INTERVIEW: Alice Rowe on her debut EP 'Foreseen': "The main message is to trust your gut, be intuitive and if your conscience is telling you something then listen to it."

Image: Sarah-Louise Bowrey
British singer-songwriter Alice Rowe has spent the last year or so releasing an abundance of smooth, R&B-pop singles and earlier this month her debut EP Foreseen arrived. With honest. no holds barred lyrics detailing the ups and downs of relationships, Rowe has a remarkable, emotive voice which brings both relatability and authenticity to the stories she is relating. Attracting attention from the BBC, Wonderland and Spotify, Rowe has the talent and the ability to make major inroads into the music industry off the back of Foreseen. We recently caught up with Alice to find out more about her career.

Hey Alice! Thanks for chatting to us. How has life in lockdown been for you?!
Hey! No worries at all excited to be involved! It's not been too bad to be honest, I think initially it was all a bit daunting as there was a sense of uncertainty but for me as the time has gone on I’ve been able to really get stuck into music! I have found myself writing more than I’ve ever done and learning new things music wise. 

Congratulations on the release of your debut EP Foreseen, it is such a great collection of songs. How does it feel to have it out in the world?
Thank you very much! I am so happy to have it out. Some of the tracks I wrote a while ago and I just needed to get them out there. I’d say I feel relieved and happy that people can get to know me a bit more. It's my first project so I’m really excited!

Can you talk us through the creation of the EP?
So I have been working on the EP for a while, a lot of the songs on there were made two or three years back but they are songs that I needed to get out there. Each song is with a different producer, this is just due to me still in the process of figuring out my sound and who I work best with etc, I like to network with a lot of people as that way you can learn different skills from a bunch of people rather than just the one. 

Was there a particular theme or message you wanted to project with this EP?
I think there's definitely an empowerment theme, but the main message is to trust your gut, be intuitive and if your conscience is telling you something then listen to it. That's the main thing really, I know we all have those situations in relationships or with exes where it’s like ‘Ahh I knew this was going to happen’, but we could have prevented it. Or on the flipside just having the confidence to believe you can make something happen. It's just about believing in yourself more and self confidence. 

We love all the tracks but one of our favourites is the final track ‘Chameleon’ with its gorgeously smooth, chilled out vibe which is the perfect bookend to the EP. Can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind this track?
Ah thank you I love that song. Yeah so ‘Chameleon’ is about questioning who someone really is but also who I was at that moment in time. I think when you meet someone, in time they reveal their true self which sometimes can be completely different to who you thought they were. The track is quite chilled because it's just like ‘you’re a chameleon’ but now I don't really care type of thing, like once you've seen someone's true colours there's no going back. It was weird because when me and Ed wrote it I there wasn't really a solid idea but after it happened it was exactly how I was feeling at that time. 

You’ve been releasing music for a year or so now, how did you get your career as a musician started?
I'm not really sure, It's something I knew I wanted to do from an early age but as for it actually starting, it kind of just happened. I studied music business in London which helped me understand the industry and business side of things, I think it is important for artists to also be aware of the business side. But yeah I guess it just started when I started going to studios, playing gigs and releasing music. 

Who are the artists that have inspired you along the way, both as a kid growing up and today as a recording artist?
When I was growing up I was inspired by artists such as Norah Jones, Rihanna, Etta James, Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse. In recent years I take inspiration from H.E.R, Etta Bond and Miraa May. I like to listen to a variety of genres but I would say mostly R&B, soul and hip hop. 

The music industry has traditionally been very male-dominated, both front of stage and behind the scenes, with women generally not getting the same respect or exposure as their male peers. What are your thoughts on gender equality and sexism in the music industry?
I feel that women should get more recognition than they do, women play a huge part in the industry so it should definitely be equal. A lot of the time women are judged on the way they look rather than just based on musical talent which I don't agree with, so in that sense I think things could change a lot. 

The coronavirus pandemic has been devastating for the music industry and in particular live music. What would you encourage your fans, and fans of all music, to do to support musicians during this period, and also once we get back to ‘normal’, whenever that may be.
It's been a crazy time for everyone, I think the more people can stream the music online the more it will help artists - especially independent artists! Music is something that has really helped me to get through the pandemic and I know a lot of people too who have said the same thing, so if people could support the artist who are providing that, that would be amazing!

What’s up next for Alice Rowe?
More music!!! 

Foreseen by Alice Rowe is out now. You download on iTunes and stream on Apple Music and Spotify.

To keep up with all things Alice Rowe you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.