L.A.-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist Shane Alexander has drawn comparisons to everyone from Jeff Buckley to Art Garfunkel and Jackson Browne, thanks to his beautifully emotive vocal style and his haunting, finely crafted songs. Born in San Diego but raised in Maryland and Pennsylvania, Alexander took refuge from a troubled childhood in music, falling early under the spell of Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits, an influence that still slightly colors his adult work. Developing into a fine guitar player, Alexander was spotted by producer Richard Podolor, who began using him as a session guitarist on various studio projects beginning in 1994, an experience that gave Alexander an insight into how to write, shape, arrange, and record a song. The young musician next joined the band Young Art, appearing on two albums with the group before forming Damone, in turn recording an album and a four-song EP with the new band. Damone enjoyed a popular West Coast run on the club circuit before disbanding in 2003. Alexander immediately launched his solo career, releasing Shane Alexander in 2003, The Middle Way in 2005, Stargazer in 2006, and The Sky Below in 2008, all on his own independent Buddhaland Records imprint. As Alexander opened tours for the likes of Seal, Jewel, John Hiatt, Peter Case, and others, his songs began popping up on a host of TV shows, including The Real World, Laguna Beach, Brothers and Sisters, Bones, Big Shots, Criminal Minds, and Wildfire, all of which helped expand the audience for Alexander's impressive brand of melancholic Americana.