Alice Phoebe Lou - 'Skin Crawl'
PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathan Kope
Alice Phoebe Lou is an intriguing character. It is no surprise that she was shortlisted for Best Original Song at the Oscars, when you hear the colourful soundscapes that she conjures. Her lyricism alludes to a life full of rich stories to tell: whether they be positive, or not.
Alice’s latest release, unfortunately falls within the latter. She wrote ‘Skin Crawl’ after having her drink spiked when she was at a bar after an Angel Olsen gig. In an attempt to stop fear controlling her into not going out alone, she went out a few days later to a Fela Kuti gig and spent the night feeling uncomfortable at the sexual aggression that she was surrounded by. ‘Skin Crawl’ is a worryingly relatable and incredibly candid look at how other people can overstep their boundaries in social situations, with unnecessary comments – “don’t worry, I know how to have a good time; just don’t need a smile to be enjoying myself” and looks at how the experience of being female-identifying can lead you into unjust scenarios – “how about right now, I’m my own prince; maybe I wouldn’t cease to exist.”
‘Skin Crawl’ has a feel of reverie, with its intricate and bluesy instrumental. Alice’s distinct pronunciation of certain words is a constant reminder that amidst the dreamy music, there is a message to be portrayed. In the music video, Alice gathers her friends and bandmates to star as objects to be used for her amusement: as chairs, ashtrays and even an exercise bike. It is a video that was “DIY, low budget [and] full of love”. Alice’s intention with the song is to “work towards a world where we strive to make each other feel comfortable and safe at all times.” Sometimes it takes a harrowing experience for others to open their eyes to the reality of the world around them. With more people speaking out about the issue, hopefully there will be a shift in mindset sooner than we think.
Words of Tyler Damara Kelly
‘Skin Crawl’ is taken from Alice Phoebe Lou’s upcoming album ‘Paper Castles’, which is due to be released on 8th March and available for pre-order, here.
The Paper Castles 2019 Tour
North America
March 3 - Toronto, CAN - The Garrison
March 4 - Montreal, CAN - Bar Le Ritz PDB
March 5 - Boston, MA - Cafe 939
March 7 - Vienna, VA - Jammin’ Java
March 8 - Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade
March 10 - Durham, NC - Motorco Music Hall
March 11 - Atlanta, GA - Vinyl AT Center Stage
March 13 - 17 - Austin, TX - SXSW
March 20 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah
March 21 - Los Angeles, CA - The Moroccan Lounge
March 23 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
March 24 - Portland, OR - The Old Church Concert Hall
March 25 - Seattle, WA - Barboz
Europe
April 5 & 6 – Istanbul, TR – Salon IKSV
April 10 - Leipzig, DE - UT Connewitz
April 11 - Dresden, DE - Polimagie Festival
April 13 - Hannover, DE - Faust
April 15 - Bristol, UK - Thekla
April 16 - Manchester, UK - Deaf Institute
April 17 - London, UK - Earth
April 18 - Nottingham, UK - Bodega
April 20 - Utrecht, ND - Tivoli
April 21 - Amsterdam, ND - Zonnehuis
April 23 - Aachen, DE - Kulturbunker
April 24 - Brussels, BE - Botanique
April 26 - Vienna, AT - Flex
April 28 - Prague, CZ - Futrum
April 29 - Erlangen, DE - E-Werk
May 1 - Friberg, DE - Jazzhaus
May 2 - Munich, DE - Ampere
May 3 - Zurich, CH - Bogen F
May 4 - Stuttgart, DE - Im Wizemann
May 6 - Cologne, DE - Kulturkirche
May 7 - Mainz, DE - Kuz
May 8 -Kiel, DE - Pumpe
May 9 - Copenhagen, DK - Vega
May 11 - Berlin, DE - Columbiahalle