Tulsa-native singer-songwriter Lexi Onyango who has previously performed and released music as LEX, has announced a shift to using her birth name for her music, beginning with new single ‘Penelope’ out Nov. 4 and an intimate concert ‘An Evening With Lexi Onyango’ at Lowdown (108 N Detroit) on Nov. 18. 

A Shift to Her Birth Name, Lexi Onyango

Onyango said she’s making the name change to keep her artistry connected to her family name. Onyango’s father immigrated to the United States from Kenya in 1998 and the artist has a large extended family there. 

“My last name ‘Onyango’ is Kenyan, and means “morning” in Swahili. With my father being a first generation American, our last name means a lot to my family and I.” Onyango said. “As I have grown older, it has become even more meaningful and I want to be able to tell people what it means. Being an artist that writes songs about my personal experiences and deep feelings it feels most authentic to use my birth name for my music moving forward.”

Onyango’s back catalog of music has been converted from ‘LEX’ to Lexi Onyango on all streaming services. With the name change, Onyango has announced a new single ‘Penelope’ out Friday Nov. 4 with distribution support from artist services company AWAL. 

Related Stories

The song was recorded and produced in Tulsa by Logan Bruhn Productions, and features emotional lyrics over melancholic and dance-inspired production. ‘Penelope’ follows previous 2023 singles ‘Manifesto’, ‘Vodka Soda’, and ‘how does it feel?’ all produced by Bruhn. 

“‘Penelope’ is probably my favorite of all of the songs I have released this year. I just love how experimental the production is, and I’m really proud of the songwriting,” Onyango said. “It’s about moving on and healing from a relationship that you lost yourself in, and learning how to become more independent as you continue to uncover deeper layers of yourself.” 

Intimate Performance at Lowdown

Lexi Onyango also announces new single and Tulsa show also announced a special intimate performance at Tulsa’s Lowdown club on Nov. 18, with support from Charlotte Bumgarner and Ramsey Thornton. Onyango said she is excited to host this show to highlight her vocals, lyrics and songwriting in one of Tulsa’s premiere live music venues. 

“My show at Lowdown is an opportunity for me to really strip everything back and show people who I am as a songwriter, vocalist and an artist,” Onyango said. “I have loved releasing so much dance music this year, but I’m getting back to my roots in every sense of the word. This transition in my name is also going to come with a shift in the kind of music I release, beginning next year. I want people to really see and feel who I am in my music.” 

For the Lowdown performance Onyango will be joined for part of the set by her band consisting of Logan Bruhn (piano), Tyler Sexton (guitar), Josh Fudge (bass), and Jhakobi Harkey (drums). Onyango will perform part of the set solo with her guitar. Tickets to ‘An Evening With Lexi Onyango’ at Lowdown cost $20 and are available here. 

Onyango’s star has been on the rise in the Oklahoma music scene since she released her debut EP ‘NOW’ in early 2022 and her song ‘One Kiss’ was featured on the Spotify Fresh Find:  Indie playlist. Earlier this year she was listed by Tulsa World as one of 18 artists to see live, and has been featured in  Tulsa People, and The Black Wall Street Times.