How did the idea of turning your inner critic into a character come about, and what did you discover about yourself through that process?
Firstly, I love these questions – they’re so big! I’m wondering how to answer this without giving away all my secrets! The concept of internal characters is something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. I absolutely adore the movie Inside Out, which I think could explain this better than I can, but this song comes from a similar place. A lot of my songwriting explores pieces of my identity a bit more cryptically, but with Alice, I decided it would be fun to quite literally build a character. I imagined my inner critic as a best friend/frenemy, and the song illustrates this dysfunctional partnership story, as though we can never get to the bottom of who’s in charge. We fight like crazy, but deep down, we each need something that the other has to offer.
There’s a real sense of release running through Alice Says. Was there a particular moment in your life that pushed you to stop listening to fear and start trusting your creative instincts?
I would say not one moment, but many little moments, and I definitely still listen to fear a LOT! I think, though, I’ve found that the more I trust, choose and practice creativity, the more comfortable I get with the uncertainty that comes with it. And generally speaking, each time I’ve done something that feels brave and scary, it’s led to something else really magical – so that helps too.
You’ve described the song as a conversation between different parts of yourself. Has your relationship with that fearful voice changed since writing the track?
For sure – in a way, this song was the perspective shift I needed. Rather than fighting, burying or running away from it, I got a bit more curious about why this fear is here, where did it start and what it is teaching me. Somehow, creating a silly character made this much easier to unpack!
The song leans into a much louder, more distorted sound than some of your previous work. What was it like stepping into that more unapologetic side of your artistry?
The most fun!! I have lots of ideas in my head for big, bold, energetic sounds, but because I so often write sitting quietly at the piano with a cup of tea, I’ve struggled to translate that into my songwriting. A very clever mentor suggested I change my environment and try writing with a sense of playfulness, so before I wrote this song, I actually put on some rock songs, jumped around the house a bit, then picked up the guitar. It was very cool to see that if I change my energy beforehand, it can open a different creative door.
Working with Oscar Dawson seems to have encouraged some creative risk-taking. What did he bring to the project that helped unlock the energy of the song?
Oscar is a master translator. I am honestly in awe; it’s a crazy skill. I’m a mostly self-taught musician, and that can feel really limiting when I don’t have the right words or references or technical tools to describe the sounds I’m imagining, or create them myself. Oscar has a really incredible way of understanding how a song should feel in order to deliver its message, whether that’s through words, instruments or energy. This song needed to feel a bit messy and a bit scruffy, which is always a challenge for me as a reforming perfectionist, but through some combination of storytelling, overdrive pedals and amp sims, we unlocked a new level!
You’ve spoken about the original lyrics being far more confrontational. What made you decide that understanding your fears was more important than fighting them?
I think there’s a lot we can learn from our fears. I suppose at the end of the day, they’re just trying to keep us safe, and if we ignore them, they can get more persistent. A lot of my fears are tied up with being a performer, which feels kinda strange when it’s also the thing that I love doing the most. But I’ve found the more I understand where the fear is coming from, the easier it is to keep moving forward – like I’m saying ‘I hear you, but I’m going to do this anyway, and I think it’ll be okay’.
Your songwriting often feels very honest and personal. Do you ever worry about revealing too much of yourself, or has vulnerability become a strength in your creative process?
All the time! But it’s also probably my favourite thing, finding the thread of a feeling, unravelling it, then piecing it back together into something new that’s a little bit raw and maybe a little bit sparkly. I love that vulnerability can create such potent moments of connection and understanding. I’ve felt this myself at concerts when an artist shares something so honest that it rocks you to your core in the best possible way.
So far, it’s always been the songs I’m most nervous to write or share that have led to the most special connections with listeners and audiences, and I think it’s so cool that songs can bring people together like that.
After earning recognition as a Top Global Emerging Songwriter in the Vanda & Young competition, has that validation changed the way you approach writing and releasing music?
More than anything, it has just made me really excited to share everything I’ve been working on. It’s a competition I’ve applied to almost annually since I was a teenager, and it was always a way to keep myself accountable and watch my songwriting grow from year to year. I never had any expectations, but the song I submitted this year is one that felt really, really special – to find out that it resonated so strongly was pretty amazing. I’m now wrangling with wanting to share everything immediately right this second, and wanting to do my bigger vision justice, but it’s a fun time either way.
You first saw Kim Churchill perform as a teenager, and now you’re sharing a stage with him. Does that experience make you reflect on how far you’ve come in your own journey?
It’s a very surreal dream come true moment, for sure. My dad took me to see Kim when he played in my hometown, and it was probably the first time I realised that you could really just go out and forge your own path in music, instead of waiting for some mystical industry person to choose you, and also that there are so many different ways a music career can look. There were a lot of detours for me between then and now, including a long period where I’d stopped playing music altogether, but being able to play alongside Kim now makes me so grateful that I found my way back.
As this single introduces a new chapter in your sound, what excites you most about what listeners are going to hear from you next?
This song is just one piece of a very intricate puzzle I’ve been building for the last few years. There’s definitely still a familiar link back to my old work and writing style, but I’ve been able to explore a new depth in my sound, which has been really fulfilling. I love a good mystery, so I’m probably most excited about getting to reveal little surprises one piece at a time (and perhaps, more characters too!)
