Singer-songwriter Alexa Wildish joined KGNU live at the Boulder Farmers Market for a heartfelt interview and performance, sharing stories from her eclectic musical journey. From her early days performing on cruise ships to earning a spot in the Top 20 on The Voice Season 24—where all four judges turned their chairs—Alexa has carved a unique path marked by resilience, artistry, and deep emotional connection. She spoke about her love for Colorado, particularly the musical haven of Lyons, and how nature deeply influences her songwriting. Performing original songs like Invocation and her rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Songbird, Alexa brought warmth, gratitude, and soul to the KGNU tent.
Indra Raj: Last but not least, we have Alexa Wildish. Welcome.
Alexa Wildish: Thank you, Indra.
Indra Raj: Your song Waitlist—I have this list of favorite songs ever, and your song is on that list. So I’m so happy you’re here.
Alexa Wildish: Thank you so much.
Indra Raj: We’re going to chat and all the rest, but first, let’s hear some tunes.
Alexa Wildish: Hello, everybody listening, and hello everybody at the market. How’s it going?
(plays music)
Indra Raj: Thank you. Aw. All right, we’ve got Alexa Wildish live here in the tent with us at the Boulder Farmers Market. Hello! You have an interesting story as a musician.
Alexa Wildish: I guess so.
Indra Raj: So why don’t you tell us about it?
Alexa Wildish: Ooh. I’ve been singing since I was four years old, so that’s been a long time. We have a lot of ground to cover here, Indra, and I don’t think we have the time! But I’ve done a lot of interesting things with my life and career. I’ve been a songwriter for 16, 17 years now. But I’ve also done a lot of random things with my time in music. I worked on a cruise ship in my early twenties. That was a crazy time—just as a singer. And I’m not talking about just singing with my guitar. I was in shows, with big hats and sequins. So much sequins. That feels like a lifetime ago—and it was. And also, two years ago—no wait, how many years ago was it? It was in 2023, and now we’re in 2025. Oh my gosh. I was on Season 24 of The Voice.
Indra Raj: The Voice is the one where they only hear you singing and then they hit the button?
Alexa Wildish: Yes. There are four very famous musicians who coach, and they have their backs turned to you. If they like the sound of your voice, they turn around. And I will tell you—it is the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Still is.
Indra Raj: Did anyone hit the button for you?
Alexa Wildish: Yes. All four of them did.
Indra Raj: Yes!
Alexa Wildish: We love that! Thank you. Yeah, so we had Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, John Legend, and Gwen Stefani.
Indra Raj: What a group.
Alexa Wildish: I went with Niall Horan—for a lot of reasons. He was really excited about my songwriting. They cut a lot of that out, so it just looked like I had a fangirl crush on him. But I was like, “Mmm… I actually don’t know One Direction that well.”
Indra Raj: I won’t tell him. I promise.
Alexa Wildish: Thank you.
Indra Raj: I must admit—I’ve never watched the show.
Alexa Wildish: That’s fair.
Indra Raj: How far did you make it?
Alexa Wildish: Top 20.
Indra Raj: Oh, great.
Alexa Wildish: So that was really wild. And from there—
Indra Raj: What happened?
Alexa Wildish: From there, my life changed a lot. I made a record of the songs I performed on The Voice, plus a few extras. So it was a cover record, sort of in the likeness of Linda Ronstadt or Eva Cassidy. The way they interpret songs—I wanted it to feel like, if I do a cover song, it should feel like it’s mine.
I made a record and spent last year working on it. It came out early September or October—I can’t remember exactly—but it was last year. The record is called After Love, and it’s based on the song Believe that I sang on The Voice. It also has Songbird, Everything I Wanted, and some unexpected ones like You Don’t Know How It Feels by Tom Petty.
So yeah, that’s all online if anyone wants to listen.
Indra Raj: Wonderful.
Alexa Wildish: Yeah.
Indra Raj: Well, let’s hear some more music.
Alexa Wildish: Great. Since I already started talking about The Voice, I’m going to sing the first song I performed on the show—a beautiful song by Fleetwood Mac called Songbird. I want to sing it today with a lot of love and compassion in my heart. Every time I sing it, I feel this universal love for all humanity and the parts of the world we can’t see right now. So—this is Songbird.
(plays music)
Indra Raj: Thank you very much. Beautiful. Thank you, Alexa Wildish. So—big, exciting times. But before this, we were chatting about your time in Colorado. You were first here in 2016. You’re from California. You were in Nashville.
Alexa Wildish: Yeah.
Indra Raj: But now you’re back. And you said Lyons called you back.
Alexa Wildish: Yeah.
Indra Raj: So tell us about that.
Alexa Wildish: Lyons is the home of Planet Bluegrass.
Indra Raj: Yes, it is.
Alexa Wildish: I had spent a lot of summers coming back—even when I wasn’t living here. Either to play at Planet Bluegrass or just to be around the community. I just kept feeling like it was home.
I’ve traveled a lot in my life, lived in many places, but whenever I came back to Lyons, I felt a sense of belonging. It’s such a beautiful place. So many amazing musicians live there. And every summer, the best of the best come through and just sit at our coffee shop. It’s a cool place to meet people while being immersed in nature.
Nature is a huge part of my songwriting. I really do feel I need to be immersed in nature to create. Lyons just feels like the perfect, idyllic place to live—and the community is amazing.
Indra Raj: Absolutely. We couldn’t agree more. And we’re there every July for RockyGrass—live broadcasting.
Alexa Wildish: Yeah, it’s a rowdy time! I know. And it’s different from Folks Fest. The energy is so rowdy.
Indra Raj: Days of bluegrass! If you’re a bluegrass lover and not listening to KGNU on Saturday mornings—what are you doing?
Alexa Wildish: Tune in!
Indra Raj: Tune in. We’ve got Fergus—one of the originals—here too.
Alexa Wildish: Fantastic.
Indra Raj: The original, really. Lyons is a special musical community. It seems like just the right place for you as a musician.
Alexa Wildish: Absolutely. I never know what’s going to happen or where life will take me, but I feel very grounded in that space at the moment. Very grateful for that.
Indra Raj: That’s great. We’re grateful to have you here in the Front Range.
Alexa Wildish: Thank you.
Indra Raj: Let’s hear one more.
Alexa Wildish: All right. This is a song that’s very near and dear to my heart. It’s called Invocation. I wrote it as an homage to my ancestors from Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, and also as a thank-you to everyone who’s been a part of my musical journey.
I like to sing it whenever I have the chance. It’s a way to tap into gratitude—I couldn’t do this without listeners and people who support my music. I so appreciate you if you’re listening, and I appreciate KGNU for being such a generous, amazing radio station. You’ve had me so many times, and I feel like I’m starting to get to know you all—and I love it. So thank you for having me. This is Invocation.
(plays music)
Indra Raj: All right. Thank you, everybody.
Alexa Wildish: Thank you so much.
Indra Raj: Alexa, it’s a joy to have you.
