Years not so long ago, Irish-American troubadour Alexandra King—at the time a law student who pursued her musical dreams on the side—suffered a spinal cord injury that left her doctors questioning whether she’d walk again let alone play the guitar. As she recounts in an insightful Irish World article, the fear was that she’d be permanently paralyzed on her right side. Through grit and determination, however, she beat the odds, regaining 90 percent of what she’d lost. She went on to graduate school and pass the New York bar—but her music dreams beckoned. She soon traded the Big Apple for the Music City, aka Nashville, where she’s been chasing rainbows since.
The four-track Across the Pond celebrates her Irish heritage via two engaging originals and two cool covers. Though born and raised in New York, her extended family stretches all the way to the small village of Carrigallen in Ireland’s County Leitrim. As a result, as a kid and young adult, she spent summers and holidays on the Emerald Island, visiting family, forging friendships—and even attending the University of Galway (then known as National University of Ireland, Galway) for a spell. In the press release, she says of the EP that it’s “a bridge between Ireland and my Irish-American roots. The two original songs are a love letter to Ireland, inspired by its beauty, music, people, and the many experiences I’ve had there, while the two covers are ones that shaped me through family gatherings and my years at NUIG. This EP is more than music; it’s a collection of memories, both borrowed and my own, from the Ireland I love so well.”
“Lose Me to Dublin” is essentially a mash note to the city and Irish people, while “Freckles (In an Old Pub)”—released as a single a month ago—is a wonderfully evocative ode to wild hearts whose paths cross at the wrong place and time. And you can never go wrong by referencing Bruce Springsteen in a song!
The two covers are wonderful, too. Her rendition of Steve Earle’s “Galway Girl” captures the original’s fun flair, while her version of Eric Bogle’s “Willie McBride” (also known as “No Man’s Land” and “The Green Fields of France”) is touching.
The Old Grey Cat 