Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexx Calise.
Alexx, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Batfarm originally started out as a studio project between my songwriting partner, Dennis Morehouse and I. Dennis had approached me a few years ago to co-write a song with him for a horror movie, and we found that we had amazing musical chemistry in the process.
From there, we just kept going until we had a full album. After a breakup (we used to date), a yearlong hiatus, and a series of name changes, Batfarm became the awesome art rock (with pop sensibility) band that it is now. Although it may not seem like Batfarm the band has a particularly long/rich history, Dennis and I have extensive music credits.
As a solo artist, I’ve had a plethora of songs on the show “Dance Moms” and my song “Cry”, has over 4 million YouTube hits (which features renowned dancer, Maddie Ziegler). Dennis has played with the likes of Gilby Clarke, Marc Ford, and Norwood Fisher to name a few. We’re gearing up to tour the country in 2019.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Not at all. Batfarm was kind of put on the back burner when my solo career started taking off. Dennis and I also had a breakup and didn’t speak for about a year. We didn’t know if any of the Batfarm stuff would ever see the light of day, and because the music production was so involved, we didn’t know if it would be able to translate life, especially as a two-piece band.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Batfarm story. Tell us more about the business.
Batfarm is our pet music project, and something Dennis and I are 100 percent invested in emotionally. I feel like we’re not just creating something commercial. While that’s important and all, I feel like we’re truly creating art (and on our terms). It’s something that comes from the depths of our souls.
It’s some of the greatest work we’ve ever done together, musically, lyrically. It takes us a long time to complete records because of how meticulous we are. We will rewrite, bring back, throw out, and revisit something 500 times before a song ever sees the light of day, and that’s because we truly care. We pride ourselves also on our live show and make it into an experience for the audience.
Everything you hear is not programmed, it is performed completely by us. We’ve spent years dialing in our live show, and making it an experience versus just a “gig”. There are so things vying for peoples’ attention (social media, Netflix, etc), ESPECIALLY in LA, so we feel we owe it to the audience to give them their money’s worth and make it worth braving all the shitty traffic to come out and see us.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I feel I’ve put myself in a position to be lucky. If you stick with something long enough, and you really hone your craft, you will eventually get your due. I truly believe that. Sure, I’ve had some “lucky” breaks, like getting some great TV placements and getting asked to play live on TV, but I also worked my ass off to get to that place, and most importantly, I was ready for it. Always be ready for the call, as my songwriting partner Dennis says.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.batfarmband.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/batfarmband
- Facebook: facebook.com/batfarmband
- Twitter: twitter.com/batfarmband
Image Credit:
Anabel Dflux
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