Sofía Insua is still buzzing. She recently opened Ralphie Choo’s sold-out shows in New York under her artistic name aLex vs aLex, and the experience has left her talking about it for days on end. There’s no denying that it’s a dream come true for her as she recalls how she was inspired by him and other Spanish artists of his generation like Rusowsky, TRISTAN!, and AMORE. However, she feels like sharing the stage with him means something beyond a personal achievement. Insua takes pride in being an artist from Guatemala who has finally earned the position to play on the same stage as an internationally renowned artist, coming from a scene that pretty much had no scene. “I’m excited and I’m honored to be part of the first group of Guatemalans that are present in these alternative platforms, where our art is being shared so widely,” she enthuses. While aLex vs aLex has just released a handful of songs, Insua has been working hard for years to get to where she is now.
She chose the stage name aLex vs aLex because it was the name her parents had originally picked for her after her father, Alejandro. “It’s like the person that I almost was versus the person that I am versus the person that I could be,” Insua says of the moniker. “It’s also like the Batman effect. If you have an alias, it sort of gives you a different kind of permission to tap into a different part of you.” But aLex vs aLex is more than just an alias; it’s a full-fledged project and a long way in the making. Insua was born and raised in Guatemala and was intrigued by different artistic expressions. Finding few channels to pursue her calling, she auditioned for drama schools in the U.S. and got accepted for a conservatory degree in acting in New York with a merit scholarship.
At the same time, she recorded a song with a friend that inadvertently became a hit in Guatemala. On the strength of that song, Easy Easy — one of the country’s biggest and few alternative bands — invited her to become its singer after Jesse Baez left the band. Since 2017, Insua has written, recorded, and toured with the band across Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, the U.S., and more. She also started another project, ERA C, with Mirza Ramic of the trip-hop duo Arms and Sleepers. Parallel to all of her projects, she was also developing a career in experimental theater, moving for a time to Berlin before returning to New York in 2023.
When she started professionally in music with Easy Easy, Insua was very young and just discovering the world. She didn’t feel ready to start a solo project until she had already lived in three major cities and toured many others, explored different artistic disciplines, and had more life experience. “Once my frontal lobe fully developed two years ago, when I turned 25, I gained this higher clarity and self-awareness of who I am,” Insua muses. “With aLex vs aLex, I think there’s a deeper understanding of how to incorporate all of these ventures that I have been able to be a part of.”
Although she has just released a handful of songs, Insua has proven to be an artist worth listening to. aLex vs aLex has a sound that’s both easy to relate to and capable of throwing satisfying aural curveballs. “tener t” is a slow-burning ballad that benefits from Insua’s emotional vocals before picking up speed and turning into a drum and bass-inspired dance track. While groovy “nadie lo saBe” revisits ‘90s R&B in its melodies and delivery, “see me 4 the first time” is almost a lullaby in its sweetness, but there’s a melancholy that’s difficult to shake from its core while keeping the beat firmly on the dancefloor.
“[I try to] find some sort of balance,” Insua says about her sound. “I want to have softness and sweetness through my voice, but then for there to have some kind in-your-face, aggressive beats.” Her R&B influences shine through aLex vs. aLex, as well as electronic flourishes and dreamy, ethereal textures. She carefully constructs all the lyrics, which she describes as “mantras.” “I’m mindful. I like to put thought into what I put out into the world, lyrically,” she adds.
[aLex vs aLex is] like the person that I almost was versus the person that I am versus the person that I could be. It’s also like the Batman effect. If you have an alias, it sort of gives you a different kind of permission to tap into a different part of you.
The songs she has released so far will be part of an upcoming EP, produced by herself and Gabriel Dinero, a London-based fellow Guatemalan who she originally met when they were 17. When Insua envisioned aLex vs aLex, she thought Dinero’s R&B production style would suit her music perfectly. “He’s been a huge part of me being able to finally pinpoint what I want and how I want to sound, and he’s added so much to it,” she says about their collaboration. “And obviously, he also knows more about the technical side of production. I’m really glad and lucky to have him on board.”
Insua describes aLex vs aLex as “very DIY.” While there are other people who collaborate with her, she’s the one “steering the ship,” learning from all her collaborators in every step of the process, from production to publicity. In turn, it has become a very important channel for her day-to-day. “I found an outlet to let myself be,” she says. “To explore and have fun and be less serious.”
This type of operation comes with challenges, like having to invest in the creation of her art. “It’s like an act of blind faith in yourself because you won’t see a financial return, at least at first,” she explains. “[It’s very challenging] trying to put music out and staying organized while maintaining the administrative areas of it functioning at the same time as the creative ones.” However, she finds freedom in the “scrappy” nature in which she operates: “I really trust the power of taste more than big budgets or production value.”
Insua is finishing the final touches of the first aLex vs aLex EP, which is coming out in February 2025, as well as a live setup that will allow her to tour behind this album. Though so far, she’s played only a handful of dates, they’ve been high-profile gigs, including opening for Chet Faker along with the Ralphie Choo dates.
Recalling her recent shows with the latter again, Insua is reminded of the hardships of the musical landscape in Guatemala when she was starting and how she now feels excitement around it. As far as alternative music scenes, little to no support exists in most of Central America, and Insua recalls how Easy Easy built the underground scene in Guatemala for them to play in and how the band was so integral to it that their guitarist taught younger aspiring musicians like Gabriel Dinero how to play the instrument.
The days of lack of infrastructure, few concerts, and institutional support might not be over yet, but there’s a glimmer of hope nowadays. Thanks in part to artists like Mabe Fratti and Ben Carrillo, Central American artists are making waves in their respective genres globally, and putting Guatemala specifically on the musical map. This makes Insua hopeful for the musical talent in her country of origin. Insua, in her aLex vs aLex guise, has enough taste and courage to join these artists into ushering a new era of Guatemalan talent.
Photography: Diego Urbina
Stylist: Sofia Insua
Photo Assistant & Additional Photo: Maria Galebach
Nail Art: Carmen Urizar
Written By: Marcos Hassan
Editor in Chief: Thatiana Diaz
Music Editor: Alexis Hodoyán-Gastélum
Creative Director: Alan López
Social Media Manager: Alma Sacasa
Director of Talent Relations: Joel Moya
Special thanks to Tercer Mundo and Tumbao
