Delta’s flannel indie artist drops debut EP

Alex Nichols is a Michigan singer/songwriter pursuing a career in music

By Hal Reed

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. — Delta student Alex Nichols, started dabbling in making music a couple years ago. Now, he publishes music on all streaming services under the name ALEXTHEBAND. 

“If it doesn’t work out, I have music,” says Delta student Alex Nichols. “Some people who have been doing this for 10 plus years and they’re still performing at dive bars, coffee shops and little clubs that haven’t made it to St. Andrew’s hall or something like that.”  

Nichols’ cousins took him to see many different indie concerts that piqued his interest. A few years later, he realized he could produce music too.

Just this past week, Nichols has released his first EP, “is it about the record I got for you?”

The album features five tracks. Each one has a soft, introspective vibe, the kind of charm indie musicians or emerging artists often bring. My favorite track has to be Rosemary—the guitar chords are beautiful, complemented by soothing vocals and incredible lyrics.  

Nichols thinks that, with how competitive the music industry is, it’s important to stay true to yourself.

“Do what you’ve always been doing,” Nichols says. “If you want to make a shitty song then go ahead, if you want to make a cool song go ahead.”

“Do what’s up here and express it to the world,” he says, gesturing to his heart.

Nichols says the main artists that have influenced his career are Mac DeMarco, Daniel Johnsen, Sonic Youth, and Michigander. 

In his hometown, Chesaning, Mich., Nichols performs mostly in coffee shops or occasionally at local farmers markets. His memorable performance is of a sold out show last January with a lot of support from family and friends

As a Delta student, Nichols says it is easy for him to juggle multiple passions, writing songs at night and taking classes in the morning. At Delta, he majors in broadcasting, aiming to achieve a career in both. 

Nichols’ overall goal is to be successful with music and connect with people in everything he writes. The EP is for listeners to enjoy and to find happiness through his songs. 

He calls his music genre “flannel,” saying people wearing flannels will definitely be listening to this music.

Nichols future goals are to work on releasing another EP and to gain more listeners. Eventually, he wants to be able to perform more shows around Michigan and around the country. 

“If you’re gonna go into music, have an open mind. Be patient with it because you don’t know where it’s gonna take you,” Nichols says.

Look out for ALEXTHEBAND at his upcoming show on March 14 at Big Rock Coffee & Events. His newest album can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, or SoundCloud.