Australian singer-songwriter Alice Skye marks the next step forward in her blossoming career, releasing her second full-length album with the backing of Briggs' Bad Apples label.
“For me, a huge part of being able to stay in the music industry is having the support of people that I really admire,” Alice explains.
“Having Bad Apples' support, they've always been super-supportive of me so this is a chance to be looked after by them, and I think it's incredible they're the only First Nations-driven label in this country. I think that's so cool and very important for me as well. So I'm hoping some really cool things will come from it, I can't wait to share songs as soon as possible.”
Signing to Bad Apples earlier in the year, Alice says the label is helping to provide pathways for Indigenous musicians into mainstream Australian music as opposed to being considered as a sub-genre of world music.
“Bad Apples is exciting because it's taking up a lot of space in mainstream areas and I think that's something that is really cool for Indigenous people to do,” she says.
“In this country I think sometimes Indigenous people can get pushed to world music; it's good to see lots of young people taking up mainstream spaces.”
Last year, Alice gave us her debut album 'Friends With Feelings' after introducing herself with 2015 single 'You Are The Mountains' followed by '60%' in 2017.
Recorded when she was just 19 (Alice is currently 23 years old), 'Friends With Feelings' created a bold statement about Alice's artistry and connected with people in a way she never thought possible. “I really wasn't expecting anyone but close family and friends to hear it, so the fact that I was wrong is a good thing,” she laughs, “and more people have heard it. So I was really happy.
“I didn't know what to expect. I went into the situation very blind, which can sometimes be a good thing. It's nice now that I'm doing the second [album] to have knowledge and experience behind me, but it was nice for the first one not having too much of an idea what was going to happen, so I was very happy with the outcome regardless.”
For her next album, Alice says that although the songs will be in much the same style as 'Friends With Feelings', she's altering her approach to how they're written. “The other thing that's been cool is having a little more of a collaborative vibe to bounce off for this next album. I really like emotive songs that are very lyric-driven, but I'm just thinking differently about the music.”
Though no release date has been assigned to her sophomore album, Alice will be showcasing her new music when she hits the stage at Horizon Festival on the Sunshine Coast.
“I'm a bit impatient, so I've been playing some new songs in my sets already this year, and I think that's really fun. We've really been enjoying playing shows. I've never been to Maroochydore before so I'm really excited to come.”
