Alex Tanas facts for kids

Alex Tanas (in background, first from left, with the drums) performing as part of the band Magic! in 2014

Alexander Vincent Tanas (born February 28, 1986), known as Alex Tanas, is a Canadian-American artist, producer, songwriter, and drummer. He is most famous for being the former drummer and singer for the pop-reggae band Magic!. Besides his work with MAGIC!, Tanas has also worked with many other musicians. Since 2018, he has been releasing his own solo music. Alex Tanas lives in Los Angeles, California.

Growing Up

Alex Tanas was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on February 28, 1986. His family has roots in Ukraine and Ireland. He started playing the drums when he was ten years old. Tanas went to Earl Haig Secondary School in Toronto.

Joining the Band MAGIC!

Tanas was a member of the pop-reggae group MAGIC!. The other members were singer Nasri, bassist Ben Spivak, and guitarist Mark "Pelli" Pellizzer. Mark Pellizzer called Alex Tanas to work on music together. They already knew each other from working with the Justin Nozuka Band.

During Alex's first visit, he and the other members of MAGIC! wrote three songs: "Stupid Me," "Don't Kill The Magic," and "Gypsy Woman." After this, they decided to form the band. As a band member, Tanas helped write and produce all of MAGIC!'s songs. In February 2022, MAGIC! announced that Alex Tanas had left the band.

Working with Other Artists

Alex Tanas has worked with many different musicians. He played drums, wrote songs, and produced music for them.

• Playing Drums and Touring: Tanas played drums and toured with the Justin Nozuka band for six years. During this time, he even got to open for the famous singer Stevie Wonder. He says his biggest musical heroes are Stewart Copeland and David Grohl. Tanas has also played drums for Kira Isabella, Pat Robitaille, Leslie Pike, Maneli Jamal, Sabrina Claudio, and Luis Figueroa.

• Writing and Producing Songs: Tanas often works with singer-songwriter Hayley Gene Penner. He has helped write and produce all of her songs. He also frequently works with Sabrina Claudio, writing and producing songs like "I Don't" and "Frozen." He has written all the songs for the singer vōx.

• Notable Songs:
  • In 2014, Tanas helped write "Cut Me Deep" for Shakira. His bandmates from MAGIC! also appeared on the song.
  • He also co-wrote "Coming Home" for Anthony Hamilton in 2014.
  • Tanas helped write and produce "Human Contact" for Catey Shaw.
  • He co-wrote "Consider Me" for R&B artist Allen Stone.
  • In 2016, he co-wrote and co-produced "Levitate" and "Lovesick" for Jacob Whitesides.
  • He also co-wrote "Heavy Stone" for Justin Nozuka.
  • In 2017, he co-wrote "Warm in December" for Michael Schulte and "Bad News" for SOJA.
  • In 2019, he co-wrote and produced "Missing Me" for TRACE and "Continuum" for Tanerélle.

His Own Music

Alex Tanas started releasing his own solo music in 2018. He helped write and produce many of his own songs. These include "Same Love," "I Won't," "Other People's Lives," "Free Myself," "Unravel," "Everything," and "Close to You."

In 2019, he co-wrote and produced "Miles Away" for Kan Wakan. Tanas also sang on this song. The song was even called one of the best new songs by a magazine called Vulture when it came out.

Awards and Achievements

Alex Tanas has won several important awards for his music.

• He has won two Juno Awards. One was for "Single of the Year" for MAGIC!'s song 'Rude'. The other was for "Breakout Group of the Year" with MAGIC!.
• He also received a SOCAN Award for his songwriting.