Biography
Alex Suarez is the bass player and additional keyboardist and vocalist for Cobra Starship as well as co-founder of This is Ivy League, a band created with fellow Cobra Starship member and high school best friend Ryland Blackinton.
Alex was born in Stamford, Connecticut but moved to Boca Raton, Florida when he was young. Alex was heavily influenced by his older brothers who were into 80's hair metal and grew up listening to bands from Metallica to Iron Maiden, which inspired him to start playing guitar. During his final years of high school, Alex provided vocals, drums, and guitar for popular local band Kite Flying Society, who released a discography CD on indie label Init Records. He attended Olympic Heights Community High School where he met friend Ryland Blackinton in 1997, bonding over the fact they were both avid guitar players and both played in local bands with varying degrees of accolade. Alex got Ryland a job waiting tables at "Mr. Deli's Jewish Delicatessan," in Boca Raton. A few years later, Alex went off to pursue a degree in the culinary arts while Ryland procured his BFA in Acting. The two lost touch for seven years.
Alex chose to bank on a future as a chef. His interest in the kitchen took root his freshman year when he had the choice between registering for either Food Production or Sewing. He chose the former and became instantly hooked, sticking with it all four years of high school and capitalized on the school’s work program, which allowed students to work in their chosen field in exchange for class credit. Since Alex had already decided to attend the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, he found qualifying work his senior year at The Roll-up Grille. Post-culinary school, he continued his ground beef making at a Whole Foods before starting a catering business with a few friends in Orlando - Thyme to Dine - specializing in wine and food pairings.
After opening a short-lived restaurant in Boca Raton, Alex decided to move to Brooklyn and took a job as a cashier at Whole Foods Market to save up enough money for his relocation. Two months later he transferred to a Whole Foods in Manhattan, delivering groceries in the city for another nine months, then running into former best friend Ryland Blackinton, who was living only ten minutes away. After catching up over lunch and learning that each was writing some music, the duo formed This is Ivy League, an indie pop/folk band that often draws comparisons to Simon & Garfunkel. Just as This is Ivy League started to take flight, Alex and Ryland were presented with a contrasting opportunity from Alex's neighbor at the time, Midtown drummer Rob Hitt.
Alex was approached to join Gabe Saporta's newly formed band Cobra Starship after he found fast success with the hit song, "Snakes on a Plane (Bring it)". The song was featured on the soundtrack for the film Snakes on a Plane and the band was offered a record deal from Pete Wentz's Fueled By Ramen Records imprint, Decaydance. Alex accepted and has contributed to three full-length albums and completed several international tours with Cobra Starship since.
On December 25, 2009, Suarez confirmed on his Twitter that he and girlfriend Lauren Ashley Strenge were engaged.
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