Six Minutes with Sleigh Bells' Alexis Krauss

Sleigh Bells singer Alexis Krauss is famous for wearing jean shorts on stage. It’s her thing – she wears them really short with tights or little lace bikers underneath, so that her butt cheeks never, ever show (she’s seen enough of that on the festival circuit to know it’s not for her). The way Alexis wears her shorts is both sexy and practical – it makes a statement, and it lets her do everything she needs to do on stage, from dancing like a maniac to crouching all quiet so her fans way in the back can hear her wail-whisper the lyrics they love so much.

Last night Alexis played a free concert at Brooklyn Bridge Park hosted by Levi’s to kick-off their new Live in Levi’s campaign. We got to hang out with her beforehand for a few minutes (literally; they were keeping her really busy pre-show), and during that time we asked her exactly 14 questions that she answered very decisively in six minutes flat. Wearing a pair of 501 cut-offs made specially for her at the Levi’s Eureka Innovation Lab’s Tailor Shop in San Francisco, Alexis was completely at ease; like she’d had those cut-offs forever. True, they were a perfect length – her sort of short-short – bedazzled with little gold studs at one hip. We took her picture in a pretty alleyway across the street from where the the tour buses were parked, and she lit up. Then she posed for a group photo with a pile of patiently-waiting fans who “came all the way from New Jersey!” to see her play.

When we saw her again, Alexis was on stage in a pair of high-cut, high-waisted, acid-wash Levi’s shorts with studded leather strips sewn across them – a bit of lace peeking out from underneath. Smoke machines, strobe lights, and short-short-shorts, she had everyone, including us, mesmerized. Here’s to living in Levi’s.

What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think about your Levi’s?

Classic.

If they had a zodiac sign, what would it be?

Libra, like me. Balanced, but always looking for adventure.

You just spilled red wine on your favorite pair. What do you do?

I spill more wine on them and make it like a paint-splashed blood splatter.

What kind of car do you think your Levi’s would look best riding in?

Probably a red Corvette. Something classic and sexy.

Who do you take your Levi’s off for?

My finacé, Tyler.

Which of your songs best captures the way you feel about your jeans?

Probably ‘Infinity Guitars’ because it’s sweet and soft, but also hard and bombastic. It’s has a masculine side and a feminine side. Kind of like jeans.