Artist Highlights

by 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 Best Rock Band in New Orleans by Offbeat Magazine and have been nominated for 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.

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 has friendships, romance, temptation, and self-love. Her first single “Friends w/ Money” is expected to be released in August followed by the EP later this fall.

Megan Diana Born in South Korea, Megan spent time all over the world as a child while her dad served in the Army. She lived in Italy for four years before moving to Portland, Oregon and attributes those moves in why traveling throughout the states for her music comes naturally.

Since coming to NOLA, she feels it is a city that she will always come back to. It’s a fertile ground of grit and joy, music and unlikely connections, friends-old-and-new but most of all she knows it’s a place that can accept people as they are and create an incredible awakening of change.

“NOLA brings out a side of me that doesn’t exist in other spaces, I feel like people have open minds, ears and hearts here. They listen and appreciate music in a way I haven’t felt elsewhere. They wanna see you make it in front of them. Not a record or a download. Live in person, filled with your soul, your stories, your musical pictures and share it with them.”

MeloMania What started out as a local college band in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has now developed to be an international sensation. Very rarely does music touch your soul at first listen, but MeloMania’s music cannot be denied. MeloMania in its literal definition means “to be obsessed with music,” and this duo embodies exactly that.

Each born from a region known to produce talented musical artists, the band’s sound brings together a unique blend of musical styles; redefining rock & soul on the popular music scene.

Jordan Michael, New Orleans native and lead singer of the band, is the heart and “soul” of this group. His amazing vocals and powerful lyrics, sang over the musically superior guitar play of Jacob Cobb creates a powerful and dynamic sound.

The obsession with MeloMania’s music will continue to spread throughout the hearts of millions.

LYON Band Creative freedom and the joy of motion are the driving forces behind the six-piece genre-dancing band LYON. Standing for Love Your Own Noise, LYON personifies this affirmation by creating colorful musical journey for their audience.

The group was formed in 2018 by guitarist T.J. Nathan and songwriters/music artist Akeem and Hifey Gallivant. The two also hold it down on keyboard and bass, respectively. Woodwind expert and keyboardist Connor Bigelow was also a key ingredient to the formation of the group. Vocalist Kamara Landry and drummer Jamiles Lartey were added later to round out the group’s sound.

LYON Band is influenced by neo-soul acts such as D’Angelo and Erykah Badu, jazz fusion greats such as Robert Glasper and Butcher Brown to hometown heroes Ledisi and Tank and the Bangas. You can catch LYON playing as a group or separately in other projects around the city of New Orleans.

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