Nashville's record store Grimey's New & Preloved Music made a lot of national news headlines in late April for their Taylor Swift mural that was unveiled in advance of Swift's surprise double-album drop of Tortured Poets Department that had fans lining up at midnight to be the first to get their hands on the much anticipated recording. For Illustrator and Muralist Alexandria Hall - who toiled to get the painting done in time - the moment was thrilling and a little bittersweet.

This Taylor Swift mural made national news in April 2024.

"They didn't tag me in the reporting," Hall told us when we met up with her outside of Grimey's New & Preloved Music on Thursday, April 25, 2024 when she was finishing up another job on the exterior of the colorful and artistically pleasing music shop on Trinity Lane.

The Taylor Swift news story as you would expect went viral. But, in the world of Tik-Tok videos and seconds long soundbites the reporters and networks forgot to credit the artist who can often be seen working alone on a ladder to apply her considerable skill to bring the music to life in a whole new way on Grimey's brick facade. So, we figured we could fix that by shining a little light on Alexandria for the readers of MCN.

The personable Alexandria says of herself - "My work contains colorful surreal depictions of our world and the people that inhabit it. I am interested in how small unseen moments can carry hidden messages, emotions, and connections" - making our meeting all the more serendipitous.

Hall paints in many fields beyond music including the stunning design she applied to make one basketball court in Atlanta standout. In addition to her gig at Grimey's she is also getting noticed for her collaborations with Disney +, Bandcamp, Pandora Music, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Mellow Mushroom and many more.

While in East Nashville we learned that Hall had just finished up a work for another strong and talented woman - Maggie Rose - who is gaining wider recognition on the strength of her most recent release No One Gets Out Alive. Rose has additionally been spotted on numerous billboards around town and is still often sighted shopping or dining at Roy's Meat Service on 19th Avenue.

Alexandria takes a quick break for a photo in East Nashville.

Related Links: For more information on ALEXANDRIA HALL and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links - Alexandria Hall | Maggie Rose | Roy's Meat Service - It's All About BBQ and Community in East Nashville | Grimey's New & Preloved Music