Interviews with Creative Women: Alex Whorms

by Aliki Bitsakakis, Persephone Media

3 min read, April 12th, 2025

Alex Whorms crafts music that is a genre unto itself. On her feet dancing behind her piano, the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and screen composer flows freely and flawlessly between sounds, gracefully blending pop, jazz, rock, classical, folk and almost anything else that strikes her fancy, investing everything with "real, honest purity" (CBC). Named “a standout in the Hamilton scene,” Whorms has performed at Toronto Pride, Hamilton's Festival of Friends, CityTV, and even Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music, sharing the stage with top songwriters Lorraine Segato, Abigail Lapell, Ben Caplan, Blair Packham and Jacob Moon. Her fourth EP is set to be released in Fall 2025.

What barriers have you faced as a woman in your industry and how have you overcome them?

The lack of women working in technical or support roles really limited the career goals I envisioned for myself when I was starting out as a singer-songwriter. Shortly before the pandemic, a report came out showing that around 2% of music producers were women. This got me interested in improving my production skills to pursue film scoring, which has become a very creatively fulfilling aspect of my career! I’ve also learned that I really enjoy working as a hired musician – a job commonly referred to as “sideman”! Learning not to limit my work to what I think others expect of me has been a game-changer. 

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

If you keep working towards your goal and showing up consistently (whether in music or otherwise), you will eventually get somewhere.

Why is it important to support women in your field? 

Art and collaboration benefit hugely from diverse voices and ideas! We all want to create music that stands out, find a sound or idea that hasn’t been heard before. Writing with women, hiring them, and encouraging them to push creative boundaries can definitely result in ground-breaking and exciting new music!

How do you think we can create a more equitable workplace in your industry?

I think that process begins with everyone – not just those belonging to minority groups – understanding the value an equitable workplace would provide to everybody. Then actively making changes to work towards that goal. We need music venues, studios, and training facilities to be safe and accessible for everyone. In the 7 years that I’ve been working in music, it has become less common for me to be the only woman working on a gig or project, and I feel increasingly confident that I am welcome and deserve to be here. I am excited to see that trend continue.