Come out to Churchill’s at 8 pm Sunday, July 26 for the first annual Jitney Fundraising Concert. Get your tickets now here because this isn’t going to be an old fashioned PBS telethon. We’re looking to throw a great rock concert with many of the finest and most fun musicians South Florida has to offer.  Among the fantastic musicians playing are Alexa Lash.

You might know Alexa as a talented singer/songwriter or as frontwoman of the great local rock band, Alexa & The Old-Fashioneds. Or perhaps you read some of her many contributions to The Jitney. Either way you’re about to get to know Alexa a little better as she hopped on The Jitney to answer some of our questions.

How would you describe your music? Genre? Influences? Comparable bands?

Alexa Lash: My music is an eclectic mix of rock, pop, blues, folk, musical, spoken word and off-the-beaten path that is mostly grounded in my unique voice. My solo work is often bucketed into genres like “singer-songwriter”, “folk” and “pop” but as I’ve grown as an artist and developed music with others in the community, I’ve found a comfort in being genre-agnostic. It also, like with everything, depends on context. I grew up listening to Alanis Morrisette, Blondie, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Temptations, Helen Reddy, Meatloaf, the Fugees. I worked at a music camp at a Jewish school teaching songs like Donna, Donna (Joan Baez covers it beautifully). And so my influences vary, and now I’d say, as a soloist, I have been compared to Florence Welch, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, and more; and with the band I’ve gotten compared to a lot of 90s rock outfits since that’s the generation I probably connect with most.

How has your sound evolved over time?

I was a musical late bloomer. I’ve sang since elementary school, even written little songs before I ever picked up an instrument. So these last ten years as I’ve delved into songwriting, it’s evolved with every chord I’ve learned, or musician I’ve had the pleasure of playing beside. I wrote a lot about relationships, my broken heart. Now I write about death, anxiety, grief. I talk about how I’m feeling in my lyrics. Family, the ache of trying to understand the world around me. And then of course, there’s the songs in my arsenal about witches and murder. But thematically, I’ve really evolved my writing in ways I never thought possible. The more life I live, the more I have to write about, and I think that’s really what drives me.

What can people expect from this particular performance?

To be honest, I don’t know. I think you can expect that I’ll be unapologetically myself, and talk about feelings (a given if you’ve heard any of my music). But I’m still in talks with some of the other performers about ways we might be able to show off collaborative work from the scene. I might preview some songs from a new solo album I’m working on. I might play songs from my band, Alexa & the Old-Fashioneds. Might bring out the piano or the ukulele. Whatever happens, it’ll likely be a showcase of my voice and lyrics. But like with everything else in my life, I’ve stopped over planning.

How has Miami shaped your music? And who are some of your favorite local bands?

Well, I was born and raised in North Miami Beach. I write about Miami a lot. I write for Miami a lot. I think music in Miami has confirmed that my unique style may stand out like an adorably sore thumb, but it contributes to the diverse fabric that makes up the sounds of the city. I’m one small voice among so many styles that exist here.

Some of my favorite local bands are the ones I sort of grew up with during the open mic days of pre-pandemic Churchill’s: Folktale San Pedro, Afrobeta, Yardij, Las Nubes, the Cornerstoners. Aside from the bands, there are a whole lot of singer-songwriters I love here which, I won’t start listing because I know I’m going to forget someone and I’m going to feel bad about it. And the laundry list of friends who have bands is getting longer by the day, including Jacuzzi Fuzz, Tremora, Condors & Chaos, and the Microplastics. Everyone is so different and talented and sweet. I’m just grateful to know them.

What song should a first-time listener hear first?

So from my solo work, probably Baked Apples. It’s about my grandma and I know a lot of people love it. From my band project, probably Murder in the Basement (Eat You Alive), because it’s so jarringly different from the box I’ve been readily pigeon-holed in:

What’s next after this show?

After this show, I’m prepping for two major releases. The big one. The Alexa & the Old-Fashioneds band album is done. I’m continuing to release singles from it over the next several months, but that full album is coming out at the end of the year. It’s finished, mastered, ready and I’m so excited for it. I’ve also been working on an album about grief, which is slated to also be released this year as my last major solo project of 2026. The titles for both projects will be announced soon, but the grief release will be a highly personal delve into loss and has proven to be a really emotional and healing process in its development.

Describe your music in three words?

Emotional. Narrative. Unexpected.

Finish this sentence: “The Miami music scene is __________.”

The Miami music scene is a mango tree, a community of roots and trunks and branches that can give off the sweetest fruit, whether falling into your lap or being plucked or being shared in buckets with neighbors. We are bruised, colorful, and strangely shaped. We are just, all trying to understand what community means to us, and continuously working toward putting egos aside to try and build it.