Beach Slang: A Portrait Of A Punk Who Never Grew Up

It's been a remarkable 12 months for James Alex. A year full of contradictions and firsts. The lead singer and songwriter for the band Beach Slang, Alex and his wife Rachel gave birth to their first child, Oliver, to start 2015. His band also released its debut album in October, The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us, which has meant nonstop touring. Alex's dad wasn't a part of his life growing up, a theme that crops up again and again in his songs. He now has to negotiate being away from Oliver, for weeks at a time, in order to make a life for the little boy. "I'm always that kid always out of place," Alex sings on "Bad Art and Weirdo Ideas." "I try to get found but I've never known how." Here & Now and NPR Music spent a day in Alex's tidy suburban home, talking to him about the meaning of fatherhood, and about how some of his heart-wrenching lyrics came to be. That night, we watched as Alex howled and whirled, and Beach Slang blared an inspired hometown set in a sweaty Philadelphia basement.--MILES PARKS