Alex Neilson
Alex Neilson
Alex Neilson is a Glasgow-based musician and writer who has performed with some of the most innovative artists on the international underground (Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Jandek, The Unthanks, Baby Dee, Alasdair Roberts, Shirley Collins, Incredible String Band etc). Alex also founded the acclaimed folk-rock band Trembling Bells and is currently performing solo as Alex Rex. In 2022 Alex released his first collection of poetry (Mouthful of Earth) and in 2025 he received the Paul Hamlyn Award as recognition of his work as a composer. Alex has written for Wire, Record Collector, the Skinny, The List, MOOF and Shindig!. His debut book of short stories (Humiliation Songs) will be published on Perfect Angel Press in early 2027.
Emmett Kelly, Stephen Malkmus, Matt Sweeney and Jim White have all done time in supergroups before. Could they handle it on a cold Tuesday night on a Bluetooth stereo in Glasgow? Alex Neilson gives an emphatic and unequivocal yes. Released in late 2024, “The Hard Quartet” carries all the messy, confounding joy of Dirty Three and Pavement, and makes you remember what you love about music.