Early Work (2018–2020)
This period marks the foundation of my work as Lil Xander (2018–2020), during which I began shaping my sound and establishing my artistic identity.
Under the name Lil Xander, I began developing my skills as a recording artist between the ages of 14 and 16. I focused primarily on vocals while also contributing to music production, building a strong foundation in songwriting and studio workflow.
I collaborated with local Australian artist Boler Mani, gaining early experience in creative collaboration and the independent music scene. Alongside the music itself, I independently managed the visual and promotional side of my work, designing my own album artwork and marketing releases through meme-based content on social media to grow engagement and reach.
Across my releases, I achieved over 50,000 streams on Spotify alone, demonstrating early audience engagement and the effectiveness of my self-directed promotion. This experience helped shape my understanding of both the creative and strategic aspects of releasing music, including branding, audience connection, and self-managed project development.
Important Releases
"Xander vs the World" was my debut EP released under the name Lil Xander at age 16. While it was an early and unrefined project, it served as an important introduction to music-making and the release process. The EP marked my first collaboration with Boler Mani and provided hands-on experience in recording, songwriting, and creative direction.
Despite its rawness, the project reached over 13,000 streams on Spotify, reflecting early audience engagement and laying the groundwork for my development as an artist.
Listen to "Xander Vs The World" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube
"Xander vs the World" was my debut EP released under the name Lil Xander at age 16. While it was an early and unrefined project, it served as an important introduction to music-making and the release process. The EP marked my first collaboration with Boler Mani and provided hands-on experience in recording, songwriting, and creative direction.
Despite its rawness, the project reached over 13,000 streams on Spotify, reflecting early audience engagement and laying the groundwork for my development as an artist.
Listen to "Xander Vs The World" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube
"Xander vs the World" was my debut EP released under the name Lil Xander at age 16. While it was an early and unrefined project, it served as an important introduction to music-making and the release process. The EP marked my first collaboration with Boler Mani and provided hands-on experience in recording, songwriting, and creative direction.
Despite its rawness, the project reached over 13,000 streams on Spotify, reflecting early audience engagement and laying the groundwork for my development as an artist.
Listen to "Xander Vs The World" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube
“Da Norf” was my most strategically executed and widely received release under the name Lil Xander. The track was supported by an in-depth, meme-driven rollout campaign spanning two months, where I gradually revealed new features each week, spotlighting emerging local Hobart artists and building momentum within the community. In the final week leading up to release, I announced the final feature, another collaboration with Boler Mani, leveraging his larger audience at the time to amplify reach and anticipation.
The campaign resulted in over 16,000 streams on Spotify, making it my most successful release to date and demonstrating my ability to combine creative marketing, audience engagement, and collaborative strategy to grow a project organically.
Listen to "Da Norf" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube
“Da Norf” was my most strategically executed and widely received release under the name Lil Xander. The track was supported by an in-depth, meme-driven rollout campaign spanning two months, where I gradually revealed new features each week, spotlighting emerging local Hobart artists and building momentum within the community. In the final week leading up to release, I announced the final feature, another collaboration with Boler Mani, leveraging his larger audience at the time to amplify reach and anticipation.
The campaign resulted in over 16,000 streams on Spotify, making it my most successful release to date and demonstrating my ability to combine creative marketing, audience engagement, and collaborative strategy to grow a project organically.
Listen to "Da Norf" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube
“Da Norf” was my most strategically executed and widely received release under the name Lil Xander. The track was supported by an in-depth, meme-driven rollout campaign spanning two months, where I gradually revealed new features each week, spotlighting emerging local Hobart artists and building momentum within the community. In the final week leading up to release, I announced the final feature, another collaboration with Boler Mani, leveraging his larger audience at the time to amplify reach and anticipation.
The campaign resulted in over 16,000 streams on Spotify, making it my most successful release to date and demonstrating my ability to combine creative marketing, audience engagement, and collaborative strategy to grow a project organically.
Listen to "Da Norf" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube
“APHRODITE” was a collaborative release featuring my work under the name Lil Xander, where I contributed vocals. The track was released and produced by Tasmanian artist sleepyhead (known now as Harley Oaklae), and explored a softer, more atmospheric sound.
The song brought together a range of artists, including Tasmanian artist YohngBoi and U.S.-based artist SonZo, highlighting a cross-regional collaboration between local and international creatives.
“Aphrodite” was featured and played on triple j Unearthed, gaining exposure through one of Australia’s leading platforms for emerging artists and marking a key milestone in my early music experience. triple j Unearthed
Listen to "APHRODITE" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube, triple j Unearthed
“APHRODITE” was a collaborative release featuring my work under the name Lil Xander, where I contributed vocals. The track was released and produced by Tasmanian artist sleepyhead (known now as Harley Oaklae), and explored a softer, more atmospheric sound.
The song brought together a range of artists, including Tasmanian artist YohngBoi and U.S.-based artist SonZo, highlighting a cross-regional collaboration between local and international creatives.
“Aphrodite” was featured and played on triple j Unearthed, gaining exposure through one of Australia’s leading platforms for emerging artists and marking a key milestone in my early music experience. triple j Unearthed
Listen to "APHRODITE" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube, triple j Unearthed
“APHRODITE” was a collaborative release featuring my work under the name Lil Xander, where I contributed vocals. The track was released and produced by Tasmanian artist sleepyhead (known now as Harley Oaklae), and explored a softer, more atmospheric sound.
The song brought together a range of artists, including Tasmanian artist YohngBoi and U.S.-based artist SonZo, highlighting a cross-regional collaboration between local and international creatives.
“Aphrodite” was featured and played on triple j Unearthed, gaining exposure through one of Australia’s leading platforms for emerging artists and marking a key milestone in my early music experience. triple j Unearthed
Listen to "APHRODITE" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube, triple j Unearthed
“Sunshine” was the final official release under the name Lil Xander, marking a turning point in my creative direction. The track explored a softer, more restrained sound compared to my earlier work, reflecting a shift in both style and artistic intent.
Following this release, I chose to step back from putting out music in order to focus on developing my skills and refining my craft. “Sunshine” represents both the end of an early chapter and the beginning of a more intentional approach to music-making.
Listen to "Sunshine" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube
“Sunshine” was the final official release under the name Lil Xander, marking a turning point in my creative direction. The track explored a softer, more restrained sound compared to my earlier work, reflecting a shift in both style and artistic intent.
Following this release, I chose to step back from putting out music in order to focus on developing my skills and refining my craft. “Sunshine” represents both the end of an early chapter and the beginning of a more intentional approach to music-making.
Listen to "Sunshine" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube
“Sunshine” was the final official release under the name Lil Xander, marking a turning point in my creative direction. The track explored a softer, more restrained sound compared to my earlier work, reflecting a shift in both style and artistic intent.
Following this release, I chose to step back from putting out music in order to focus on developing my skills and refining my craft. “Sunshine” represents both the end of an early chapter and the beginning of a more intentional approach to music-making.
Listen to "Sunshine" - Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube