Alex Vaughn Talks Growth, ‘The Hurtbook’, And Tour With Ari Lennox

Written by Vocalo Radio on March 17, 2023

After opening for Ari Lennox’s second sold-out show at the House of Blues in Chicago, Alex Vaughn stopped by the Vocalo studios to talk about her 2022 album The Hurtbook and life on tour.

“The whole ‘Hurtbook’ is about, you hurt, but you heal, you know? We turn the page. It’s okay.”
– Alex Vaughn

Though Maryland-based R&B artist Alex Vaughn first started gaining traction in the music scene in the late 2010s, posting covers on Instagram and Twitter, music has been a part of her life ever since she was little, playing the piano and listening to soul music with her parents in the car.

“Music and I just found each other at a young age,” she recalled.

Fast-forward to 2017, when her social media covers started to gain traction, ultimately earning her the opportunity to open on national tours for K. Michelle and Eric Bellinger in the years following. In 2021, Vaughn signed with Love Renaissance, or LVRN, after appearing on their Instagram Live talent show and catching the label’s attention.

“As soon [as] I… got signed, I just felt like a shift in my brain,” Vaughn explained. “I started feeling like… I need to start doing things a little bit differently. I need to start kicking things up a notch.”

The first EP that followed was May 2022’s Voice Notes, which brought listeners one of her most popular tracks, “Backslide.” She followed up the EP with album The Hurtbook in October 2022, which features the instant classic “Mirage.” ESSENCE magazine claimed the album “further solidified her place as one of the most talented newcomers in R&B.”

Currently, Vaughn is opening on Ari Lennox’s age/sex/location tour, which included two sold-out shows at Chicago’s House of Blues. The morning of the second House of Blues show, Alex Vaughn and team trekked through the Chicago cold to sit down for an on-air conversation with Vocalo morning host Bekoe. The two discussed life before music, touring with Ari Lennox, working on new music and The Hurtbook.

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Today, Vaughn also released The Hurtbook (Homegirl Pack) —featuring remixes of three singles off the album, “So Be It,” “IYKYK” and “Demon Time,” featuring Summer Walker, Muni Long and tourmate Ari Lennox, respectively.

^{Bekoe and Alex Vaughn outside the Vocalo studios on March 10, just hours before Alex opened for Ari Lennox in front of a second sold-out crowd at the House of Blues. Rakim Winfert for Vocalo}