Alex Guthrie

ATLANTA — A Marietta man is now one of the Top 20 contestants on the hit singing competition series “NBC’S The Voice”. - Marietta Daily Journal

Alex Guthrie, a Marietta singer songwriter with a soulful mien, has made it into the live shows of “The Voice.” - Atlanta Journal Constitution

All of the teams on The Voice are a little bit thinner after the second night of battle rounds. - Newsweek

It's no secret that Cobb County is home to a diverse group of successful people. But the people who made this list have found success at an early age, and continue to make a difference in the community. - Marietta Daily Journal

Jennifer Hudson made her dream come true, and now she's giving back to those who are hoping to do the same. The singer/actress is taking part in American Family Insurance's “Insure Carefully, Dream Fearlessly" campaign, and Billboard is premiering a new video for it today (April 24).

In the commercial, Hudson surprises aspiring musician Alex Guthrie while he performs a cover of Bill Withers' "Lovely Day" on the streets of Atlanta. He knew he was performing in a live event for American Family Insurance, but had no idea Hudson was waiting to surprise him -- which is exactly the kind of involvement the superstar wants to have with the campaign.

"I felt like I was part of his dream, and I love those moments. I tried not to get emotional in the middle of it, because you're a part of someone's dream," Hudson said in an interview with American Family Insurance. "I actually sat and talked to Alex, and he was saying how he would love to bring the world together through music -- different lifestyles, all walks of life, and in that moment, that's what was happening."

The “Insure Carefully, Dream Fearlessly” campaign has been running since 2015, with American Family Insurance demonstrating that any dream is possible with the right support. - Billboard

Atlanta’s Alex Guthrie speaks on ‘Lessons Learned’
Posted July 3, 2014 · Add Comment
The summer months have beheld an eventful string of fortune for Atlanta-based musician Alex Guthrie.

Fresh off the release of his latest album, Lessons Learned, Guthrie has been busy of late, spending time on the road and promoting the album.

“Recording this album has been one of my most precious experiences I’ve had to date, but I’m very much looking forward to have fewer things on my plate and some weight lifted from my shoulder as we finish getting this album out and into the hands of as many people as we can,” Guthrie said about the sigh of relief he now feels since the album’s release.

Guthrie says one of the most enjoyable tracks from Lessons Learned is “Put Your Guns Away.”

“The song has, in my opinion, the best rise and fall of any of the other songs on the album. We were privileged enough to have Peter Stroud of the Sheryl Crow Band, as well as Marty Kearns of the Shawn Mullins Band join us in the studio for its recording. As you can probably guess, the experience was incredibly humbling,” Guthrie added.

When it comes to the recording process, Guthrie indicated that it was a lot of trial and error at times. Going into the studio, Guthrie had a general framework of the songs as he had previously written the songs and had a feel for the arrangements. But when writing the songs in an acoustic, singer/songwriter style, Guthrie says his bassist and producers spent most of their time putting their heads together finding the tiny auxiliary sounds that make a full band record reach out and grab the listener.

With studio time behind him now, Guthrie’s bread and butter is the live show and that is something he hopes to keep in heavy rotation for the remainder of the year.

“I’d have to say that my song ‘Movin’ On’ is my favorite to play live,” Guthrie hinted.

“It was the first that I wrote for the album and really holds a special place in my heart.”

While performing in the Atlanta music scene, Guthrie notes it is one of the many great places for working musicians.

“I’ve lived here my whole life and for as long as I’ve been playing music professionally, I’ve watched the scene grow and adapt to accommodate the many musicians that come to call it home. New York, Boulder, New Orleans, not even Nashville have music scenes that are as humble and welcoming as Atlanta’s. I’m convinced that the people here have the healthiest competition you’ll find out of all the other major markets, Guthrie added about his hometown.

“Anything you need, whether it’s something as simple as friendly support, or as consuming as pulling together money as a community to help get a fellow musician’s album rolling, the people involved in the Atlanta music scene will bend over backward to help out a friend.”

Guthrie spends his days in and out of Atlanta, but he aims to move to Athens, Ga. in August and pursue the college circuit, which will be a change of scenery but it’s something that excites the artist.

“This will be my first big move and I really can’t wait to see all the changes it will bring,” Guthrie said about his upcoming relocation.

For more information on Alex Guthrie and Lessons Learned, visit alexguthriemusic.com. - Southern Manners