Alleckxs: ‘I was making music for a while, I think I was just proud of it at that point’

Alleckxs, AKA Alex Shelley, in his bedroom/studio

A university student by day and a music artist by night, Alleckxs tells me how he got to releasing music and what the future may hold.

Alleckxs, pronounced Alex, has been in the realm of music since primary school when he was taught by a friend's dad how to play the guitar. Ever since the guitar has been key to his music. He said, “Usually I just sit down and try to write a whole song with just my guitar.” Since learning the guitar he has also learnt how to play the drums and keyboard. However for him “drums are the most fun to play” but also said “I prefer the sound of guitars” which is hard to argue as guitars play a prominent role in all his released tracks. 

By years seven and eight he’d started to get into pop-punk and started joining bands in school. Then by years 11 and 12, he’d started producing. In the last few years, his taste in music has shifted more towards the hyperpop sound with influences like Brakence and Jane Remover. Now at university, he told us “Since meeting my uni friends I’ve expanded my tastes a lot” and listens to more jazz. This has allowed Alleckxs to evolve his sound with him collabing with fellow university student and artist Elros playing the drums in the jazz song wayne shorter - live. 

Even though he had been involved in music for almost 10 years his first official release of a track was only a year ago in 2023. He said “I was making music for a while, I think I was just proud of it at that point” and “wanted to show my friends”. He has now released six tracks in just over a year with the most recent Cut myself 4 times while shaving being his favourite song he has released. 

When prompted about the release of new music or even a project he wasn’t sure, or not willing to spill the tea. Although the most likely being the former because for him “it takes so long to make one song” it is unlikely a project is coming anytime soon. Especially considering he said “Every time I make one I’m so proud of it” he wants to release it straight away.

There is no university or music balance with Alleckxs, music will always come first. He explained, “Two, three weeks before exams I’ll start grinding uni work but other than that I’ll just come straight home from lectures and just make music.” Even with the time invested in his music and the precedent it takes over his studies he still only views it as a hobby. He told me “I think everyone wants to do something like that but I think I’ll have more fun if I just keep it a hobby because I won’t feel forced to make anything.”

At the start of the interview, I asked him to describe his sound in three words. He told me, “loud and distorted and electronic.” I did the same at the end to which his answer changed to “messy, sad and bassy.” These six adjectives perfectly encapsulate what his sound is, with the solemn, robotic 75367 to the more edgy, chaotic mightnotbeoverittbh.