Meet Alex Williams, a third year Homertonian, HSPS student, and one-sixth of the Hip Hop/ R&B band 'Lost Projects'.
It's a name you might well want to remember, as Alex and the rest of the Lost Projects band members are set for success, having recently been announced as finalists for the University of Cambridge's popular music competition, Take it to the Bridge, which will take place at the Cambridge Junction on Friday 13 March 2026.
Alex is one of 19 students and recent graduates from nine colleges who will be performing in the four bands which have reached the final. The winning band will be selected by a panel of industry professionals including Sony record executive Preye Crooks, BBC Radio 1’s Matt Fincham, and CMP chair and Master of Jesus College Sonita Alleyne.
Ahead of the upcoming final in March, Alex took some time out from his busy schedule to chat with us about his life at Homerton and all things music.
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re studying at Homerton College?
I’m a third year here at Homerton, studying HSPS (specialising in social anthropology). I’m originally from Leicester, though I lived in Edinburgh until I was ten years old. Besides music, my interests include cycling, hiking and reading fiction when I get the chance.
2. How did you first get involved with music, and when did you realise it was something you wanted to seriously pursue?
I got my first guitar for my sixth birthday, and have stayed with the instrument ever since! I then went on to study it at GCSE and A-Level. I considered it as a subject for further study but decided against it after I found out about HSPS! I’ve always been keen to play with like-minded musicians, so my intentions to take it seriously I suppose came from my experience with bands back in high school and sixth form. I came to Cambridge with no real knowledge of the music scene here, so I’ve been delighted to find out how much of a hotbed of activity it is! I realised I could continue taking music seriously through playing as much as possible and meeting musicians within the scene. So I suppose it came in waves: I used to think I should pursue it seriously, before giving up on the dream a little - it was only once I had joined Cambridge that I realised I could continue taking it seriously alongside my degree.
My first musical experience at Cambridge was something which, coincidentally, launched me into what I really think is one of the best university-based music scenes in the UK. I was a fresher, and had seen a post on our WhatsApp group chat advertising a Homerton College Music Society (HCMS) Fresher’s Recital; an informal chance to perform in front of fellow students. I thought I’d give it a go. After the recital had ended, I was approached by its president, Mallory Beechey (Music graduate 2024 at Homerton) who asked if I wanted to audition for her student band, Soft Crunchy Landing. I was thrilled! This was a band I would later go on to spend two years in, alongside a host of other musical projects, including the Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra (CUJO); 2025 winner of Take it to the Bridge Iona Luke’s band, and other more informal projects, such as a jazz trio and indie group. It’s been a rollercoaster to say the least! But my musical journey at Cambridge really started at Homerton, thanks to HCMS. I wouldn’t be in Lost Projects otherwise, that’s for sure!
"My musical journey at Cambridge really started at Homerton, thanks to HCMS. I wouldn’t be in Lost Projects otherwise, that’s for sure!"
3. How did Lost Projects come together, and how did you personally end up joining the band?
The group has been together in some form since 2023/24, with Naythan and Ak being founding members of the band since they met at Lucy Cavendish. The group has gone through a few membership changes but the ethos has always been the same - it’s an R&B and Hiphop collective, but with a twist. I had known about Lost Projects since first seeing them in Clare Cellars in 2024. I would later run into them at gigs that we both happened to be playing at, and shared a stage with them at the Six Six with Iona’s band in January 2025. After the (thrilling) chaos of May Week, in which I would often run into them on the May Ball gig circuit (with one particularly fond memory being seeing them absolutely belt it out on Homerton May Ball’s main stage), I found myself, coincidentally, working with Ak on a summer programme at Pembroke. We got to know each other better and after a few jam sessions with him and Naythan he asked me if I was interested in becoming the new guitarist for LP. I was ecstatic! I’ve been in the band since the summer, and am excited that I’ve been able to already explore my interest in both hiphop and R&B and expand my knowledge of it.
4. What has the journey through the Take it to the Bridge competition been like so far for you and the rest of the band?
While I’ve only been with the band for a few months now, it’s felt like we have already developed a lot as a group. Expanding our interests and tightening our overall sound has helped us feel semi-professional. We’re looking at it with a lot of excitement, and have found the mentoring provided by the CMP’s Advanced Popular Performance Scheme transformational in making us feel more confident about approaching the competition.
5. Reaching the final is a huge achievement—what do you think has helped Lost Projects stand out in the competition?
I think we occupy a particular niche within the Cambridge music scene, as we occupy a range of genres. Not just R&B and hiphop, but the multiple facets to both of these, including 80s/dance and rock music, as well as jazzier influences - something Naythan always is able to bring to the table. I think our structure of composing arrangements and original material - which is thoroughly collaborative - enables all of our individual interests to come through. In particular, I think some of our mashups enable for the best showcase of each individual’s instrumental capabilities - whether it’s Ak’s seamless rapping which rhythmically situates the whole group, Jessica’s original melodies which complement this, Mihir’s huge drum fills, Naythan’s jazz wizardry, or Julia’s stunning bass grooves - all of it works in a way which I think, alongside our unorthodox way of mixing together tunes, makes for a really unique sound.
6. How are you preparing for the final in March, and has it changed the way you rehearse or perform together?
Our main focus has been on getting to the basics of what we are playing, and focusing on our rhythmic precision. We’ve always been keen to learn from other bands in the music scene and understand what it is that makes the best ones seem so appealing. One thing that has stuck out for us as a point of focus is our rhythmic precision - really feeling the pulse in each song. This is something that our mentor on the Advanced Popular Performer Scheme (APPS), Yolanda Charles, has really helped us begin to hone.
We have been receiving regular rehearsals with Yolanda Charles, our mentor on the Advanced Popular Performer Scheme (APPS) run by the CMP. This I think has helped with what we often talk about as attaining a ‘wall of sound’ quality in how we play. We’ve also been working on some original material that we hope to showcase at the competition, so watch this space…
7. What are you most excited about—and maybe most nervous about—heading into the final?
I’m really excited to just be able to play at Junction again! It’ll be great to perform in this competition and be able to play at such a great venue. In particular, the chance to be able to gather together with some other fantastic groups in the Cambridge music scene means that I know it will be, at the very least, a memory that I know I’ll cherish.
And in terms of what I’m most nervous about - tech issues on my end! The endless array of potential issues that come with playing electric guitar, whether it’s involving amplification, effects pedals, or the risk of a string breakage (something which has happened at about half of the gigs I have played in Cambridge - don’t ask my bandmates), there’s always a risk that something could slip! So here’s hoping…
8. Looking beyond the competition, what are your hopes for Lost Projects and for your own musical journey?
I really hope that we can continue developing our sound, particularly through writing more original material. All of us are planning to continue this ‘Project’ after graduation, and so we’re eager to create opportunities for gigs beyond Cambridge, as well as perhaps releasing some musical material online.
