Meet the dedicated drummer who has now entered fatherhood and a new chapter in his life – Alejandro Mercado. Now based out of Palm Desert California, Alejandro has played the drums for bands such as Alan Parsons, the Santa Cruz Band and most recently will be touring with artist Harley Olivia in Toronto, Canada.

I met him back in the Baked Potato days where musicians love to hang and mingle surrounded by live jazz music. Alejandro started playing music at an early age. A big influence came from his parents and brother who joined their local school band. However, I think his real start was in Mexico with his aunt who was part of the drumline. Just a little a boy at the time, he was playing with action figures near his toybox when she showed him how to make beats and sound by pounding on the box with the action figures. Little did he know at the time it would be the driving force to his artistic contribution and lifestyle.

I asked what part of the musical journey is his favorite. His response – “I would have to say my favorite part of all the musical madness are the lessons you take away from each experience. Every artist or project is so different from one another. The people and personalities are different, the music is different, the way everyone runs their business is different. And I find it very interesting learning to navigate through it all. Every interaction, every gig presents an opportunity to grow.”

As most artists know, the difficulties in the industry can be unmotivating at times, especially when you have been creating and performing for most of your life. But Alejandro has an interesting take on it all: “every artist encounters difficulties all along this journey. I like to view them as learning opportunities rather than something negative. After all, there is always light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dark it is in the moment”.

The idea that although it is a “dog eat dog” world, we an still overcome the hurdles like the streaming platforms, the concert ticket monopoly and the value we hold as artists in general. We set our value. We set our tone. That I think is a great viewpoint to hold and mirror.

His biggest inspiration? Experiences and peers. Most importantly, he is now a dad! “I recently became a father and it’s the most beautiful gift! This year has given me a new perspective on pretty much everything. Musically I took a break from touring to be present for my son. I’ve focused more on doing recording session work, which has happened to work out nicely since relocating to Palm Desert. I’ve still been doing weekend fly dates and local gigs here and there. I had a few touring opportunities throughout the year, but I didn’t feel they were worth missing important moments with my family at the time. I do feel ready to get back on the road now, and I’ll be joining Harley Olivia and producer Siegfried Meier for a short Canadian tour in September.”

It is so admirable to see a dad take a break from touring to spend time with his family which I’m sure is a wonderful change in itself.

Congrats on this new milestone in your path and I can only hope continued success for you and your family as you navigate the transition.

Last tidbit?

I want artist to know: “Don’t run in dark venues. Or you can slip and damage your ACL” 😂

M.