Alex Orange Drink, solo moniker of Alex Zarou Levine, is a Brooklyn-based musician known for his work as lead singer and songwriter of the punk band, The So So Glos. A New York native of both Palestinian and Jewish descent, Levine has navigated life with Homocystinuria, an incurable genetic disorder that requires a strict diet and daily medication — an orange-flavored prescription drink from which his alias derives.

Levine’s connection to music began as a lifeline during a turbulent childhood. Amid his parents’ divorce in Bay Ridge, Levine started freestyling songs at just four years old, recording them on his "My First Sony" cassette player. With no formal training and an innate hunger for expression, music became a way of making sense of his world.

In 2006, Levine founded The So So Glos alongside his brothers, a band that would grow into a mainstay of the Brooklyn punk scene. Their sound — loud, sharp, and infectious — is a blend of punk rock, power pop, and hip hop, music that speaks to the chaos and grit of their city. Recognizing the need for creative hubs, they co-founded iconic venues Market Hotel and Shea Stadium, both of which became cultural landmarks and placed Alex in the center of the borough’s thriving music community.

In 2018, Levine launched his solo career as Alex Orange Drink. His two releases, Babel On (2018) and Everything is Broken, Maybe That’s Ok (2021), were both issued on Shea Stadium and Freeman Street Records. The solo work explores deeply personal themes, often reflecting on personal struggles, mental health, and societal issues through a more introspective lens than previously. Levine is credited as inspiration for and co-writer of Bright Eyes’ 2024 album Five Dice All Threes.

His music has been featured in both film and television, with The So So Glos’ tracks highlighted in shows like Girls, Skins, and The Fosters, and the full-length film Asthma, starring Iggy Pop. His unique voice and perspective earned him praise from various corners of the entertainment world, including a nod from Jimmy Kimmel, who quoted Levine’s lyrics in the foreword of the book Once Upon a Time in Queens, a tribute to the underdog New York Mets — Levine’s beloved team. Pitchfork has described his work as “murderously catchy, endorphin-boosting, shout-along guitar music with vigor and zeal.”

In June 2023, following a sold-out show with The So So Glos at Bowery Ballroom, Levine was diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a rare and serious form of cancer affecting his salivary gland. Despite undergoing grueling chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Levine channeled his experience into music, writing and recording over 50 tracks.

Over the years, Levine has shared the stage with an eclectic array of artists, including Matt & Kim, Raekwon, ...Trail of Dead, Titus Andronicus, Debbie Harry, The Buzzcocks, Santigold, Conor Oberst, and Mobb Deep.

Whether leading The So So Glos or performing as Alex Orange Drink, Levine has consistently shown that music is more than an art form for him — it’s survival. Through his relentless creativity in the face of personal battles, Levine remains a vital and rebellious voice in punk rock and beyond.