sophisticated jazz chords into seamless pop songs definitely caught my attention. That's exactly what I bring to the table when I approach any new production/tune.

I've toured with countless artists such as Baby Jake, Macy Kate, Riley Clemmons, and Morgan Myles. I've played major festivals all across the country including Shaky Knees and Lollapalooza. Also, I front a band appropriately named Danny and Alex that has amassed well over 10 millions streams across all services and platforms.

With my combined touring/recording experience of over 15 years in the industry, I feel more than confident that I will deliver the keyboard/synth tracks that will elevate your tunes to the highest of (funk) standards.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

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Interview with Alex Merrill

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I like to work fast rather than tediously/painstakingly pour over each detail of a part. It's all in the first take!
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What kind of interior lighting does this house you've constructed need? What's gonna best suit this song with the littlest amount of harmonic information? (if that's what's needed)
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: I love talking details/nitty gritty. Let's get down to the good stuff. Exciting stuff!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: - Linn drum - Juno 106 - Fender P Bass - Yamaha CP 70 - Fender Strat
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started as a full time gigging musician and then slowly transitioned into more and more studio/remote work. I've been at this for about 15 years now.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I'd say my style is a mix of syncopated funk with 80's digital/analog synths sounds. Somewhere between a warm summer breeze and a gallon of monster energy drink, if you will.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Benny Sings, his outlook on production is brilliantly sparse while still getting the point across.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Top end and low end is for little kids. Mid range is for men with a mortgage and two kids.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Yacht rock/new wave/80's synth productions
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Sound Design and synth/keys layering
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring a vintage perspective to songs when it comes to overall tone and vibe. I like to think I know how to create movement and interesting textures within a production.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I usually listen to any/all references (or find some if not provided) and then play what serves the song best. Typically, then I mix the key/synth stems to have a warmer overall-vintage tone
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have an Apollo twin, JBL speakers, and a plethora of vintage synths/plugins for general audio mayhem/mishaps
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Prince, The Time, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Minneapolis GOAT's in general
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Depending on the type of song, I usually end up delivering at least three different keyboard/synth/organ tracks to the client. All depends on what serves the song!