Artist Highlight Alexis Jester
Alexis & the Samurai The duo of Alexis Marceaux and Sam Craft initially teamed up for Alexis’ second solo album, Orange Moon. After the project, the two figured out ways to make big live arrangements with just the two of them and began writing songs as a team. On any given song, you may find Craft playing a violin with one hand, a piano with the other, and drums with his feet, all the while Marceaux plays guitar, drums and both of them sing. Since teaming up, Alexis & the Samurai have been featured on HBO’s Tremé, NBC’s The Voice, and CSI New Orleans. Additionally, they have been nominated for Best Rock Band in New Orleans by Offbeat Magazine and have been nominated individually for Best Female Vocalist (Marceaux) and Best Violin/ Fiddle (Craft) by the magazine as well. At the moment, Marceaux and Craft are hard at work recording their major label debut on Verve Records for their other musical project, Sweet Crude. That said, you can still find Alexis & the Samurai gigging around New Orleans several times a month.
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MODERN GRACE
McKenzie Knapps After winning VH1’s “I Know My Kid’s a Star” in 2009, McKenzie, who could’ve followed that path to Hollywood, decided to move back to her home town in Louisiana. During this time, she began to cultivate her songwriting abilities and develop focus on her growth as a singer. Currently in Nashville pursuing music full-time, the 21-year-old singer has recently found herself in an evolution because her music tended to crossover from Country to Pop. Her versatile range and soulful timbre reflects musical influences such as Macklemore, Maggie Rose, and Elvis Presley. With the production of her first pop EP “Transition,” and having assembled a phenomenal group, McKenzie emphasizes the importance of teamwork. Pulling from her personal experience of moving from a small town to a big city, “Transition” focuses on the challenges that came along with that life-changing move. Even more, this five-song EP also addresses relatable topics such as friendships, romance, temptation, and selflove. Her first single “Friends w/ Money” is expected to be released in August followed by the EP later this fall.
