Will Jones
Photo Credit: Edgar in Focus
Many musicians today struggle to create long-term visibility and stability in an industry that mainly highlights front-facing performers. Recording keyboardist and musician Alexia Nikitakis offers an interesting model in this context. Her career demonstrates how collaboration, skill, and consistency developed during her four years in Los Angeles studios form the foundation of a sustainable path forward.
LA’s Discipline & Austin’s Live Culture
Nikitakis got her start in Los Angeles, where she worked in L.A. studios and collaborative production environments. There, she developed a professional foundation in discipline, versatility, and high standards of performance. While in the city of angels, she worked in several production environments, but most notably in the Highland Park Collective from 2019 to 2020, a period that shaped her approach to recording.
In her own words, her time in Los Angeles “had the greatest influence on [her] musical identity”, especially learning how essential keyboardists are to shaping a record from the inside.
Nikitakis carried her L.A. standard to her current location: Austin. She works with many musicians there who also spent time in L.A. and Hollywood, a shared professional culture that bonds the community. Because of Austin’s live music culture, Nikitakis can apply her background across multiple projects: from indie rock with TV Wonder to western swing with the Wilkinson Quartet, and even rockabilly with Danny B. Harvey, where she performed live.
Since relocating in 2022, she has continued recording work at a national level while expanding into multiple Austin-based projects.
The Unseen Musicians Shape the Sound
Nikitakis is a representation of the modern recording keyboardist, with her ability to move fluidly between studio and stage, analog and digital, and to span multiple genres.
Her particular brand of collaborative musicianship makes her unique, with her goal of helping artists translate their ideas into cohesive, finished recordings and performances that represent that fruition. In addition to her other accolades, Nikitakis is an official collaborator with Blackburner, who is signed to Cleopatra Records.
Women are Central to Modern Music Production
As the age of female pop stars has been revitalized, women in music, especially in music production, such as Nikitakis, should not be discounted. Their voices, creativity, and experience are integral to the industry.
Nikitakis has proven she is a key player in the industry, having recorded keyboard/piano for Melanie and Sammy Kershaw and performed with Danny B. Harvey of Headcat. She also played keys for Jimmy Kelly of The Kelly Family, proving her place in the industry.
Legacy Continues Through Evolution
Photo Credit: Monika Maria
Nikitakis isn’t only making her way in the music industry; she is also continuing her father, Nick Nikitakis’s, musical legacy. Growing up around her father’s musical career taught her that music is about longevity and contribution; her time in L.A. reinforced that. As for her future, she will continue to expand her recorded collaborations while also developing her solo project, an endeavor that seeks to integrate her Greek musical roots with modern forms.
Currently based in Austin, she hopes to strengthen the bridge between Los Angeles’s production culture and Austin’s live scene by participating in both. Alexia Nikitakis’s advice to other musicians is: show up prepared, serve the music, and let consistency build trust over time.