Get To Know R'n'B Powerhouse Alex Vaughn

If you’re not sure who Alex Vaughn is by now, then I don't know where you’ve been, the R’n’B powerhouse who has lived and breathed music for as long as she can remember is now being recognised as the new face of R’n’B. The last few years for the singer-songwriter have been a whirlwind, from working with the Grammy award winning producer Dark Child to performing at the BET Soul Train Awards via their infamous Soul Cypher segment. ‘As a young child I always had dreams of attending and performing at award shows, so actually being in this space is such a beautiful moment’.

‘Due to my Dad being in the military, I had the brief desire to become a train conductor as a kid, however music is something I’ve always been drawn to, my Grandmother had a piano in her house and I remember journeys to school where my parents would play a lot of soul music in the car’. As she further explored her talent as a singer, Alex would often performed her own renditions of the artists that inspired her, following this the songstress was granted a college scholarship in classical music, ‘Although I was given this amazing opportunity, Classical music was never a genre of music I was truly passionate about, but for the sake of my parents I did complete the scholarship which pushed me further into focussing on R’n’B’.

Alex cites the likes of Indie Arie, Mary J Blidge, Jill Scott and Stevie Wonder as major influences, however the list doesn’t stop there as Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse, Kanye West and Missy Elliott also played a huge part in Alex’s life, ‘They always had soul, but with a funk to it. These artists had cool ways to express their pain, via their lyrics and music videos’. From having strong remnants of the artists who have come before her, Alex Vaughn has gone from being inspired by her idols to collaborating with them on her nostalgic R’n’B infused EP ‘The Hurtbook’. The songstress worked alongside infamous producer Dark Child for the project (Destiny’s Child, Brandy, Monica), ‘Working with Darkchild was such a surreal experience, when creating the track I’m leaving, we were trying to figure out the production for it, so we reached out to him and he was instantly feeling it, I just couldn’t believe it because it was actually one of my older tracks. Once we met we connected straight away, we now have so much music we have worked on together’.

Describing her music as 'Feel good, life music' Alex Vaughn's sound resembles an early 2000’s heartbreak anthem, the latest single taken from The Hurtbook is So Be It, which encapsulates the loss of someone in your life whether a friend or lover it can be hard to let go at times, Alex sums that up perfectly. ‘The Hurtbook was very personal for me, all of those songs were based off true stories and experiences, initially the EP was based on one specific person but as time went on during the pandemic I got to explore a variety of emotions and situations’. Alex Vaughn manages to capture love, loss and heartbreak all in just 8 tracks, at first making music was just a form of expression, but now it’s a needed form of selfcare. ‘I’m inspired by so much, from constantly searching for more knowledge, to the love my fans and close ones show, I could literally see a bird and be inspired by it, the possibilities are truly endless’. Whether it’s a personal topic, a conversation or something Alex has seen she is an individual who often sees the beauty in everything and feels the constant need to be creative. ‘Even if it’s just having a conversation with another songwriter, I can’t go a day without creating something that will further inspire me’.

‘You get that synergy of working with people you already know, I’m always down to work with new creatives’, although Alex Vaughn is a R’n’B consumer and collaborator, her taste in music can be extended to the likes of Calvin Harris and Kaytranada, ‘I love dance music and it’s definitely a sound I’d like to jump on in the future, those two are my favourite producers. However If I could get the good side of Kanye, I’d love to just get an interview, feature or verse from him. Miguel is another artist I’d love to collaborate with, alongside any of the R’n’B girls that are currently doing their thing’.

When it comes to creating nothing is off limits for Alex Vaughn as she wishes to explore every side of the industry, ‘I would love to produce not only for myself but for others, I’m also a pianist so I would love to incorporate more of that into my music. Other than music, I’m interested in exploring the world of TV, I love getting into different characters. Nothing is off the table for me, there are no restrictions on ways you can express yourself and I want to explore all of them’.

Big on manifestation, Alex has set her intentions towards a tour and releasing more music over the next few months, ‘I am ready to put out so much music, I want interact with my fans across the globe and to be honest 2023 you can just expect to see a lot more Alex Vaughn, on your radio, on your TV, everywhere’. Throughout this conversation Alex’s infectious charisma was felt throughout she even joked about debuting her acting skills in TV sitcoms like Proud Family and Ravens Home.

'I wanna dance, I wanna step, my next big move will definitely be an album and with my music I also want people to know it's okay and that anyone is capable of anything'.

'The Hurtbook' is out now