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.
Willow Tree
Alice Phoebe Lou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But so good finally I'm
l started out as a struggle to the cold day
He was gone and it didn't mean anything right
It was clear as a smile l'm heading East
l didn't need a fear so my soul do deep
It never what l needed any way
But so good finally I'm
l started out as a struggle to the cold day
He was gone and it didn't mean anything right
It was clear as a smile l'm heading East
l didn't need a fear so my soul do deep
It never what l needed any way
In "Willow Tree," Alice Phoebe Lou sings about shedding the past and finding freedom in the present. The opening lines, "Gave away my willow tree/But so good finally I'm," signal a breaking of ties and embracing of change. The willow tree, commonly known as a symbol of strength and flexibility, could represent a past relationship or a part of oneself that was holding her down. By giving it away, she is able to let go of the weight that was pulling her back.
As the song progresses, she reflects on the journey that brought her to this moment. She mentions starting out in a struggle and feeling the cold of loneliness, but ultimately finding clarity in a smile and heading East. The line "l didn't need a fear so my soul do deep" suggests that by releasing her fears and doubts, she is able to connect deeper with herself and her surroundings.
The repetition of the lines "He was gone and it didn't mean anything right/It was clear as a smile l'm heading East" drives home the idea that letting go of the past can be liberating. Overall, "Willow Tree" is a hopeful and empowering song about finding inner strength and moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Gave away my willow tree
I let go of something precious to me.
But so good finally I'm
But it feels good to have done so.
l started out as a struggle to the cold day
I began my journey on a difficult day.
He was gone and it didn't mean anything right
My ex leaving didn't make me feel any better.
It was clear as a smile l'm heading East
I knew I had to move on and leave the past behind.
l didn't need a fear so my soul do deep
I didn't want to feel afraid, so I dug deep within myself.
It never what l needed any way
In the end, it turned out that what I gave away wasn't what I truly needed.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Alice Lou, Kaio Moraes, Noah Becker, Temple Haze
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joaquim António Gonzaga
on Orbit
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
Eva Magro
on Deep Blue Sea
Where are the lyrics of this song? PLEAAAASSEEEE :)
Gretchen Jansen
on Berlin Blues
Heat ruffled up my feathers
and it barked on up my tree
when suddenly it seemed
all the fingers were pointing on up at me
and the footsteps in the sand
were all getting washed up by the sea
to leave me, in stitches,
bursting at the seams, bursting at the seams
when the sun came out to greet me
I only saw the wools from my dreams
this is my Berlin blues song
sometimes life can get a little wrong
but it won't be long
cause it just makes me strong
and there is a place where we one day will dwell
where there's no more walking on egg shells
where ideas are for free
oh it's the place to be
oh great minds no longer the minority
and I'll see you there with your hands in the air
where the canvas is bare and there's no more despair
and your third eye will stare
nothing can compare
where there's not one care
and I'll see you there
I'll see you there
I'll see you there
I'll see you there
I'll see you there
This is my Berlin blues song
sometimes life can get a little wrong
but it won't be long
cause it just makes me strong
and there is a place where we one day will dwell
where there's no more walking on egg shells
where ideas are for free
oh it's the place to be
oh great minds no longer the minority
and I'll see you there with your hands in the air
where the canvas is bare and there's no more despair
and your third eye will stare
nothing can compare
where there's not one care
and I'll see you there
I'll see you there
I'll see you there
I'll see you there
This is my Berlin blues song
sometimes life can get a little wrong
but it won't be long
cause it just makes me strong
Gabs Pasten
on Grey
Calm the fuck down
and unclenge your fist
I cant see you through the mist
How did it come to this?
Whipe the tears from inside your head
your eyes are looking dead
Was it something i said?
Take back those words Im not as strong as I look
its my soul that you shook
and my heart that you took
Leave me in my misery,
hopefully i'll forget you some day
I cant stay, I have to stop my soul's decay
You've taken all my dignity
its clear to me that this aint child's play
I'll be on my way
Before my world turns gray
Hey, hey you, yes you standing there
Is this is pain, would you give me care?
Hey, hey you, yes you with the smile
Would you take me under your wing for a while?