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Kerry Alexander ’12
Kerry Alexander ’12, front person for Bad Bad Hats, is playing a blue electric guitar and singing into a microphone on a darkly lit stage.
Kerry Alexander ’12, front person for Bad Bad Hats, is playing a blue electric guitar and singing into a microphone on a darkly lit stage.
Macalester taught me how to know when to say ‘no’ to an opportunity.
Kerry Alexander ’12

English and Creative Writing Major
Front person and songwriter for indie rock band, Bad Bad Hats
Rock Star • Entrepreneur • Writing • Radio Station

Macalester was the birthplace of our band. It’s where we started writing songs and dreaming of what they would be. The reciprocal nature of the English department—where reading and writing go hand in hand—made that possible. Certain books and classes and professors still serve as inspiration for my songwriting. I use my major every day, not just for writing but to be able to take criticism, revise, and be inspired by what other people are doing.

I got lots of positive reinforcement from my poetry professors and from the Mac community, so I auditioned for The Voice when I was a senior. On the way home, I tuned into The Current and heard a song of ours playing on the radio for the very first time. Then I got a call-back for the second round of auditions, which were happening on graduation day. I remember lying on the grass in the sun at Mac, trying to decide what to do, and realizing that I wanted to have my own voice, not be The Voice. I turned down the audition and went to my graduation instead. Ever since, I have thought: Macalester taught me how to know when to say “no” to an opportunity. And being able to say no makes your yesses stronger.

I was extremely studious at Macalester, but it turns out that some of what drove me to my path were extracurricular activities. I worked for the radio station. I got my start in music journalism: I’d take the bus and light rail into Minneapolis and see shows and write about them for a British music blog. I was getting the lay of the land for my future career.

I didn’t realize that being a band meant being a small business owner. There’s a lot of auxiliary work, like accounting and sales and tour organizing, that I had to figure out how to do. But the confidence that my Mac peers and community have in me has always enabled me to go on. The community of Macalester is the thing I hold most dear. Almost every show we play, people in Mac gear show up, just because they heard there was a Mac band playing. It’s so wonderful.

Last updated: October 2025