Alex Wong has always relied on the belief that if you listen closely enough, the music will always tell you where to go.
He is involved as producer, performer and writer for projects ranging from classically-influenced chamber folk to moody dub rock to cinematic indie pop. In fact, Alex's range has become somewhat of a signature for him and is evident in the diverse artists he's shared the stage with over the years, such as India.Arie, Colin Hay, Brandi Carlile, The Indigo Girls, Blue October, and Megadeth. Yes, Megadeth.
Growing up mostly with classical music and the occasional Johnny Mathis record from his parents' collection, Alex honed his skills at University, graduating with a degree in orchestral percussion from Cal Poly University, SLO. While still in school, he was seduced by the rock band The Din Pedals (Sony/Epic Records), whose members convinced him to forego the symphony and move to LA to become a rock star. The group disbanded after a few years but the damage was done: pop music had become part of his musical DNA.
Over the next few years, Alex focused on learning to write, produce and arrange and taught himself to sing and play guitar. This resulted in several new projects, including creation of the critically-acclaimed folk-pop band The Animators. This bi-coastal collaboration combined Alex’s love of cinematic soundscapes and unusual instrumentation with short-story lyrics and furthered his commitment to genre-bending arrangements. The duo won several songwriting awards and was named by multiple artists as a major musical influence.
In 2007 he began collaborating with Rounder recording artist Vienna Teng, letting his classical training take center stage. While performing with Teng, Alex lets loose on a multitude of percussion instruments at once, garnering him the nickname of “Douzenpoot” in the Dutch press, meaning "centipede." in 2008, Alex co-produced and arranged Vienna's latest album, Inland Territory (Rounder/Universal), which stretched the boundaries of his orchestral arranging abilities with technically ambitious songs that made generous use of strings and winds. Audiences approved of the alliance, as Inland Territory landed on 3 Billboard charts the first week it was released.
In 2008 he formed his current project, The Paper Raincoat, with renowned singer/songwriter Amber Rubarth. The duo immediately became an iTunes featured artist and quickly rose to the top of the New York singer/songwriter scene, now playing regularly to sold out crowds in major East Coast cities. In 2009 Alex co-wrote, produced and arranged the duo's debut full length album, which the pair released in October to a sold-out crowd at NYC's Joe's Pub.
He is currently producing celebrated Singer/Songwriter Ari Hest's upcoming LP, planning national tours with The Paper Raincoat and Vienna Teng, as well as taking time out to compose music for an upcoming solo effort.
And, as always, listening closely to see where to go next.
