Alex Koford is a California based singer songwriter and multi instrumentalist, drummer and guitarist, whose musical life has been deeply shaped by the lineage and community of the Grateful Dead.
Koford grew up around Phil Lesh, founding bassist of the Grateful Dead. Phil was a presence in Alex’s life from childhood, becoming family, mentor, and eventually bandmate. Over the course of more than a decade, Alex went on to perform hundreds of shows over a decade alongside Phil as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist with Phil Lesh & Friends and the Terrapin Family Band. Those years became an education in their own right rooted in improvisation, deep listening, fearless exploration, and,
“the belief that music is something created in the moment between the people onstage and the community around them.”
Today, Koford carries that experience forward on his own terms. A frequent collaborator within the extended Grateful Dead musical community, he continues to perform with an evolving circle of musicians while developing a body of solo work that offers a more intimate and personal lens into his songwriting.
Blending psychedelic Americana, soulful rock, and the open ended spirit of the music he grew up around, Koford’s songs are distinctly his own. His latest single, “Chemicals and Purple Haze,” follows releases including “When I Rise,” “A Fabled Lullaby,” and “Alive (Sacred Creatures).” At the center of it all is the same instinct that has guided him throughout his life in music: to connect, explore, and make songs that speak from the heart.