Alex Kilroy Carries His Father’s Lessons Into New Shade of Blue
The musical relationship between Alex Kilroy and his father, Iulian, began with a challenge. Before the young musician could abandon classical piano for guitar, he had to learn three Stevie Ray Vaughan songs note-for-note in a single summer. Kilroy met the condition, but his father’s more difficult instruction came later: studying a hero was valuable, while becoming an imitation was not.
That lesson sits behind Kilroy’s newly announced EP, New Shade of Blue, arriving October 23. The project finds the Transylvania-born guitarist moving closer to traditional blues while continuing to search for his own position within it. Its lead single, “Crossroads On My Mind”, uses the form to tell the story of his journey from Romania to the United States.
The release carries added emotional significance following Iulian’s death earlier this year. A guitarist who later worked in artist management, he was his son’s first major influence, a demanding critic, and a steady source of encouragement. His insistence on discipline and originality shaped Kilroy’s approach long before a recording career became possible.
“Crossroads On My Mind” places those family ties within a wider autobiographical account. Kilroy reflects on his parents’ faith, his mother’s prayers, the local bars where he performed, and the visa difficulties that complicated his efforts to reach America. These memories allow a familiar blues image to take on a precise and personal meaning.
Kilroy’s connection to American music began during childhood in Bistrița. After discovering Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Live at Montreux inside an imported car, he became absorbed by the emotional freedom of Vaughan’s playing. The resulting dedication led him to front an SRV tribute band, tour in Europe, and open for Lucky Peterson at the Sighișoara Blues Festival before reaching adulthood.
His ambitions eventually brought him to Berklee College of Music’s summer program and Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago, where he arranged his own performance. Immigration problems forced another period of waiting in Romania, but Nashville followed. There, Kilroy gradually established himself through gigs and session work before later relocating to Florida.
The first full account of that development arrived with Break My Chains in May. New Shade of Blue now brings Kilroy back toward the music that initiated the journey. On “Crossroads On My Mind,” the influence of his father survives through the balance Kilroy continues to pursue: respect for tradition, careful study, and the responsibility to turn those lessons into something personal.
Comments