Alex Brewer grew up in a leafy suburb of New York City, where he enjoyed dropping fly balls in right field and building model Indian villages out of twigs and magnolia blossoms. He did not enjoy being a Boy Scout, although he is grateful for the knot-tying skills that he utilizes to this day.
He attended Regis High School in Manhattan and Colgate University in upstate New York. Academically, he excelled at the subjects he enjoyed like English and History, and couldn't summon the will to pretend with subjects that did not appeal to him, like Chemistry and Trigonometry.
After college, Alex began spending more time in Orleans and Wellfleet, where he has deep ancestral roots. "I have a plot set aside in Oakdale Cemetery" he says, "so I'll just hang out here until I need that."
His transition to living on Cape full-time coincided with a growing commitment to the art of songwriting, which he had dabbled in since high school. "My earliest model was Kirk Douglas in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I imagine that's where I first got the idea to play guitar. That and cowboy movies maybe. I do know that my first performance with a guitar was a school talent show where I played the melody of 'O Susannah' and wore a cowboy hat."
Alex started playing open mics on Cape Cod in 2014 and recorded his debut album "Practical Matters" at Bruce Maclean's studio in 2015. His latest production is "Unquoted" by Various Artists, available on all major streaming services. For this project he turned to Jon Evans and his Brick Hill Studio in Orleans. It entails local talents interpreting Brewer's original songs.
Looking forward, Brewer has his sights set on another solo album: Denim Dharma. "The songs are all written, but the arrangements are still yet to be determined." Additionally he has begun selecting songs and artists for Unquoted: Volume 2.
Alex works as a carpenter in Wellfleet in Truro. His writing studio "Frombolita," was built entirely out of salvaged building materials from local job sites. "The clapboard is from a Charlie Zender renovation on Higgins pond, and the rubber roof is from Hall House on bound brook island," he explains. "Cape Cod Modern Reclaimed Royalty."
Some of his woodworking and experiments in alternative living can be explored on his instagram page @beachsidebarn