Her independent approach to her music has given the singer-songwriter a creative confidence that shines through in her captivating vocals and stripped back music. Having developed her bluesy, folk sound busking on the streets of Berlin, she has caught the ears of a community of music lovers the world over with her honest storytelling and raw, beautiful voice.
She grew up on a mountainside in South Africa listening to her parent's records and indulging her love of theatre, arts and music at a local Waldorf school; a formative time that nurtured her independence and desire to experience music of all styles. This multi-faceted creative upbringing mixed with Alice's natural wanderlust and in 2010, 16-year-old Alice made her first journey to Europe during her summer break from school. Inspired by watching fire dancers in Paris, she began to perform likewise to get enough money to fund her travelling.
That summer she roamed between Paris and Amsterdam; experiencing the highs and lows of street performances' underbelly. This vagabond lifestyle was a creative inspiration and gave her an enduring taste for the immediacy of street crowds. After returning to South Africa to complete her studies, her path led her back to Europe and she made her way to the German capital - Berlin. The freedom of the city was intoxicating and she immersed herself in the creative world there.
She began busking across Berlin with just her guitar, a small amplifier on a trolley and her mesmerising voice. Her natural talent and captivating delivery started to garner a cult street following with people coming to see her busk and buy her records. The uncompromising creative community of Berlin also helped Alice grow musically and she collaborated with acoustic, jazz and electronic musicians; including multi-instrumentalist Matteo who quickly became Alice's live performance companion. Soon she self-released her first body of work - the Momentum EP - her first collaborative effort recorded between Berlin and Cape Town with five different producers. Although by now interest was sparked with several major labels, her desire to maintain the creative freedom she had fostered kept her focus on growing her digital community of loyal fans and imagining ever more interesting settings for her intimate live shows
Now having spent two years playing intimate gigs across Europe and South Africa, and supporting established like-minded artists like Rodriguez, 2016 saw her releasing her first full length studio album. Orbit comprises nine jazz-influenced, eclectic tracks recorded between Cape Town and Berlin that encapsulate the freshness of her live style, vagabond spirit and showcase her distinctive, soprano voice. Produced by Matteo and Kyson, the album is a testament to Alice's collaborative way of writing and features musicians from South Africa and Europe lending their musical skills and different visual artists producing art works to match each track. The result is an intricately woven pattern of soul, blues and jazz: scattered with retro, beatnik melodies; soothing vocal harmonies and sleazy brass flourishes.
Orbit
Alice Phoebe Lou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm soaring
Soaring
My branches scrape the sea of stars
My roots dig deep into this world of ours
And I'm grounded
Grounded
My reality is what I perceive
What I attract into my orbit
Worries fade into the haze
The air feels different this time 'round
Different this time 'round
Let's set sail
Start a fire
Learn to live a little higher
Let's pick the lock
Grab the reigns
Forget there ever were chains
'Cause there never were chains
Never were chains
Days move on and times they change
In a blink of an eye things rearrange
We're moving
Moving
We're sucked in and we're spat out
On the other side of the rabbit hole
But we find our way
Find our way
Do you want to be just a machine in this crazy society?
Pick the lock
Grab the reigns
Forget there ever were chains
'Cause there never were chains
The song Orbit by Alice Phoebe Lou is a reflection on the duality of existence: the pull between the groundedness of reality and the desire to transcend it. The opening lines of "One foot on the pavement and one foot in the milky way, and I'm soaring, soaring" communicate the desire to elevate oneself beyond the mundane world while still remaining anchored to it. The refrain of "My branches scrape the sea of stars, my roots dig deep into this world of ours, and I'm grounded, grounded" creates a sense of balance, a recognition that transcendence is not possible without acknowledging and honoring one's roots in the physical world.
The lyrics suggest that perception is a key factor in achieving higher consciousness: "My reality is what I perceive, what I attract into my orbit". Rather than being a passive participant in life, the singer asserts agency in creating the reality she desires. This idea is reinforced with the lines "Let's pick the lock, grab the reins, forget there ever were chains, 'cause there never were chains." The idea of breaking free from limitations, both internal and external, is a recurring theme in the song.
Overall, the song celebrates the power and beauty of human potential, while acknowledging the struggle to cultivate it in a world that often feels limiting. The imagery of the sea of stars and the rabbit hole suggest that the path towards enlightenment is mysterious and unpredictable, but ultimately attainable.
Line by Line Meaning
One foot on the pavement and one foot in the milky way
I am simultaneously grounded in reality and connected to the universe
And I'm soaring
Soaring
I am flying through life with a sense of freedom and joy
My branches scrape the sea of stars
My roots dig deep into this world of ours
And I'm grounded
Grounded
I am connected to both the vastness of the universe and the depths of the earth
My reality is what I perceive
What I attract into my orbit
My experience of life is shaped by my perception and the people/things I attract towards me
Worries fade into the haze
The air feels different this time 'round
Different this time 'round
I am letting go of negative thoughts and approaching life with a new perspective
Let's set sail
Start a fire
Learn to live a little higher
Let's pick the lock
Grab the reigns
Forget there ever were chains
'Cause there never were chains
Never were chains
Let's break free from societal expectations and limitations, because they were never real to begin with
Days move on and times they change
In a blink of an eye things rearrange
We're moving
Moving
Life is constantly changing and moving forward, and we are a part of that journey
We're sucked in and we're spat out
On the other side of the rabbit hole
But we find our way
Find our way
We may feel lost and confused at times, but we always manage to navigate to a new path and find our way
Do you want to be just a machine in this crazy society?
Pick the lock
Grab the reigns
Forget there ever were chains
'Cause there never were chains
Do you want to be just another person blindly following societal norms? Break free and realize that these limitations were never real to begin with
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alice Lou
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joaquim António Gonzaga
One foot on the pavement and one foot in the milky way
And I’m soaring
Soaring
My branches scrape the sea of stars
My roots dig deep into this world of ours
And I’m grounded
Grounded
My reality is what I perceive
What I attract into my orbit
Worries fade into the haze
The air feels different this time round
Different this time round
Let’s set sail
Start a fire
Learn to live a little higher
Let’s pick the lock
Grab the reigns
Forget there ever were chains
Cause there never were chains
Days move on and times they change
In a blink of an eye things rearrange
We’re moving
Moving
We’re sucked in and we’re spat out
On the other side of the rabbit hole
But we find our way
Find our way
Do you want to be just a machine in this crazy society?
Pick the lock
Grab the reigns
Forget there ever were chains
Cause there never were chains
@ItsAnonymousGuy
Lyrics posted by Alice herself.
One foot on the pavement and one foot in the milky way
And I’m soaring
Soaring
My branches scrape the sea of stars
My roots dig deep into this world of ours
And I’m grounded
Grounded
My reality is what I perceive
What I attract into my orbit
Worries fade into the haze
The air feels different this time round
Different this time round
Let’s set sail
Start a fire
Learn to live a little higher
Let’s pick the lock
Grab the reigns
Forget there ever were chains
Cause there never were chains
Days move on and times they change
In a blink of an eye things rearrange
We’re moving
Moving
We’re sucked in and we’re spat out
On the other side of the rabbit hole
But we find our way
Find our way
Do you want to be just a machine in this crazy society?
Pick the lock
Grab the reigns
Forget there ever were chains
Cause there never were chains
@ItsAnonymousGuy
Lyrics posted by Alice herself.
One foot on the pavement and one foot in the milky way
And I’m soaring
Soaring
My branches scrape the sea of stars
My roots dig deep into this world of ours
And I’m grounded
Grounded
My reality is what I perceive
What I attract into my orbit
Worries fade into the haze
The air feels different this time round
Different this time round
Let’s set sail
Start a fire
Learn to live a little higher
Let’s pick the lock
Grab the reigns
Forget there ever were chains
Cause there never were chains
Days move on and times they change
In a blink of an eye things rearrange
We’re moving
Moving
We’re sucked in and we’re spat out
On the other side of the rabbit hole
But we find our way
Find our way
Do you want to be just a machine in this crazy society?
Pick the lock
Grab the reigns
Forget there ever were chains
Cause there never were chains
@joaopaulolopesdasilva1595
Mr. Mojo.
@jamesrivis620
Mr. Mojo So poetic.
@SatirSatirSatir
TY
@thegreyfaces
Her lyrics are spot on perfect. The heavens or love make beautiful noises even in an absolutely silent universe.
@barryharkins9390
😎
@paulgarrod1066
Sorry to confess I've just discovered Alice - her voice is surreal - beautifully calming xxx
@flemingcourt
That's quite okay - some peoplke are just discovering Mozart & Beethoven...
@kitzrona9474
Just discovered her this week. I feel sorry for myself too.