Initially captivated by the theatrics of cabaret shows, Alfreda immersed herself in research on how women use their sexuality in art. Her love for cabaret and burlesque sparked right there. As an avant-garde pop artist and creative, Alfreda blends old-school Hollywood glamour with her signature chic-pop sound to unveil themes like neglect, rejection, and reinvention.
Alfreda’s latest single, ‘Guest Room,’ is a sublime example of her ability to be vulnerable and get under the skin of a topic not everyone would be eager to touch upon. Narrating her experience with sexual rejection, ‘Guest Room’ decodes the push-and-pull tension often tied with young love; she bravely depicts the consequent feeling of abandonment.
Beyond music and the genre, Alfreda has taken her talent for cabaret execution far further. She holds her own cabaret-inspired residency at London’s member’s club and music hub House Of KOKO, ‘Bedroom Tales.’ She offers a memorable bundle of entertainment for these performances: music, dialogue, and dancing.
In our conversation, Alfreda unfolds how she deals with neglect and writing processes and tells the story of how she got invited to perform at Glastonbury only a week before the festival.
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In your opinion, what is the song of this Summer?
‘Guest Room’ by me
What is your verdict on living in London versus New York?
Similar energy, but people sleep more in London, which I prefer.
Do you remember what song has left a significant effect on you that you decided you wanted to perform and write songs yourself?
Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani
Have you always known what sound you wanted to explore the most?
I’ve only recently realised that my most listened to genre is experimental electronic music. So probably that!
Where does your love for cabaret and burlesque stem from?
It started as research for how women use their sexuality in art, then I just got more interested and captivated by the theatrics of it.
Could you share what emotion triggered the creative concept for ‘Guest Room’?
Feeling sexually rejected.
How did you deal with the feeling of neglect afterwards?
Silent resentment and fear for years and then finally articulating it in a song.
How do your writing sessions look like?
Me scrambling over my notes app and trying to make sense of words and phrases I jot down throughout my days. Then sitting at a piano and coming up with a chord sequence. Come up with a great idea, get excited, record it, leave it for months, maybe come back to it again. There’s a lot of good ideas in my phone I never touch again which is sad.
Can you share more about your cabaret-inspired residency ‘Bedroom Tales’ at House of KOKO? How did this come about?
I came up with this idea to put on a live music night which is more like a constantly changing musical cabaret showcasing unique and avant grade musical artists and performers. I first put the show on at Sketch and then got approached by House of Koko to curate their cabaret shows. The show is called Bedroom Tales because it’s set in my bedroom and all the musical guests are different people coming for a sleepover.
What do these show entail?
They tend to open with a performance by myself, then some dialogue between me and my co host Claudia Rosier scattered throughout the night. I write a different script for each show and weave the acts we’ve booked for the show into the storyline.
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What are some essentials of a signature Alfreda show?
A wig, nipple tassels, lipstick…
You were invited to perform at Glastonbury by burlesque icon Evelyn Carnate. Could you elaborate on what this experience meant for you?
This was a big deal because it was so last minute. My producer and I had been rehearsing in her studio and she watched a glimpse of what we were doing and invited us to perform only a week before which was cool.
What are some other themes you will touch upon your forthcoming ‘Mothers Makeup’ EP?
The loss of identity, and reinvention…
To promote your new project you will soon embark on ‘Bedroom Tour,’ when you will perform in different people’s bedrooms across England. Could you share more about the logistics, how do you choose where you will perform?
Yes it’s very exciting! We have a few already lined up, then we will put an application online so my fans can sign up for us to perform at theirs. Going to do a few university houses which should be fun.
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Words: Karolina Kramplova