Alix Fullerton, known professionally as simply ALIX, is not just an up-and-coming alt-pop artist but a savvy businesswoman straddling multiple aspects of the music industry. In addition to releasing several singles and an album, with another on the way, the 23-year-old writes music for artists like NEZZA and Franny Arrieta and runs her own record label, Ambitious Future Records, with her partner, producer/engineer Paul Sikoral.
Her latest single, “Good” (featuring NEZZA), will appear on Feel Better, an album set to be released later this year. In the R&B-inspired pop song, she sings about making peace with a breakup and reaching a level of maturity where she can wish the other person well. It came out of a writing session with NEZZA, who described being in this situation herself.
“That’s an experience that most people have had, whether it’s a loving relationship or a family relationship or whatever it is, and I took that concept of, yes, you can get over someone, but maybe there is still longing there,” says Fullerton. “It’s a weird place to be, that acknowledgement that those feelings are there and they’re important and it’s not so bitter and hurtful anymore.”
The rest of the album shares this common theme of facing your true feelings in relationships, says Fullerton, whose previous singles focus on her personal experiences and upbringing in Mill Valley, CA. One of her catchiest songs, “Come to Me,” is about her desire to help a friend who was using drugs as an escape.
Fullerton, whose influences range from Rihanna to Nora Jones, recorded her first single and music video after winning a competition at age 13. She didn’t end up putting it out, but it allowed her to begin building a network of producers and songwriters. At age 17, right out of high school, she moved to LA and began working out of a recording studio as a songwriter. Her first release under her own name was a feature in “Come Alive” by the Romanian artist Costi, which got 16 million views in the first year. She later moved to the Bay Area and created her own home studio and record label, quickly signing dream-pop sister duo 1323.
When it comes to her own music, Fullerton provides the vocals and Sikoral takes care of the instrumentals; the duo tag-team promotional duties. “We do everything ourselves, pretty much, from the very start of the creation of the music to the end, with the campaign rollout and photos and everything,” she says.
In addition to Feel Better, ALIX plans to release a couple more singles this year, as well as an upcoming album and handful of singles for NEZZA. She also recently shot a music video in LA for “Good,” which will come out in May.
In the future, she hopes to write songs for established artists as well as make previously unknown artists into household names through her songwriting. Her other aspirations include further developing her label, getting into voice-acting, and making soundtrack music. Given that she’s already got several irons in the music industry fire, it’s not hard to imagine her accomplishing all these goals and more.
Follow ALIX on Instagram for ongoing updates.
