There’s a certain enthusiasm that accompanies 19-year-old Alex Miller as he walks down the hall and into the media room for our interview during Country Radio Seminar. It’s not just the attention he receives from fans, many of whom watched and cheered for Alex during his stint on season 19 of American Idol, who stop him for photos and hugs. It’s the enthusiasm of a young man, raised on cattle farm in rural Kentucky, who is genuinely happy and excited not only about his future in country music but of just being where he is in the moment. With a new song out today (April 21) and an EP dropping in October, right here is exactly where Miller wants to be.
Nashville Noise: It’s so nice to meet you! I really liked reading about how you grew up before appearing on Idol. You’re from Kentucky and that’s where your music career started. How old were you when you knew you wanted to perform?
Alex Miller: I was seven. The first show I ever played, I played in my little hometown… It was the Rural Heritage and Tobacco Festival in Lancaster, Kentucky. We’re big tobacco farmers. So I got up and I did “My Bucket’s Got a Hole In It.” And I just I knew how to beat around on guitar basically, but I got up there and people just liked me. And ever since then, it’s just been onward and upward, and how to do this and how to do that.
@amillermusic Who’s coming to the Boot City Opry?#fyp#foryou#alexmiller#show#indiana#in#IU#perdue#country#countrymusic#sing#singing#concert#terrahaute#concertplugs#virgo ♬ original sound – Alex Miller
NN: You play several instruments, grew up farming, have been on a hit TV show, and you’re also a songwriter. You’ve written with some pretty amazing songwriters like Jerry Salley and Jim McBride. What’s an exciting songwriting request you’ve gotten?
AM: The best phone call I’ve got writing wise is Kent Blazy called me and wanted to write with me. We’ve been at it. And get to be in a room with a guy like that and picking his brain and writing some songs with him was a true joy for me! We got a write coming up in April, so I know I’m looking forward to that one.
NN: I’m excited to hear that one! There’s also quite a bit a buzz here about your next project. You have a new EP coming out in October. What can we expect?
AM: What I was trying to do was… honor my roots but still do stuff progressive, right? So there’s a song called “Girl, I Know a Guy” which will be my next single and that’s coming out April 21. We’re excited about it.
But there’s things on there that throw me back to my Miller Time record with “like “Barn Door (Don’t Let The Barn Door Hit Ya)” and stuff like that. So the song I’m thinking of is “Getting Lucky in Kentucky” and that’s a western-swing kind of oriented…”
While we wait for the new EP, we’re spinning the brand new one from Alex Miller, “Girl, I Know a Guy.” Check it out on our April 2023 playlist and leave us a comment letting us know what you think!
