Showcasing a continued development as an artist and more importantly personal growth, songstress Alice D calls out people that unfairly label confident women as difficult on her new single ‘Nervous‘.
‘Nervous‘ is a track bouncing with African rhythm intertwined with modern R&B, resulting in a hybrid sound that dances through your being. This complimented by hard-hitting lyrics reinforcing the idea that all women have the right to bask in their own glory without being belittled by others. Alongside sultry single ‘Passion‘, ‘Nervous’ is a glimpse at the journey we’re set to go on with the release of upcoming EP ‘Into The Light’ out on 15th September.
Although she may come from a family of stardom, with her mother being a member of pop group Bananarama, and her father dancing with the likes of Michael Jackson and Tina Turner, Alice hasn’t always exuded the confident star power she radiates today. Like many artists, writing music has helped Alice to emerge from her shell, with the knowledge that her words resonate with and empower women worldwide.
Hi Alice, thanks for speaking with us. So music is in your blood! With both parents immense success in the music industry, did they encourage you to follow in their footsteps or was this something you did more independently?
Thanks so much! I’ve always had a special connection to music, having grown up in a musical household. Music was always playing and my parents would often be rehearsing dance routines in the living room or writing songs at the kitchen table. I grew up watching them perform so I think me stepping into the music world was somewhat inevitable. I’ve always loved singing and they’ve supported me when I performed at school or my own gigs but they were never pushy and always let me make up my own mind. You have to have your own passion and drive to pursue a music career as it’s a tricky business, so it would be pointless if I didn’t have that.They both fully support me now and it’s great to have their insight and advice as I navigate the industry myself.
Do you have any funny memories of being starstuck by any of your parents’ friends or colleagues?
My mum was good friends with George Michael and our last shared memory of him was going to his epic Olympics Party in 2012 at his house – I was dancing in his living room with Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss on one side and Liam Gallagher and The Spice Girls on the other – it was all very surreal!
If you weren’t a musician, what do you think you’d be?
I’d work in fashion, perhaps styling or a creative director – I love researching and putting together mood boards for my own projects.
The subject matter of your music is very empowering, have you always been a confident person?
Thank you, and no I haven’t – I’m still quite a shy person at heart and sometimes it’s easier to write my thoughts and feelings down in a song. However, I definitely feel that I’ve grown as a person and artist this past year creating this new body of work. I used to be a people pleaser whereas now I feel confident enough to say “no” and set boundaries and I think that comes through on this new EP especially.
Can you tell us a bit about your songwriting process? How did you write the lyrics for ‘Nervous’?
Inspiration for me can come from anywhere- either from personal experiences, reading something or overheard conversations. For ‘Nervous’ I was speaking to my Mum about how women are often seen as “difficult” if they are confident in themselves or have an opinion. I have a notes page on my phone of titles I like as it helps build a narrative if you have a starting point and ‘Nervous’ was on the list! The title suggests something timid but the powerful African inspired beat coupled with the lyrics and subject matter flips that on it’s head. I wrote the song with Tim Blok, who is my regular collaborator and he also really helped with my delivery on the track, making it more direct rather than sing-along.
The visuals for ‘Nervous’ and ‘Passion’ look like they were a lot of fun to film. Do you like to have a lot of creative control when it comes to videos? Or do you prefer to let a creative director take the lead?
I like to collaborate for sure, the initial ideas come from me and then I work with the director to help bring them to life. With ‘Passion’ I knew I wanted to replicate a sunset with dancers performing this specific style of dance called ‘Sensual Bachata,’ that originated from Spain which tied in perfectly with the Latin elements in the song. With the ‘Nervous’ visualiser I wanted to run in a field to create a sense of freedom and wear red as it’s the colour of confidence, courage and action. I definitely picture and plan everything beforehand – as mentioned I love a mood board!
Who’s one new singer and one established singer you’d love to work with?
I love Alewya, her music is a mix of drum n’ bass pop/ R&B that also reflects her Arabic/African roots. I think Mahalia is a fantastic lyricist so working with her and seeing how she writes would be so inspiring.
How will your upcoming EP ‘Into The Light’ differ from past projects?
On my last EP ‘Where the Wildflowers Grow’ I explored Bossa Nova/ Flamenco sounds and I wanted to expand on that for this project. I was listening to a lot of vinyl from around the world whilst creating it – there’s African / Latin / Flamenco influences as well as a beautiful orchestral piece on one song. This is my longest EP with an intro and outro – so you are taken on a journey from start to finish. Everything from the music, songwriting, visuals and artwork has been in-line with my vision for this EP – a true labour of love.
Do you have any live shows coming up we should look out for?
I’m in the process of sorting a band- my dream is to put on a proper show with a live band – perhaps an EP launch party… watch this space!
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Words: Genea Bailey