Leslie Alexander grew up on a sheep farm and couldn't wait to get to the city. She hit the road, made a bunch of mistakes and wrote songs about them. Somehow she wound up singing on a street corner for spare change. She does not consider this a mistake. Along came producer/guitarist John Ellis (Be Good Tanyas, Barney Bentall, Ferron) who helped Leslie make her first CD Bird in the House in '97. Since then Leslie has released two more records, opened shows for the likes of Louisiana roots artist Mary Gaulthier, blues master Harry Manx, and Canadian legend Jane Siberry, and appeared on concert and festival stages across the country. Bird in the House is considered by some to be Leslie's best, featuring a collection of folk-pop tunes reminiscent of Shawn's Colvin or Sheryl Crow's earlier work. Most of the songs were written while Leslie lived on the notorious corner of Main and Hastings in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, painting images of street life, addiction and redemption. The record was received with encouraging reviews, closing Leslie's career as a street busker permanently and bringing her an invitation to tour with the songwriter's collective Grrrls with Guitars. The beginning of a long collaboration with producer John Ellis, this project brought Leslie her first vote of confidence from the music business as she was awarded a FACTOR grant for it's creation. Recorded on old-fashioned two-inch tape at Red Stripe studios, the album's lush production values were built around the acoustic guitar and hinted at the rootsier sound she would develop later. Along with Ellis' signature slide guitar playing, the album also featured Darryl Havers on keys, Don Benedictson on fretless bass and Shawn Soucy on drums and percussion. In 1999, Leslie contributed a recording to the Grrrls with Guitars Compilation #1, jumping in a van with a bunch of other Grrrls to tour Western Canada. Noticing the disappearance of grain elevators from the prairies, Leslie began writing songs about the contrasts between her rural roots & her new home in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside that would become her second record Savage Country. Music writers praised the album wherever she went, the record turning up on Campus, CBC, BBC, & Australian National Public Radio playlists. In 2004, Savage Country was #4 Most Played Canadian Folk/Roots album on the CBC's Galaxie Satellite Radio. Today, Leslie's songs are receiving international airplay on her own recordings as well as cuts with other artists and have been licensed to film and television. Leslie is currently touring with her third CD Garden in the Stones, available on Festival Distribution and at CD Baby. Performing solo or with her band The Wild Rose Hippies featuring John Ellis on pedal steel, banjo, & guitars, Leslie's unique perspective, songs & stories combine to create a show that moves from pin-drop funky folk to foot-stompin', flat-out roots rock'n roll, taking you all the beautiful & terrifying places she's been. BIRD IN THE HOUSE REVIEWS "Bird in the House is one the best independent CD's I've heard in awhile . . . intelligent, mostly acoustic folk-rock with some great rhythms and smart productions." Tom Zillich, Westender "Thankfully, she doesn't sound like any of the angst-filled chanteuses in rock today . . . and eccentric optimist, a little bit dangerous, an little bit goody-two-shoes . . . deep, willow-the-wisp songwriting that would go well on the overcast Sunday afternoon when you finally decide to paint that wicker chair on your back porch. Darren Kerr, Drop D Magazine "Another Vancouver artist tackling adult themes . . . Leslie Alexander benefits from the experience of Vancouver producer John Ellis . . . pitched somewhere between soft rock and folk, with a discernable R&B influence. Her songs, notably the dreamy Castaway or the sultry bad girl and lilting and attractive." "Rootsy folk-pop . . . an enjoyable mid-tempo collection that floats by with a sweet, summer quality." Words and Music Magazine