Introduce yourself to future-star George Alice and her debut single, Circles

As a tastemaker site of-sorts, we've had the pleasure of watching a tonne of Australian acts go from promising newcomers to internationally-dominating heavyweights, whether it be acts from our own live music scene over here in Perth - Stella, Carla and San Cisco amongst the biggest now - or ones that pop up on our radar early on from the east coast. As a young, 16-year-old newcomer from Adelaide, George Alice is a musician entering the first category with the very strong potential to break into the second, tapping into years of experience in busking and songwriting - since she was 11, actually - to share her debut single, Circles.

Circles is the perfect introduction into George Alice as a songwriter, musician and name-on-the-rise, capturing her roots in acoustic indie-folk but with a distinct, electronic edge that puts her forth as one to dominate our electronic and pop scenes in the future. Produced and written alongside Maribelle, it's an upbeat moment of glistening pop built upon strong hooks and a crafty production, shaded by a certain vocal vulnerability that comes from her growing experience as a songwriter attracted to writing about topics on the heavier side. "I was obsessed with country music and had trouble writing anything. So I guess I went with the stereotype, if you sing country music you’re usually singing about war. I watched a few movies about war and love, put myself into the position of losing a loved one at war and just went from there. I wanted the whole thing to be twisted with metaphors and lyrics to make people feel exactly how this person would feel if they were real. I’d never experienced loss at this point in my life so I guess I wanted to know how someone would feel and their thoughts," she says on her early beginnings.

While Circles isn't exactly as heavy as war, it's still marked by an incomparable emotiveness that sets her ahead of the pack, writing about early relationships and the confusion that comes with playing that game in your teens. "The message behind this song was falling for someone you probably shouldn’t have, or being in an “on and off” relationship I guess," she explains. "Every conversation ends with the same outcome, everything goes around in circles. When it’s time for you to pack your bags and leave all it takes is one touch and you fall in love again and all the walls you built are crashing down. I’m always curious about something, so this song is filled with questions and wonders about love and being lost in your feelings."

With George Alice primed to be a break-out act as we dive into the second half of 2019, dive into Circles below, and introduce yourself to her before she blows up:

Tell us about yourself?

I’m Georgia aka George Alice - a 16-year-old singer/songwriter from Adelaide.

I started busking and writing my first originals at the age of 11, since then it’s been a wild ride of figuring out things as I go and finding my sound. I started collaborating with various artists in 2018, to explore different avenues and possibilities and find who I am and who I want to be as an artist and musician. I’m all about personal growth and I like to push myself harder every time I write a song, to learn new skills and grow as George Alice.

What’s the vibe music-wise?

I take a lot of inspiration from very stripped back acoustic artists, like Angus and Julia Stone, Vance Joy, DMA’s etc, for their deep lyrics and melodies. So my music career started in a similar direction, very stripped back and acoustic. When I was younger, I was obsessed with country music and folk, but had trouble writing anything. So I guess I went with the stereotype - if you sing country music you’re usually singing about war or heartbreak. I watched a few movies about war and love, put myself into the position of losing a loved one at war and just went from there.

I wanted the whole thing to be twisted with metaphors and lyrics to make people feel exactly how this person would feel if they were real. I’d never experienced loss at this point in my life so I guess I wanted to know how someone would feel and their thoughts. That’s how I started out writing songs. Since then it's progressed a lot - my sound has changed to embody something a little fresher, since I’ve been exploring different avenues and sounds, I’ve learnt what feels more authentic to who I am – Circles does that perfectly.

What are your production and writing processes like?

My writing processes have always been very detailed, and very poetic since I started writing five years ago at the age of 11. I wanted to shock my audience and constantly keep them on the edge of their seat, wanting to know what comes next. Never giving too much away my lyrics have hidden meanings, they are open to interpretation meaning people can make my stories, theirs. I'm pretty lucky, and it comes very naturally for me but I’m always working towards some unique sounds or some mysterious lyrics. I like to think outside the box, and mess with the social boundaries we call normal.

Can you tell us about your new single, Circles?

I wrote Circles with Maribelle earlier this year, she practised her production skills and produced the whole thing while we both drew from somewhat personal experiences to find the message behind this song - falling for someone you probably shouldn’t have, or being in an “on and off” relationship I guess. Every conversation ends with the same outcome, everything goes around in circles. When it’s time for you to pack your bags and leave all it takes is one touch and you fall in love again and all the walls you built are crashing down. I’m always curious about something, so this song is filled with questions and wonders about love and being lost in your feelings. This is definitely the first of many tracks to come that tell a story that I hope people can relate to.

We referenced artist like Yaeji, Tkay Maizda, King Princess, and found as many upbeat, quirky sounds as time would allow. I spent a while pulling apart songs and understanding what makes them so catchy and putting all of the best bits together to make the track. Maribelle is so incredible to work with, being in the room with her is such a phenomenal experience and she really brought this track to life in so many ways, I feel so fortunate that I had the chance to create something that feels this special with her.

Any tour dates coming up? / What does 2019 have in store for you?

Right now, concentrating on finishing high school (in year 11) and working on my live show and a tonne of new music with some amazing producers. I’m excited for school to be over so I can dive into this world deep!

Where can we find more of your music?

You can hear Circles on triple j Unearthed now! Out everywhere else tomorrow. I also post a tonne of videos of originals, covers of some of my favourite songs & other bits and pieces on Instagram.

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