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Gibson’s new Marquee Artist program goes beyond guitars to provide emerging artists with support and services committed to artist career growth
As part of Gibson’s commitment to artist-first culture and music discovery, Gibson is proud to officially announce that singer, songwriter Abraham Alexander will join Gibson as the brand’s first Marquee Artist.
As a Gibson Marquee Artist, Abraham will have access to Gibson’s global resources and work with the brand to create collaboratively inspired cultural campaigns, participate in product development and launches, support Gibson Gives nonprofit initiatives, and join in special events across Gibson Brands products and channels, reaching millions of fans worldwide. The Gibson Marquee Artist Program invests in furthering the careers of artists on the rise who reflect the brand’s mission to celebrate and amplify music across genders, genres, and generations.
“Gibson is exposing me to a new audience, and I’m so blessed and honored to be a part of this legacy with so many artists that inspired me along the way,” says Abraham Alexander. “With this program, I hope I can inspire the younger generation, or whomever to pick up a guitar and write that song, because it only takes one step.”
“In our years of working with Abraham, we’ve seen the impact his music has in every room he plays. The beauty, thought, and emotion his songs convey and inspire are what – to us at Gibson – define the power of music,” says Beth Heidt, Chief Marketing Officer, Gibson Brands. “As a singer-songwriter, Abe brings our guitars to life through his songs. In supporting his music and creative expression, we also want to encourage music lovers and new artists to take the next step in their own musical journey.”
Watch/share the new Meet the artist interview with Abraham Alexander.
Gibson’s Marquee Artist program follows other artist-first programs and initiatives that the brand has introduced over the past five years, including the Gibson Generation Group (Gibson G3) that supports youth artists, Gibson Gives Scholarship program that provides financial support to students with music career aspirations, and Gibson Records, a record label that works with artists to produce, record, and promote guitar-driven music.
Abraham Alexander recently released his debut album, SEA/SONS, on Dualtone Records, listen: HERE. The album features appearances by Mavis Staples and Gary Clark Jr. Watch/share the video for his new single “Tears Run Dry,” HERE and stream a live performance of “Heart of Gold” HERE. Recently, Alexander sat down with CBS Saturday Morning to share his story and discuss the album.
Alexander will perform at this year’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Newport Folk Festival, and Austin City Limits Festival.
This summer, he’ll also embark on his first U.K. and European tour, as direct support for The Lumineers.
Born in Greece to parents of Nigerian descent, Abraham moved to Texas with his family at age 11 to escape the racial tensions they faced in his birthplace. Shortly after moving to the states, his birth mother was killed in a car accident with a drunk driver, leading Abraham to be adopted later in his teens. He found solace in sports as a soccer prodigy and later, following a torn ACL that ended his playing career, in music once a friend handed him a guitar and he unexpectedly found songs pouring out of him.
While working as a bank teller and rehearsing during his lunch breaks, a life-changing, chance encounter with Leon Bridges changed the course of Abraham’s life. “…something in me was just like, you need to talk to this guy. It was weird, but it was that intuition that I could not dismiss.” This very intuition led him to his first experience in a recording studio, singing on Bridges’ songs such as “River” and “Coming Home.” It was Bridges that encouraged him to start taking music seriously, and he began performing at open mics.
The 11 tracks on SEA/SONS touch on themes of loss, redemption, longing, anguish, and joy. And while his lyrics speak to pain, trauma, and life-changing loss, he instills his music with a joyful passion and irrepressible spirit, ultimately giving way to songs that radiate undeniable hope.
Co-produced by Abraham with the help of Matt Pence (The Breeders, Yuck, Here We Go Magic) and Brad Cook (Hurray For The Riff Raff, Snail Mail, Kevin Morby, Bon Iver), the songs on the album date back as far as 2014-15 with many others being written during the pandemic.
From his modest musical beginnings performing at open mics in Fort Worth, TX, Abraham has gone on to recent stints on the road opening for Leon Bridges, Black Pumas, and Mavis Staples. He recently toured with Lucius late last year and has also supported the likes of Rodrigo y Gabriela, Ani DiFranco, Shakey Graves and Gary Clark Jr.
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