XOLEX chases a dream
7/1/2026
Ten years ago, country-rock singer Alexis “Lex” Curran was confined to a wheelchair because of an autoimmune disease. After prayers and treatments, she recovered. Struggling with what she describes as survivor’s guilt, Curran questioned why she had been given a second chance. Her answer, she believes, was to share her gift of singing and her faith in God.Alexis “Lex” Curran
Today, the Chariton native lives in Nashville, writes music and performs throughout the Midwest with her band, XOLEX. The stage name comes from the way she often signed her name: XO, Lex.
Growing up in small-town Iowa, sports took priority over music. After college, however, Curran experienced what she describes as an identity crisis and felt uncertain about her musical direction. She moved to Atlanta, where she sang R&B and country music and wrote songs for rap artists.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she went into a studio to record a song she had written. When the session ended, the producer asked how long she had been singing and recording.
“I admitted, it’s my first time. He said, ‘You’re playing me.’ I told him I was honest,” she recalls. “He said I was meant to be a singer.”
Believing Nashville offered the best opportunity to advance her career, Curran moved there in 2023. While she performs regularly at venues throughout the Midwest, she rarely plays in Nashville.
“Nashville doesn’t pay, and I don’t want to play for free,” she explains. “I came here to write and do studio sessions.”
All of her music videos have been filmed in Iowa, and many of her songs draw inspiration from small-town life. One example is her song “Daisy Dukes.”
“I just think music is healing,” Lex reflects. “I feel like I write about what a lot of people go through.”
Performing comes naturally to her. Still, she admitted feeling anxious before her first ticketed show, unsure whether anyone would attend.
“I was nervous,” she recalls. “I was seriously taken aback by the amount of people that showed up for me and the amount of love that they gave and the energy of the audience.”
Since then, audiences have responded enthusiastically wherever she performs. Curran has appeared at the Napa Valley Festival and recently performed at the CMA Fest Whiskey Jam in Nashville. She believes each show helps her grow as an artist.
“Vocally I think every show just surprises the hell out of me, because I just keep getting better and better,” she reflects. “It’s honestly a gift from God.”
For emerging musicians, however, success requires more than talent. Curran says one of the biggest challenges is building a social media presence while continuing to create music.
“You can’t just eat yourself up by saying, I’m not this or that, or look at what everyone else is doing,” she reflects. “I’m an artist, I’m not an influencer. Nowadays you have to be both. You have to be an influencer and an artist in order to even be seen.”
Despite the challenges, connecting with listeners remains her motivation.
“It’s not about getting famous and making money. Yeah, the money part is nice, but no one really wants to just be famous,” she says. “I want to reach others.”
When asked to describe herself, Curran keeps it simple.
“I think there is a bigger meaning to all of this, because it wouldn’t make any other sense,” she says. “To answer your question, I’m a girl who’s trying to sing and for my songs to bring people together. That’s just all I’m trying to do. I’m a girl from a small town, chasing a dream.”
One dream has already become reality. Curran will perform as an opening act at an upcoming concert at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand.
“Looking back, I never would have thought I’d be performing in front of 20,000 people, but here I am,” she reflects. “I’m doing it with hard work and dedication. I want to give people hope to be bigger than what they are, because you can be.”
XOLEX will perform a free concert at the Waukee Arts Festival on July 17. The band also will open for BigXthaPlug at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand on Aug. 22 and has additional performances scheduled throughout the Des Moines metro area. ♦
