Ami Alex is probably best known for her viral busking videos, pairing her rich, angelic vocals with the occasional encounter with the Great British public. In Blackpool, on a windy day in March, performing indoors feels like a very sensible choice. HMV provides the stage for Ami Alex as part of its Live and Local promotion; in 2025, more than a thousand events were held in its stores.
There is no single route or ten-step programme that guarantees success for artists; if there were, everyone would do it. More often, it comes down to some combination of talent, luck and hard work. Artists have to innovate and work with the tools available to them, and that now usually means maintaining a social media presence. That is how I first came across Ami Alex. Her busking videos from Northern towns capture both her down-to-earth style and her hard-working attitude.
When you find an artist you connect with for both the music and their personality, the next step is to see them live, wherever that may take you. Ami approached the in-store gig with just a guitarist and a bassist, leaving the drums for larger stages. It suited the space perfectly, fitting neatly into the gaps between the record racks and creating a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. She delivered an accomplished performance that would grace any stage. She can sing, really sing. That should not be remarkable for any artist, but Ami has an energy and delivery that bring the songs to life in a way that feels genuinely special. It was the kind of performance that turns listeners into fans. The only slip, if you can call it that, came when one of her long-time fans joined in with such enthusiasm that several members of the audience physically jumped. Under the circumstances, I can definitely forgive the laugh that followed.
Recent singles Lucky, Satisfied and Runaway Horses all sounded fantastic, with the stripped-back instrumentation giving them the feel of Live Lounge versions. There were also first performances of new songs, and I cannot wait for those to be released.
I cannot give a better recommendation than this: I have already booked tickets for her next headline performance at The Met in Bury. After the show, Ami was kind enough to sit down and answer some questions.
Would you like to introduce yourself for Tune Fountain readers, please?
Yes, my name is Ami Alex. I am an independent street performer, songwriter, and music maker, if you will. I started street performing about 5 years ago after dropping out of university during COVID. From there I have just built the most amazing online community, it’s just full of people from all walks of life. I’m just starting to put on my own venue shows, 5 years later.
Your latest single Lucky has been out for a month. What’s the story behind the song?
Ooh, I have to wrack my brain now. I sort of write a song and then put it in a box and never touch it again. So, with Lucky, it’s inspired by a string of relationships that didn’t necessarily work out, and there seemed to be a bit of a pattern forming where I felt like I was the one putting in a lot of the effort and a lot of the time. I just thought, God, when is someone going to reciprocate this? It came from a place of fed-up-ness and realising that actually I don’t necessarily need a relationship to feel that self-love and independence. I can give all of that to myself. It’s a bit of a storytelling track really.
Did you do anything special to celebrate the release?
Christine, my manager, put together some Lucky goodie bags that she was going to give out on release day, but today is the first time we’ve seen everyone in person. We like to do little community and fan-based competitions. I think we’ve done more for other releases, to be fair.
Do you feel your sound has changed since your earlier releases?
I’ve stopped trying to produce myself; that was an interesting time. I realised quite quickly that if you want studio quality, you’ve got to go into a studio. I think my sound has stayed pretty consistent. I’ve always been inspired by artists like The 1975, Pale Waves, The Japanese House. I love my 80s music. I’m very, very inspired by 80s drums and synths. I think that has carried through from my earlier stuff. It’s just a lot better quality now, and I’ve found that I’m more comfortable sharing my thoughts and feelings with the world. I’m probably expressing a little more vulnerability in my writing as well, which is nice to get out there.
What are your earliest music memories?
My mum and dad getting me my first guitar. I think it might have been my ninth birthday. My dad’s always been in bands and musicals, so that was always the goal. Then I got my own guitar when I was about 9 or 10. I remember opening it on Christmas and being like, oh my God.
Did you take to performing naturally?
I used to be really, really shy. I’m quite confident now. It’s definitely been a learned practice, but oh my God, when I first started, I’d never, ever want to get on a stage or perform, public speak or anything. I’d literally go red and shake and just not be able to do it. It was like that when I started busking as well. I would just shake on the high street. So I didn’t really start to do music seriously full-time until I was in my early 20s. I did graphic design before that.
It’s wonderful to hear that you kind of got over that. We’ve seen the videos of you busking; how do you find the experience of busking week in, week out?
It’s got its pros and its cons. I’m sure you’ve seen some of my videos of the cons. But there are the positives as well. If I’m having a rubbish day where I wake up and just feel ugh – we all have those days, don’t we? – I know that if I go and do a busk, it’ll completely flip my mood around. It’s like my therapy. Music’s always been my therapy. So despite any hassle, harassment and negative experiences I have had over the years, the good always outweighs the bad, and I don’t think there’s anything that can make me feel quite like performing does. I’m alive when I’m performing, and I’m miserable when I’m not.
What are the challenges of going from working with a backing track and busking to doing your full shows?
Do you know what? We’ve absolutely put blood, sweat and tears into getting our band line-up together. Alfie and Chin are amazing. They’re just so talented, I let them carry it. It’s always better with a live band, always better, and we’re so in tune with each other now. We can just exchange a look and, if someone’s gone off or if I’ve slightly gone out of time, we can just bring it back. It’s a much more rewarding feeling to play with other musicians live than it is to use a backing track, which is what I’ve done for years.
Is there a dream artist you’d like to support?
Oh, there’s so many. I do love The 1975. They’re so 80s inspired, you know. There are so many artists I love. I’ve grown up listening to a lot of rock music. I love Radiohead. I love Muse, which doesn’t necessarily translate into my own music, except maybe lyrically there are influences there, but sound-wise perhaps not. I’d love to support The 1975 or The Japanese House.
You produce videos on social media. How do you keep that fresh?
In my early 20s, I was very much about the virality of videos and I was only happy with a video if it exploded and got loads of views. As I’ve grown – because I’m 27 now and into my later 20s – I’m just trying not to care as much. So I think I’m trying not to post the bad interactions as much anymore and instead focus on entering a new era, just growing and mingling with my community, keeping it positive and enjoying the music together.
What plans do you have for the rest of 2026?
Ooh, there are some things I can’t tell you about – they’re really cool, but I’m not allowed to say just yet. The ones I can tell you about are that I’m doing the main stage at Darwen Live on 23rd May this year, which is so exciting. I have never played a main stage before, so that’s just amazing. My first headline show is on 31st July at The Met Theatre in Bury. We are also hoping to release the EP alongside the headline show, so we’re just starting to plan that now.
Ami Alex can be found here on Instagram and is performing at Darwen Live – no ticket required.
Promotional photographs of Ami are by Charlotte Baldwin, whose work can be found here on Instagram.
Live photographs from HMV Blackpool are by Georgiediary; you can find their work here on Instagram.
