Meet Alex Drost | Guitarist in Amaryllis

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Drost and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Like many Colorado bands, Amaryllis started with friends jamming and writing songs in the mountains. The music we were making helped us through tough times, and we wanted to share that healing power and spread messages of hope, love, and community. It’s funny to think about how we handle “business stuff” now, like social media, ticket sales, and interviews like this one. Art isn’t meant to be stuck in a profit-driven system; that’s not what our music or the band is about. At our core, we make music for adventure, creativity, love, hope, and healing. We’re a band because we love making and sharing music, and we really enjoy connecting with people on deeper levels of our hearts, and higher levels of our minds. We try to write songs that uplift, entertain, and bring everyone together on our shared cosmic journey.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Our proudest achievement as a band so far has been recording and sharing our music online. This past year, we recorded at Violet Recording in our hometown of Boulder. Using professional equipment was amazing and changed our perspective beyond just jamming in the garage or playing live shows. It made us rethink how we create music and try new approaches with our songs.
When we perform live, we take risks and embrace spontaneity, often with no idea where the music will lead us. However, recording in a studio with a professional engineer and producer allowed us to refine and approach our music differently.
As far as challenges, being in a band isn’t easy. There’s a lot that needs to come together behind the scenes. Rehearsals, contacting venues, hauling gear, and managing social media and emails all take a lot of time and money. One of the biggest challenges that gets overlooked is coordinating everyone’s schedules. It’s tough to find time for rehearsals or gigs because people have lives, jobs, families, and other obligations. Aligning free time for everyone to do something artistic can be tricky.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh man, Colorado has so much to offer! The recommendations depend on the season, but you have to put a concert at Red Rocks at the top of the list. It’s every one in the band’s dream to perform on that stage. Red Rocks is just a magical place to see music.
Besides that, I’d suggest exploring the mountains for hiking, skiing, or even just taking a leisurely stroll down Pearl Street in Boulder. And of course, catching an Amaryllis show, like our gig at the Fox Theatre in Boulder on August 2nd or at The Black Buzzard on September 6th.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We’ve got so many people to thank for helping create Amaryllis! First off, a huge shoutout to everyone we’ve ever jammed with—past bandmates, old projects, teachers, mentors, family, and friends. Music is all about community, and making art together is what our band is all about.
Also, we couldn’t do this without our families, especially our parents, for introducing us to the tunes of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Those sounds have definitely shaped our style. Our musical bond grew stronger through shared influences like The Grateful Dead, String Cheese, Bruce, Frank Zappa, Wilco, and even EDM. The support and influence from all these amazing people keep us going, and we’re incredibly grateful for it.

Website: https://linktr.ee/amaryllistheband

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amaryllistheband

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amaryllistheband

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@amaryllistheband

Other: Music available on Spotify, Apple Music, and all streaming platforms.
Email for booking: amaryllisbandbooking@gmail.com

Image Credits
Photos by Kelly Conn