Abraham Alexander | From Fort Worth to the Oscars

Oscar-nominated musician Abraham Alexander reflects on his journey from Greece to Texas shaped by loss, foster care, and learning English as a second language and how those experiences formed the emotional foundation of his songwriting.

In this conversation, Abraham explores grief, identity, and resilience, and how early hardship built the empathy that defines his music. He also traces his unexpected path from working as a bank teller to collaborating with artists including Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., and Jon Batiste.

From an Oscar nomination to the creation of his sophomore album, Abraham opens up about the faith required to keep moving forward when the odds feel impossible. He reflects on how the Dallas–Fort Worth music scene shaped his sense of purpose, the responsibility he feels toward his listeners, and how returning to Greece helped him reconnect with themes of origin, family, and grace.

This episode is a meditation on art, survival, and meaning, told through the lens of a life shaped by displacement and creativity.

If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes, and leave a review sharing the line that stayed with you most.

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Transcript

Welcome And Meet Abraham

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to Front of Book Texas. I'm Christy Ramirez. Conversations with the creators of icons driving lifestyle and culture today. From Texas to the world, timeless and pain, Texas Creativity, Global Influence. Guys, I am so excited. Austin nominated Abraham Alexander is here. The former basic songwriter's music was so involved in a deeply personal storytelling. He was born in Greece to Nigerian parents and raced in Texas. And Abraham's past the music was anything but expected. I'm thrilled to talk to Abraham about the journey behind the music, the stories that shape the songwriting, and how Texas continues to influence the sound.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

All right, let's do it. Let's go. Are we going to look at each other? Are we going to look at the look each other in the eyes?

SPEAKER_02 0:51

Oscar nominated Abraham Alexander, which is crazy. That's going to be like attached to your name for the rest of your life.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

Surreal. Very, very crazy. Also, congratulations on this.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Like, this is phenomenal. I'm so proud of you.

SPEAKER_02 1:05

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:06

Um, but everything you did is like excellent. Oh, I appreciate it. Yeah, yeah, truly. Yeah, I'm so blessed you asked me to be here.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

I feel so blessed that you came. So thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Done.

From Greece To Texas

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Um, okay, so let's just for people that don't know, let's give just like some broad strokes because your life has been up and down and up and down. And right now it's on this crazy, amazing like trajectory rising up. But you've had like major adversity, like stuff that would take a normal person down.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

So tell us about your parents, Nigerian immigrants, that's right, moving to Greece. Were were all three of you guys already born, or were y'all were born in Greece?

SPEAKER_00 1:51

Born in Greece. Yeah. My my eldest brother, Sam, he was born in Nigeria. He was one year old. And uh they wanted something different from Nigerian and not necessarily the life that was given to them. And sort of, this is what it will look like for the rest of my life. And I think my my my dad was very keen on destiny, very keen on going and doing something with his life that um his family weren't like telling him to do. Just sort of, he's a dreamer.

SPEAKER_02 2:29

Yes, he was being proactive. He was like, the kids are we're not gonna do this here.

SPEAKER_00 2:32

Absolutely. Yeah, and so he's like, let's go. And he was a musician and uh did a lot of session work and they went to Greece, and life wasn't as beautiful as it thought that it would be. Yeah. Uh very difficult, a lot of hardship at the time. My family applied for a lottery visa.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

23 million people apply for the the lottery visa to the US, and only about 50,000 get accepted. Oh my god. And we were one of those family that got accepted. And uh yeah, from Greece to to Texas.

SPEAKER_02 3:11

And you came to Arlington first.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

And it was your parents and your three brothers.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 3:18

You end up in Arlington. What happens when you get to Arlington?

SPEAKER_00 3:22

You know, when we get to Arlington, instantly I just I just knew something was different, right? Like as soon as I get off the plane from Greece, yeah, the air was more dense in a way.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

Um, it it felt, as I'm looking back, it felt so serious.

SPEAKER_01 3:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

It it was sort of, but in the same spirit, I was excited to do something different. I was excited to rediscover myself. I was extremely excited to rebrand as a kid. Is that a thing? Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_02 3:56

I mean, listen, looks like your whole life is gonna change. You're in America. Like, I can't, I can only imagine what that means to somebody that wants to, you know, like all the things that that stands for, like going to the United States, what does that mean? Like dreams come true here, you know? And so you probably felt that, right?

SPEAKER_00 4:14

I did, very heavy. And I knew how excited my folks were and how excited they were to give us an opportunity that they didn't have. You know, they dubbed it the land of milk and honey.

SPEAKER_01 4:25

Yeah.

Losing His Mother In Arlington

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Right. And so, um, but a few months after we moved, my my mom was um in a in a car accident and uh passed away. And so that was extremely difficult for us as a unit to try to cope with us dreaming about this life.

SPEAKER_02 4:45

How old were you when your mom was 11? You were 11 years old.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

And so you're just your your family's moving here, land of milk and honey, uh, the promised land. We're so excited. And within how long does your mom sh get killed in this accident?

SPEAKER_00 5:01

Nine months.

SPEAKER_02 5:02

I mean, what?

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Yeah. It's one of those things where you look back on and at at the time it still feels like a a dream, right? That there's no way that this ha happened or should happen. We've gone through so much, and this should be the best times of our life. And we were just hit with this um this tragedy.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:33

Um, yeah, it was it was tumultuous for sure.

SPEAKER_02 5:35

And then when that like once that happened, like you move forward a little bit, and then your your you and your brothers are adopted out to families.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Yeah, so we fostered, and then I was the only one that was adopted to the family that that I went to. And um I think for me it was I don't know, you look back and you try to see if is was that the right choice, was it not? And for me, I think it was a massive blessing, yeah. Just to um just find a safe space.

SPEAKER_02 6:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Uh and security, right?

SPEAKER_02 6:16

Like after all of that, I mean did it feel? I mean, do you still remember like you know, what it felt like the first time being in another household with this new family?

SPEAKER_00 6:28

No. It it it it was it it was all a dream. Like it just doesn't necessarily feel real. It was like an outer body experience and me watching myself sort of navigating all these things. I was numb for for a long time. And um, all these new experiences, I didn't necessarily want to feel as much as I was feeling. And I think my body was just naturally trying to protect itself from all these emotions. Um, it was it was too much, I think, for a kid to try to decipher.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

For sure, like self-preservation, you know, of just like trying to survive through

Learning English And Reading People

SPEAKER_02 7:08

it. And uh you also didn't like speak fluent English either. No, no, no, no, no. No, yeah, there was So you were like doing like English as a second language, like how was that like there's so much to like unpack within the ESL.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

I'm so grateful for ESL teachers uh in general, and it was just a class of me and foreigners, yeah. And so in that regard, we were all appreciative of each other because we're all going through the exact same struggle. Uh, but it was also a mess because you can't practice your English on nobody. Yeah, it was just yeah, you can't practice your English on nobody. Yeah, you're not gonna learn anything from the city. Not gonna learn anything. And so we would watch a lot of films, a lot of TV, you know, the whole like rolling the rolling the TV in the class. Um and so that was fun, but it it also allowed me to read body language and read how someone felt without necessarily knowing or hearing them share how they felt. Oh yeah. Um and experiencing empathy for people based on what they were going through or whatnot. But it was it's funny, I haven't thought about like that situation a long time. But it was beautiful, yeah. Yeah, just being in the ESL class and trying to learn how to speak English.

SPEAKER_02 8:34

I mean, you have zero accent now. So are people surprised when they're like, wait, you were born in like Oh, absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 8:41

But then if you get if if you get my brothers and I together, you it's like it instantly comes out.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

That's how it is with almost like everybody, even you know, if you've worked, if you've lived in Texas forever and you try not to have that accent, like after a couple of drinks or being around people you grew up with, all of a sudden I sound like my grandmother, you know.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

My brother speaks seven languages, my older brother brother, and then I speak three. So there's Europa, which is the the Nigerian dialect, right? Yeah, and then Greek and English. Um, and so it's just like all this jumbled together while we're while we're in the midst of each other. It's it's so beautiful though. I love it.

SPEAKER_02 9:22

That's incredible. So do you ever surprise anybody? Like if you're I mean, if you happen to be at a Greek restaurant and like, or are people like, I'm sorry, what?

SPEAKER_00 9:29

Oh, absolutely. Yeah, I just went back to Greek Greece in this past November.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

And I did it. It was, I went there, I was like, I'm just gonna be a tourist. And the way that they treated us being there was so beautiful that I went and I started speaking Greek, and they're like, hold on, where where are you from? What's going on? Yeah, it's great. Yeah, or on the stage sometimes, like if I'm in the uh East Coast, I'm sure there's a lot of Greek, yeah, sort of people there, and I'll I'll speak some Greek on stage and I might get someone responding back to me from the audience.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

It's such a trip. It's such a I mean, it's not, yeah, it's it's so so cool. And I think that it's like such a surprise to people that like don't know your backstory, obviously.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

I I I love it. I I think it's really a unique way to see the world and to surprise people and to let them know that not everyone who looks the same is a monologue.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

Yeah, exactly. So I love pulling that out when someone's like, Where are you from? And they're expecting someone, oh, this is there. So hopefully the next time they see someone who looks like me or sort of reminds them of me, that they might give that person the same.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

Just a pause for a moment. Yeah.

Faith And Turning Adversity Into Fuel

SPEAKER_00 10:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:42

Um, so I think the thing that surprises me most about you is that you have like this incredible like resilience and grit. You know, as I said before, like some of the stuff that you've been through would take a person down and would be so like, I'm out at the world, nothing works out for me.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:03

What is it in you that like you are so like your faith in God is so resolute. You're so just like this, like I'm in God's favor, even though all this stuff has happened.

SPEAKER_00 11:14

I think you said it. It it's it's my faith.

SPEAKER_02 11:18

Is that that's what it is? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

Yeah, it's my faith. Think my family, and just realizing how much I've been through, and it would be a shame to like give up now, right? It would be a detriment to the people who've invested so much into me and my friends, and yeah. Um we we might be the only Bible, like our lives might be the only Bible that people get to read. Oh my god. And so being being the expression of that, you you know, and so um I don't know, I just and I see adversity too as as a blessing, yeah, you know, um and not an enemy.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

So I don't try to I don't try to curse it, like just welcome it as a blessing and welcome it as like all the time. But it's I'm I'm speaking to myself as well because it's not always the easiest thing to do, but yeah, you it's you know, there's the nurture versus nature, and I I truly believe that our circumstance is based on how we look at it. Yeah, like so much so we can see whatever we're going through, and it could be true. Two people seeing it completely different, and it is true, and the the manner in which you look at it will send you further down that path, yeah, you know, whether it's like up or down, it's really up to you, yeah. Yeah, there's a saying that says, What we fear comes to pass.

SPEAKER_02 12:47

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

Yeah, it's wow, right? And so it's it's crazy, but it if if you put your mind and energy towards that, yes, then it's gonna happen. But fear is you being afraid of something that hasn't happened yet, and so you can put the energy towards that, or you can put the energy of like, I fear I'm gonna be a billionaire. You know what I'm saying? That's what I'm fearing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm afraid. Like, what am I gonna call what am I gonna do with all that money? Comfort, yeah, yeah. So it's uh adversity's a chisel.

How The Oscar Nomination Landed

SPEAKER_02 13:25

Where were you when you found out that you were nominated for an Oscar?

SPEAKER_00 13:30

I was I was at home in the loft, I was in my robe, I was in my robe, just got some tea. Um I made some tea and I watched it as they were sort of broadcasting it live.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

That's how you like you saw broadcast live. That's how you found out.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:49

What was that like when they called your name?

SPEAKER_00 13:53

I cried. I cried. I I I was so moved because a lot of things were sort of um a lot of things happening that was like ups and downs and and a lot of downs in in this season and um parted ways with a management company that I was working with. Um looking at a house, right? And just seeing like this pressure of all these things and just like how am I gonna make it happen?

SPEAKER_01 14:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:28

And everyone was telling us that hey, it's not gonna happen, right? Like it's not, like, don't it's it's not going to happen.

SPEAKER_01 14:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:36

And then to just see and hear my name just sing sing and then seeing my name down was just very surreal and just tears.

SPEAKER_02 14:49

I mean, I can't even imagine who's the first person that you called?

SPEAKER_00 14:53

Amy, my manager. Amy is the first person I called. Yeah. Uh and I think the only thing we kept saying was what? Was just what what just happened? And um, you know, my girlfriend was there, and it was it was just a beautiful experience of us embracing each other and seeing uh seeing the impossible happen.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

It's some it's something that like everybody dreams of, right? Is like Grammy nominated, Oscar nominated, Oscar winner, Grammy winner, and for it to happen like it so early in your career. I mean, it's kind of incredible.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

Yeah, it it's so funny. It feels it is early, but at the same time, it feels like I've lived seven, eight different lives. Yeah, you know, but to to have gotten that based off of there wasn't any, I'm doing this because this has the possibility of being not.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

Yeah, you were just doing your work, you were just doing the work.

Writing The Song Under Pressure

SPEAKER_00 15:55

I was just doing the work, and it it was hard to do it, but everything was telling me that I needed to. Like I almost said no, like I don't have any time. Like Adrian and I were never in the same space together, yeah, working.

SPEAKER_02 16:09

And you're talking about Adrian Black Romans, yes, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

I would send him files and he would send me files back and forth, and I'd go to the studio like three, four o'clock in the morning trying to, you know, write or sing.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

But it just wasn't like clicking up, it wasn't happening until like a certain point.

SPEAKER_00 16:25

Yeah, our our schedules were just so busy. Yeah, we only had a few hours to work on the song. Like it was that thing. I I think so now, yeah, yeah. And even like it's that's wild. Yeah, it just only a few hours to work on the song, and you know, we were never in the same space, but I think that isolation of us not being in the same room together. There's sort of this intimacy that's within the track, right? And this desperation of wanting to be heard. And I think that translates. And if he was there and would was giving me more notes, I probably would have like pushed it even more and missed the mark on the moment of the film.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

Let's get gossipy.

unknown 17:09

Yeah.

Hollywood Nights And Starstruck Encounters

SPEAKER_02 17:11

We got to LA. Yes. Okay, you're in LA. It's the Oscars. I mean, we're like fast-forwarding quite a bit here, but like, what was your biggest starstruck moment? Like, what was it like having people call you being like, we want to dress you, we want to do this? Like, what was all that like? Was that a trip, or was it like, this is so cool?

SPEAKER_00 17:32

Seeing Elton, Sir Elton John, and just like the magic of who he is and how much I love his music. And he just looked like he was floating as he walked in. You know, and so that was that was be beautiful, and he was extremely generous. Um Colem Domingo in his element is just phenomenal.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

I mean, can you I can't think of like somebody better dressed in Hollywood, like he is off the charts.

SPEAKER_00 18:04

Last the the year prior, I was just crushing on his fit.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

Truly, I was I feel like if I look back on some looks, I'm gonna be like, okay, that was inspired.

SPEAKER_00 18:15

Truly, like, truly, I was just crushing on his fit. And uh I think I was in like Columbus, Ohio, or something like that. Just in a hotel room of just eating probably ramen noodles. Like it was it was one of those, yeah, and and crushing over his fit, yeah, and then for the next year to be on the same team as him.

SPEAKER_02 18:37

And what a trip.

SPEAKER_00 18:38

Just insane. But he was so, so gracious, um, such a pleasant individual to be around. Timothy Chalamagne as well was extremely gracious. Demi Moore was just stunning.

SPEAKER_02 18:51

Um she's like ageless. I mean, she looks kind of she looks incredible, yeah, like so incredible.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

Being at elevator and then just sitting there and just hearing this voice and just like, you look great, you look phenomenal, like this is your night, and just being like, oh man, thank you. Like thinking it's God, and you turn around and it's Morgan Freeman.

SPEAKER_02 19:12

No, so what does it feel like now? Like you're so far away from leaving Greece, coming to Texas? What does it feel like now, like looking back on that kid with his brothers, like and your parents making this decision? Like, does that seem so far away, or does it seem like yesterday to you? I mean, can you even kind of like wrap your head around like what that feels like to have the success that you're having now and like all the stuff that you had to kind of overcome to get here?

SPEAKER_00 19:53

That's a great question. And it it seems doesn't seem like I'm living life in a linear way. It feels like everything's happening simultaneously, you know, and sort of the the emotions of this kid that I used to be on top of the man I am now and the man that I want to become, and making all these individuals proud, right? And what that looks like. Um so I don't think it was in vain. Like I'm extremely grateful for the efforts and the sacrifices that my family made, and the fact that I'm in this field that is so unpredictable, and to have something to say, hey, you can like thank you so much. Like I just achieved something really remarkable. And if it wasn't for the sacrifice that you guys took, I wouldn't be here right now. Yeah. Um, and so yeah, it's such a weird thing to to look back on because it it there there isn't, it doesn't feel like I'm looking back on anything. Yeah, it feels like I'm generally reliving all these individuals' experiences all at once.

SPEAKER_02 21:09

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Texas Belonging And Fort Worth Pride

SPEAKER_02 21:10

yeah. It's like you, you, there, you're all, it's all fully connected to like who you are. It's like you you were that little kid, but you you are like a grown man now, but you're still that, you're a product of like what all that stuff was. I feel like Texans have fully adopted you as their own. Like you are Texan now. Um what is it like being in Fort Worth? I mean, do you just kind of I know that you're you know your schedule's kind of crazy and stuff, but like you're fully adopted Texan. Like people are like you're Texan now.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

1000%. I I I genuinely love Texas because there's that southern charm. There's the notion of things being bigger than life here. Um, also the aspect of working hard, um, the aspect of just taking responsibility, um, taking ownership. There's that rebellion aspect of the state, right? That's

SPEAKER_02 22:00

How that's my favorite thing. Yeah. This crazy mythic, like wild catter, crazy quality of like you can you can come from nothing. I mean, I guess that's United States in general, but like really Texas, like to me, like what you're saying, like put the work in, it's bigger than life. There's this mythic quality about the state here that I don't think any, I mean, like maybe New York. There's, I think when you think of Texas, just like when you think of New York or like a New York City or something, that there is a specific quality about being from here that people are just fascinated with, right?

SPEAKER_00 22:37

Absolutely. Yeah. You know, so yeah, that it's like the way Texas joined the union, right? Or or just part of the United States was that no, we are who we are, right?

SPEAKER_02 22:49

Yeah, it was the Republic of Texas, like our own thing.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Exactly. And so I think I think that is still rooted within the culture of the state now. But I love it. I love the fact that I can call myself Texan because it allocated a space for me to discover myself.

SPEAKER_01 23:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:07

And it accepted me as its own. And it's the first time that I was accepted into the community, right? Even when I was in Greece, I wasn't Greek. Yeah. Right. Or this Nigerian aspect. I wasn't fully Nigerian. Right. There was just like an outsider component to myself. And but when I came to Texas, it was you're you're one of us.

SPEAKER_02 23:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:33

And for that, I will forever be grateful. Um, and this is home.

SPEAKER_02 23:38

I feel like everybody kind of has a little bit of an idea of like this random meeting that you had with Leon Bridges, which you know, he's been such a huge advocate for you, and he's really supported you in in your career.

Meeting Leon Bridges By Intuition

SPEAKER_02 23:53

How did that actually happen? Because Zach Crane wrote about it for D Magazine, and um, I think because of editing, like he didn't really get like into it, but you're a bank teller.

SPEAKER_00 24:04

That's right. That's right, that's right, yeah, that's right. That's right, yeah. Okay. I am working at a bank.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:11

Uh I while I'm in school, I I lost my scholarship.

SPEAKER_02 24:16

Right. Injury, soccer injury.

SPEAKER_00 24:19

Not because I was a bad student, because because of a soccer injury, and I am working as a teller, and this individual comes in, and something in me is like, you need to get to know who this person is. And he's a trained conductor, just moved here from California, and doesn't know anyone here. And so usually you're not supposed to sort of fraternize with clients or people, but like, because it was guy, I was like, they're not gonna like it's fine. Yeah. So I told him, hey, if you want to hang hang out or want a group of people to hang with, here's my number, hit me up. And so we became really good friends, and he's extremely creative, like photographer, um, designer. Uh, he made this, he he lived in this loft in Fort Worth in this area that's not that at the time was not pretty. Okay, it was very rough. Um, but he made this like tree paper marche out of a uh pillar that was in his room, and which was like so blew my mind.

SPEAKER_02 25:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:27

And I just felt more creatively inspired just being around him. He like he became like one of my best friends. And so this particular day, he's like, Hey, come to the loft and we can work on photography or whatever you're doing. And I just picked up a guitar, and so anything creative or musical or anything art, I was all for.

SPEAKER_02 25:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

And so I get there and he texts me, hey, I'm running behind a bit. And so I sit there and I see this guy named Austin Jenkins and Josh Block taking guitar amps from their van into this building.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

Like, are you looking out a window?

SPEAKER_00 26:03

I'm looking out my car window.

SPEAKER_02 26:04

Okay, you're looking out your car window. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:05

And so I'm parked in front of your waiting because he's running light. Exactly. And so I see them hauling the amps in, and I'm just like, what is going on? Like, are they stealing? Because it's a rough neighborhood. Yeah, so you're like, You know what I'm saying? Yeah, what's happening? And so someone's like, you should go find out what they're doing. And at this time, I was so in tune with the voice. I was so in tune with listening and with not sort of um dismissing it.

SPEAKER_02 26:32

Yeah. No judgment on your like, you're not judging yourself on any. I mean, just like the train conductor, dude. Why were you just like, you want to hang out? Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 26:39

Like, yeah, exactly. And just like I'm I'm going to trust this voice, this intuition, whatever it says, except if it's outlandish. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm trusting limits. Yeah, there's limits. But it was very it it at this point, it was so generous towards me. Like, so it's very difficult to explain, but I was so in tune with myself in this moment and very sure of myself, even with me losing scholarship or me working at the bank and school, like all those doubts. Like it that innate voice was so generous towards me and like would lift me up. And so I get out, I go speak to them, and like, oh, we're recording this guy named Leon Bridges. Um, do you sing? And I was like, No. And and they're like, like, but but I just picked up the guitar and I've been playing for a few months, and they're like, Well, can you hum? I was like, Yeah, I can hum. And so like, well, come by tomorrow and come to the session.

SPEAKER_02 27:44

Am I gonna be a kidnapped? Like, no, you were like, No, it's telling me like this is all good.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

Yeah, it again, I can hum. Can you hum? Yeah, I was again, I was just so in tune with this voice, so in tune with who I was and this outrageous confidence that I should not have, and I wish that I do now, right? That same confidence of that guy. And so I was like, yeah, sure. I we hang out, go home, work the longest shift that I've ever worked. Um, and so I opened the the um the bank and closed the bank. And I was like part-time at the uh at the moment, and so I was tired, so I was gonna go home.

SPEAKER_02 28:29

This is the one day you got like the double shift. Exactly. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 28:32

I was gonna go home. I was so exhausted. And as I was going home, the the the the exit that I would take home was blocked. Oh my gosh, which had never been blocked before. And so the only way that I can go home was by uh going the other exit that was like a few sort of streets down from the studio. And I was like, oh man, I'm like already.

SPEAKER_02 28:56

Yeah, I'll just go.

SPEAKER_00 28:56

I've I've gone this far, I might as well just go. So I I go to the studio, I meet Leon, and they're recording River.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

Oh, wait, are you humming on River?

SPEAKER_00 29:05

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And uh it was it was one of those magical moments that let me know I am where I'm supposed to be. And it was one of the first times that I've ever seen, outside of sports, seeing a collective of people coming together to bring uh one goal to fruition, right? And so I was so inspired. We quickly became friends. Uh, he told me to start doing open mics and see what happens, and that's what I did. I would learn a song off YouTube uh and you know, would send it to him and would would send him videos that I was doing. He would respond like and at this time he was like I mean, talk about generosity extremely kind, extremely generous, and he he is as authentic as they come and and hoes has been, you know, and he's one that sees the value of friendship, yeah and authenticity. But uh yeah, and and so with with send him this, would give me response back and uh just cheering me on. Yeah, 2017. You didn't even ask for this, I would give it to you. So this was 2014 that yeah, 2014 that this happens, and then 15 coming home comes out and like he's blowing up 2017. He sends me a text that goes, hey, come by the studio, let's write some songs. Who knows what could happen? Bring a guitar, period. Sends me another one, hurry up, you know, which is like you know, a few moments. I was like, okay, cool, okay. So I I I was sending artists that I loved at this point, right? Artists that I'm inspired by. And so uh I go home, grab my guitar, go back to the same studio, um, now Now City Sounds, get my guitar, and standing outside of standing outside of the studio smoking a cigarette, hat tilted down.

SPEAKER_02 31:08

I know who I am I just have a feeling I know who you're about to say. Scary clutching. Yes, I can't do it.

SPEAKER_00 31:12

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's scary, which at this moment I was so enamored by and still am. He's like one of my biggest inspirations, and I'm so happy that I get to call him a friend and big brother.

SPEAKER_02 31:23

You saw that?

SPEAKER_00 31:24

Were you like oh, I was blown away. I was like mouth dropped, right? But I had set I was sending Leon videos of Gary's like, yo, this brother's so good, like this and that. And so, and Leon doesn't tell me anything, he's just like, hurry up, hurry up, right? And so, and so I I get there and Gary's like, what kind of guitar do you have? And I couldn't even, I'm like, uh, I'm so nervous. I was so nervous. I was so nervous, could barely answer. And so I tell him and he asked if he could play it. And I was like, just lifted the guitar to him. He grabs in front of me, he's he's walking in front of me, and I'm like, please, please be chill, please, please be calm. Don't ruin this for me. You know, don't ruin this moment for me, please. And uh he walks into the studio, and there goes Leon with his big old grin on his face, just laughing, having the best time.

SPEAKER_02 32:20

Watching it all, like your shock, your surprise, your delight, and all of it.

SPEAKER_00 32:25

He just knows, like, oh, he's tripping. Yeah, on the piano is John Baptiste.

unknown 32:30

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

2017 on the piano is John Baptiste. Gary goes in, plugs my my get that I just purchased. This is like my first get like pro and guitar that I bought with my money. At this point, I had just been like borrowing guitars and figuring it out, and so like this was my guitar that he plugs in. First time being played through an amp, because I didn't even have an amp yet. And so he he play plays it, they start jabbing out, and I'm just again mesmerized. And yeah um, we all like just have this incredible moment, and as if the night couldn't get better, we go to In N Out and like have a burger, just four of us having a burger, and uh yeah, but he's always been that. Like Leon has always been that individual that goes above and beyond to like show support, show his love, and I wouldn't be where I'm at if it wasn't for him, and to to just be just share his encouragement, share his light. The fact that I get to have like a a rear seat uh uh view of his career, yeah, and decisions that he makes and sort of emulate my career in a way, because I think that no journeys are alike, everyone is different, but success leaves clues, right? And so I'm able to sort of see how he's going through and what he's doing and and trying to emulate it and um and things that I feel like I need to do for myself because this is what I'm trying to do, then that are different from his. Um, but just having that backseat view of his journey and his life is is is incredible.

SPEAKER_02 34:19

Well, yeah, to have somebody like that that you can model after and just be like, okay, like this is good. Like that's it's incredible.

Shouting Out Texas Artists And Venues

SPEAKER_02 34:26

I mean, speaking of like supporting artists in the same way that he supported you, are there any Texas uh musicians right now that you're like, okay, these are the three you gotta listen to right now? Is there anybody that you're kind of uh you have on your radar that you're interested in?

SPEAKER_00 34:41

Oh, for sure. Um there's a guy named Chance Pena Um from Tyler, and he's he's massive, okay. Um, but just an incredible artist. Uh there's Jackie Leon, I might be butchering her name. Okay, but incredible songwriter, um, talent voice, everything.

SPEAKER_01 35:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:02

Uh Remy Riley as well.

SPEAKER_02 35:06

Um we uh did that thing.

SPEAKER_00 35:08

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 35:11

Yeah, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 35:12

Yeah, she's phenomenal. My brother Brandon Marcel, he's also phenomenal, also part of that. Um, there's a guy named uh Angel White who's also like doing that, yeah. So I feel like those acts are really doing something really, really special. Yeah. Um Grace Wynne, Grace Wynne, Gracie Wynne, um, also phenomenal, and like constant, like just Texas rotation of acts that are like really doing something unique and keeping, you know, because the Gary's and Leons, they're they're out there, yeah. Right. And so it takes these individuals and myself to create a scene, right? And if it's not for these individuals that are working hard, that are creating space, whether in the small club, unbeknownst to them or not, they we we are the scene, right? Um, and so like like Gary can go to LA and New York and same as Leon can go wherever in the world and succeed, right? But it takes us helping each other and cultivating that, you know, and and um yeah, it's it's it's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 36:17

Do you still go to um like small concerts? Do you still like will you go to House of Blues and see somebody? Will you go to Continental Club and see like where do you like to go to see live music in Texas?

SPEAKER_00 36:28

The Kessler one will always be my all-time favorite room to go see shows at um House of Blues as well. Yeah. Going there if friends are in town. It's a lot harder now because when I'm home, I just want to be because you're not home that often now, right?

SPEAKER_02 36:43

No, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:44

And uh I just I If a family member or friend wants to go see a show, then like more than happy to, but going to that by myself is a little tricky.

SPEAKER_02 36:56

Yeah. Dallas and Fort Worth have very different personalities. I see you're gonna you're you're gonna be trying to be like so diplomatic here because you don't want nobody, you know. There are very different personalities. Yes. Like, how would you describe someone that's never been to Dallas or Fort Worth, the differences between living in the the the kind of person that lives in Dallas versus the kind of person that lives in Fort Worth? What are the different personality types of the cities?

SPEAKER_00 37:26

When I think of Dallas and people living in Dallas, I think of Dreamer.

SPEAKER_02 37:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 37:35

And people from Fort Worth, I think of as keepers.

SPEAKER_02 37:39

Oh, okay. I like this. Okay, explain a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 37:44

Explain. And so I think Dallas, um, a lot of people looking up right to the sky and seeing how big it is and how vast it is, and the notion or the the the thing that they want to create is as big as the sky, right? And so they build stone, steel, whatever it is to reach and grab the vastness of the sky. And I think with Fort Worth, they look at the soil and they see how that's so vast makes me want to be from Fort Worth. Not and and you know, not that one is better than the other. It's just like what your temperament is. Yeah, I think that Fort Worth do look at the soil.

SPEAKER_02 38:29

That's so great.

SPEAKER_00 38:30

Yeah, it's beautiful. It's just like seeing seeing who cultivated it, right? And what it took and the collaboration it took to cultivate this, and um how old it's been, and they want to keep that tradition, right? And so I think if you if you flip a coin trying to look at the face of the coin, you don't and and you want heads, you don't all of a sudden lose the entire coin. Yeah, right. I think that um they need each other, we need each other, yeah. Um, and uh to to have someone dreaming and have someone that reminds us of who we are and where we come from, and vice versa. Yeah, and vice versa of like you need to be rooted, right? As you're dreaming for something, you need to be grounded because if you're dreaming out there, you might just sort of lose your place, right? Yeah, and um yeah, just those two elements combined is why I love like just the Dallas Fort Worth metropolis.

SPEAKER_02 39:34

Yeah, okay, I love that. That's beautiful. You didn't make anybody mad with that one.

SPEAKER_00 39:38

No, I hope I hope not. I hope not. I I I again I think even if it's not Dallas Fort Worth, like just Texas in general, I'm like my heart is yeah, there like that southern hospitality is so true.

SPEAKER_02 39:51

When you first come home after being on the road, what are like the places that you want to eat in Fort Worth? Where are the first places you want to go? Like, what's the first meal that you want to have when you get back to Fort Worth?

SPEAKER_00 40:04

Cocoa shrimp is one. Have you have you not been to Cocoa Shrimp?

SPEAKER_02 40:08

Is that a place?

unknown 40:09

Oh god.

SPEAKER_00 40:10

Oh no, that's the name of a restaurant. I'm an awful friend, and I apologize.

SPEAKER_02 40:15

What is cocoa shrimp?

SPEAKER_00 40:16

It's it's it's shrimp, and it's cocoa. No, no, no, no, so so it's it's just so cocoa shrimp is just a bed of salad, bed of like buttered rice and shrimp, and you can get it uh lemon herb, uh sweet and spicy, spicy, and cocoa shrimp.

SPEAKER_02 40:39

It's cocoa shrimp.

SPEAKER_00 40:39

It's cocoa shrimp, and so that I love go, I love going there. Okay, and then Bowie House is another place. Oh, yeah, so beautiful and just makes me feel like home. And I see someone that I don't necessarily have to plan a meet and greet, but I'm just gonna meet someone that I actually love and care about from the city. Yeah, and it's just an organic kind of meetup when I I want the isolation as what to decompress, yeah, as well as a familiar face to see and run into. So it's sort of the perfect place to do that.

SPEAKER_02 41:15

Because there are um within like the hotel, like the restaurant and the bar and stuff, there are all those little nooks and like little areas where you can really kind of like get cozy and kind of like snuggle up. It's special, it's an awesome hotel.

SPEAKER_00 41:26

Yeah, truly, truly special place.

SPEAKER_02 41:28

I love that. Um, Cocoa Shrimp.

SPEAKER_00 41:31

We we gotta go. We gotta rectify

Pre Show Rituals And Respecting Fans

SPEAKER_00 41:34

again. I am a horrible friend because I haven't told you about cocoa shrimp.

SPEAKER_02 41:37

I am, I know. I can't believe it. Um, do you have a ritual before each performance? Is there something that you do before you go out on stage each time?

SPEAKER_00 41:45

I pray, you know, that's a thing with the with the band. Um lemon, ginger, hot water. And that's kind of that's your thing. Yeah. No, like, no, like, you know, right foot sock before the left sock. Yeah, you know, yeah, yeah. Right foot sock before the left foot sock. Um, but no, I just think for me, just really being introspective, knowing that I am nervous, I'm always nervous. You are every single time. I'm always nervous.

SPEAKER_02 42:18

Like, do you feel like you're gonna be sick? Do you feel like you're gonna start coughing? Are you just like, oh my gosh, there's all these people out here. What if I can't perform? Like, what does that look like for you?

SPEAKER_00 42:27

It's either there's not enough people in attendance, right? Or there's a lot of people. It's just you're gonna find something find something, yeah. Um, and just really I I do this five in, five hold, five out, right? To calm myself. Yeah, so um, and that's like right before I step on stage. Uh, and just knowing that the nervousness that I feel is because I care about this so much. And it's not this nervousness, it's it's an excitement, but I have to remind myself every single time. Um, and it doesn't matter if there's a thousand, ten, or one, this person spent their money, their time to come out and see me. And so I'm gonna give them a hundred percent of who I am.

SPEAKER_02 43:17

I'm so happy to hear you say that. Do you feel like um the music industry is so tricky? It sounds really tricky. I don't know that for sure, but from things that I've heard, like it sounds like a really tricky industry to be in. And, you know, it's like tickets will go on sale and then people buy them, and then you're paying like three ten, it's like nobody can afford to go to a show anymore. It just seems so hard. So I'm so happy to hear you say that because it like I just feel like everything's so expensive, you know, and it costs so much, and it's like hard earned money to go and see like your favorite musician, you know?

SPEAKER_00 43:52

Like it is difficult, and I think that's why I try to remember that someone took effort. Rest of the year, right? I took effort to learn my craft and be able to stand on the stage. And it took someone to earn the money to meet me where I'm at. Right. And so we both have an opportunity to not leave the same way we came in. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:16

Right.

SPEAKER_00 44:16

And so uh it it it is difficult. And because if you get to a show, then parking is $30, right? Or $50, or whatever it is. Um, and then drinks or whatever, like it's it's so difficult.

SPEAKER_02 44:34

Um so you have it all, yeah, you have it like all in your head of like I'm di I need to deliver. Like this is somebody has paid for this, I need to deliver for them. Like, and also like for a lot of people, it's their one, it's the one times they're going out the you know for that month or whenever.

SPEAKER_00 44:48

So I have people who fly in from different states to come and see me. That is incredible. And I'm opening up for a show and I might be playing 30-minute sets, yeah, right. And it took them 12 hours to get to where I'm at, right? And they're just watching me for 30 minutes. And so I'm I'm if you're seeing this and you've done that, I'm so thankful. And just sort of realizing that I am in this privileged space, and if someone's willing to do that, then I need to live up and deliver so that they can do it for another artist, right? And and and give them that same sort of blessing and attention. And so I don't take it for granted whatsoever.

Sophomore Album Inspired By Returning To Greece

SPEAKER_02 45:31

Okay, what's next? What are you working on next?

SPEAKER_00 45:34

The sophomore album.

SPEAKER_02 45:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 45:36

Which I'm so excited about.

SPEAKER_02 45:37

You're in studio now.

SPEAKER_00 45:39

Finishing a few touches.

SPEAKER_02 45:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 45:42

Um and probably one of the hardest things I've ever done.

SPEAKER_02 45:49

Really?

SPEAKER_00 45:50

Yeah. And also Do you feel pressure?

SPEAKER_02 45:52

Is it the pressure from what is it about this time that's making it the hardest?

SPEAKER_00 45:58

I've people telling me it's the hardest, like it's the most important. Telling me that it's the hardest to do. It's the make or break. Um, and I think I it it I took that on, right? And so I wasn't sure what to speak on or what to talk about or how to elevate it from my debut album. And I feel like I poured so much into that debut album telling my story where I come from, and wasn't sure how to connect, maybe not connect, or just what that looked like, the roadmap. And I took the the trip to Greece with the the whole family, and we went back to the school I used to attend as a kid. We went back to the apartment we used to live in, um just visit the places that we used to, and my brother now is married with a beautiful little girl, and seeing my brother as a husband, seeing my brother as uh a father uh was so beautiful, and seeing myself as an uncle, uh seen myself as a brother-in-law, like we all acquired different titles, right? And had grown and we're back into this place that was our origin, and then questioning what does origin and identity, how do they play off each other, and how important are they from each other? And so it it was like that was the catalyst to things being unlocked for me, and me knowing what I wanted to talk about and what angle I wanted to go through.

SPEAKER_02 47:48

And you know, my dad came and that was the first time that we've been, you know, together like that and and traveled to a space um and go back and him sharing where his mindset was right, because you weren't thinking about that when you were a kid when you were adopted, you weren't thinking about he was probably trying to do the best that he could possibly do with what he had available to him 1000%. So, was that what was that like to as an adult to be like, oh right, you're a human being also, like you're you were you were a dad figuring it out, and your wife died too.

SPEAKER_00 48:26

Yeah, it wasn't just my mom. It was exactly, and you've known her longer than any of us did, yeah. And so just realizing now that you know I I have empathy for not just my father, but a human being, right? And knowing that he has struggles just as much as I have. And if I want grace for myself, I have to show grace for someone, even if I idolized him as a kid. And I think the the the struggle that we had was we were so much alike, you know, and so that's that's on the album. That's and uh I can't wait to sort of express that. It I I felt like I overcame who I was as an artist, and I was able to grow and expand myself and enter new wine, right? It was like really, really special. So that touring, of course, and festivals, but I'm just excited to give people another piece of art um to to share and express themselves and express um how they are within their family and how they are within others and within themselves, you know. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:37

Okay, but you're not leaving Fort Worth. Fort Worth is home.

SPEAKER_00 49:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:40

So if you're not at Cocoa Shrimp, that's right, that's right, that's right.

SPEAKER_00 49:44

Yeah, or the movie people find you.

SPEAKER_02 49:46

Like, are there places that you like to shop in Fort Worth? Do you do your own grocery shopping? I do Tom Thumb.

SPEAKER_00 49:52

I do I Central Market is a must.

SPEAKER_02 49:54

You go to Central Market. What do you always get at Central Market? Do you drink whole milk? Do you drink oat milk? Do you drink almond milk? Like Georgiana makes fun of me all the time. I know. I drink whole milk still, and she's like, what are you like? A little baby? I love something.

SPEAKER_00 50:08

But it's also like good for you if you have the enzymes, you know what I'm saying, to like combat the things that it might do to you. That's all I'm saying. Like, you got it.

SPEAKER_01 50:19

Yeah, there you go. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 50:20

If you got it, you got it. And uh, if if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Because as soon as you stop, I think that's where you lose the enzymes to break it down and if you keep going. So you got it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:30

She's always trying to give me oat milk.

SPEAKER_00 50:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:32

Like, what is this? Yeah. She's like, it's oat milk. I'm like, no.

SPEAKER_00 50:36

I love, I love, I love cereal.

SPEAKER_02 50:39

Like, I do like what kind of cereal do you eat?

SPEAKER_00 50:42

Um, frosted flakes.

SPEAKER_02 50:44

Oh, yeah. Frosted flakes are cereal.

SPEAKER_00 50:45

Yeah, it's just OG. I don't need, I don't need the hey, I got Reese's P like, hey, look, it's good, but just the I I don't need diabetes. You know what I'm saying? So already the Frosted Flakes is is is sugary enough, but I love that. Uh raisin bran, I love as well.

SPEAKER_02 51:02

Oh, I love raisin bran. So good.

SPEAKER_00 51:04

And uh, but I love cooking. I think that sort of helps me know that. Where can you cook?

SPEAKER_02 51:11

Do you have a go-to dish?

SPEAKER_00 51:12

I love creating things with eggplant. It's like, oh you don't like eggplant? It's cut, it's oh my goodness. Someone's God, you're not, you're not hate eggplant. Eggplant.

SPEAKER_02 51:26

That's the one thing that you would cook.

unknown 51:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:29

Where like if you could like write out what 10 years from now looks like. Like, what does that look like for you?

SPEAKER_00 51:39

Ten years from now looks like married.

SPEAKER_02 51:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 51:46

Family. Um, being able to have a business that inspires friends to live out their own dreams and and helping sustain their own livelihood. Um I think contributing to my city in a big way and and able to to give more of my time and resources um be because I'm established.

SPEAKER_02 52:14

Okay, we want to do some rapid fire real quick.

Rapid Fire Favorites And Closing Thanks

SPEAKER_02 52:17

Rapid fire questions.

SPEAKER_00 52:18

Let's go.

SPEAKER_02 52:19

Okay, okay. Barbecue or Tex-Mex?

SPEAKER_00 52:21

Tex-Mex.

SPEAKER_02 52:22

Galveston or the Hill Country?

SPEAKER_00 52:24

Hill Country.

SPEAKER_02 52:25

September State Fair or Spring Rodeo season.

unknown 52:29

Rodeo.

SPEAKER_00 52:30

Rodeo, Megan. Rodeo.

SPEAKER_02 52:33

East Texas Piney Woods or West Texas Desert.

SPEAKER_00 52:36

West Texas Desert.

SPEAKER_02 52:38

Tito's or Lalo?

SPEAKER_00 52:39

Lalo.

SPEAKER_02 52:40

Fort Worth or Dallas?

SPEAKER_00 52:42

Funkintown, baby. Pinter City, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:45

Okay, Miranda or Casey? I know. Somebody else was upset that we made them choose on that. And actually, she refused to choose, so you don't have to choose, but Miranda Lambert or Casey Musgraves. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 52:59

We can move on to the next one. No, no, no, no. I I I I love them both, right? They're both great, but I have a a special thing about Casey. Musgraves.

SPEAKER_02 53:10

Like, Spacey Casey's the best. So good.

SPEAKER_00 53:14

Yeah. Just I yeah, it's her music is phenomenal. And uh it it it has a special place in my life. Yeah. That's where I leave. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 53:27

That's good. I like I love her too. Um Luke or Owen out of the Wilson brothers. Luke Wilson or Owen Wilson?

SPEAKER_00 53:33

Owen.

SPEAKER_02 53:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 53:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:35

Um Rio Grande or the Guadalupe.

SPEAKER_00 53:38

Guadalupe.

SPEAKER_02 53:39

I-45 or I-20. So I-45 headed east or I-20 headed west.

SPEAKER_00 53:44

I-20.

SPEAKER_02 53:46

Days and confused or bottle rocket?

SPEAKER_00 53:48

Days and confused. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:50

So bad.

SPEAKER_00 53:51

I mean, I love both of the so good. Yeah, you can't, you can't, you know, he's he's Matthew McConaughey.

SPEAKER_02 53:58

I mean, there's so much going on there with that character, like still hanging out with high school students. So much has happened for you. Thank you so much, Abraham, for coming on and talking to us. It was such a fun conversation. I just love you so much. And it's been such a joy to watch like all the success that you've had. And it's just been it's amazing. And I know there's just going to be so much more success to come. So I can't wait to see what happens like over the next 10 years. And I'm going to look out for a wedding invitation.

SPEAKER_00 54:26

There, I got you. I got you. No, I love you dearly. I I I truly do. And I thank you for believing in me and continue just like putting wins in my sale and um for for for for championing me. Like I adore you so much. Sounding for you, always.

SPEAKER_02 54:44

This has been Front of Book Texas. We've got a new conversation every two weeks. So don't just listen, subscribe, follow, and share. I want to thank my executive producer, Georgiana Moreland. Front of Book Texas.