Hope Gray
Abraham Alexander
There’s gonna be a whole lotta Fort Worth going on during Leon Bridges’ fall tour in support of his new album, Gold-Diggers Sound, which today was released on all streaming services.
Abraham Alexander, one of Bridges’ besties who has a decent catalogue of tunes himself (if you haven’t streamed “Stay,” do it right now), will be joining the soul singer on the entirety of his upcoming tour, which includes 17 dates across the U.S. (See below for full schedule)
I caught up with Alexander early Thursday morning following a number of meetings the singer/songwriter had in preparation for his upcoming tour. He also lamented that he was speaking with me before he had had a chance to grab his morning coffee.
“I’m just beyond words,” Alexander says. “It’s an overwhelming feeling of gratitude that I’ll be joining my brother [Bridges]; I’m honestly still trying to process the whole thing.”
Alexander looks at he and Bridges as ambassadors for Fort Worth, and the pair hope to use this tour as a way to promote the city. Alexander remembers previous tours when Fort Worth was prominently displayed on Bridges’ backdrop. While the backdrop may have retired, there’s little doubt the two will spread the word about their hometown.
“We just wanted to do something special for the city and put it on the map, in a sense,” Alexander says. “He’s like my brother, and it made complete sense for us to do a run together.”
It was May 24 when Bridges announced a show at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, which included Alexander on the bill. The Oct. 6 marked a chance for Alexander to cross a line off his bucket list.
“I was able to cross a couple things off my bucket list this,” Alexander says. “One was riding a horse and the other was playing Red Rocks.”
Two months later, Alexander is adding 16 shows to his run with Bridges.
“When you have two people of color who are acoustic guitar players, it’s something unique that you don’t see much,” Alexander says. “And when you see one brother [Bridges] supporting another on the come up and being a conduit, I think that’s gonna be something special to witness.”
One city noticeably absent from the tour? Fort Worth. But Alexander says that locals can expect a Leon Bridgers/Abraham Alexander homecoming sometime in the near future.
“Fort Worth isn’t on the tour because we’re gonna be on tour,” Alexander says. “But Leon and I doing something in Fort Worth, it’s one of those things that’s gotta happen.”
Alexander has spent the majority of the past couple years in London recording new material at Abbey Road Studios — you know, the one made famous by The Beatles, among others.
After releasing his self-titled debut EP in 2019, Alexander contributed to the Truth to Power compilation, which includes his rendition of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and he also accompanied Bridges on guitar and backing vocals for “Like a Ship.”
All profits from the album go toward non-profits empowering Black communities.
And be on the lookout for more material from Alexander later this year.
And click here to view our recent interview with Bridges about his new album.
Gold-Diggers Sound Fall Tour
Sep 8, 2021 The Eastern Atlanta, GA
Sep 10, 2021 The Aztec Theatre San Antonio, TX
Sep 11, 2021 The HiFi Dallas Dallas, TX
Sep 12, 2021 Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater Austin, TX
Sep 17, 2021 State Theatre Portland, ME
Sep 18, 2021 Royale Boston, MA
Sep 23, 2021 Lincoln Theatre Washington, DC
Sep 24, 2021 The Governors Ball Music Festival New York, NY
Sep 26, 2021 Rams Head Live! Baltimore, MD
Sep 27, 2021 Union Transfer Philadelphia, PA
Sep 29, 2021 The Majestic Theatre Detroit, MI
Oct 1, 2021 The Vic Theatre Chicago, IL
Oct 2, 2021 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
Oct 4, 2021 The Mission Ballroom Denver, CO
Oct 5, 2021 Belly Up Aspen Aspen, CO
Oct 6, 2021 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison, CO
Oct 9, 2021 Fox Theater Oakland, CA
Oct 11, 2021 The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA
