Start Listening To: Looking Glass Alice

Unveiling the Avant-Pop alchemists.

Comprising the talents of Sarah, Alfie, and Ché, this Avant-Pop ensemble finds its roots split between Hertford and Liverpool. With a distinct creative ethos, Looking Glass Alice crafts music that defies conventions, blending a diverse array of influences and instruments, from sitars to synths. Their latest single ‘Siren Song’ is heralded as a self-empowerment anthem. We explore the inspiration behind its evocative lyrics and the profound message they sought to convey.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

We are Sarah, Alfie and Ché. We're split between Hertford and Liverpool. It's Avant-Pop. Some days we reach for the Sitar other days the 303. We play what moves us.

Your latest track ‘Siren Song’ is described as an anthem of self-empowerment. Could you share more about the inspiration behind the lyrics and the overall message you wanted to convey?

All the best words write themselves. This one wrote itself in a few minutes. Times of fury give a visceral edge too, I think. Love isn't black and white. Also, words only have meaning to those feeling that precise emotion at that precise moment. When they are on the page they belong to the listener rather than the writer. I feel quite cheerful now.

’Siren Song’ blends nonchalant vocals with an irresistibly catchy melody. How did you approach the production process?

We needed a song to promote our Breanna Barbara show, so this had to come together essentially overnight. This is a GOOD thing. We got sick of waiting. When you self-fund and self-release music everyone has an opinion of what your next move should be. When we worked on this we sat down and said. No more waiting, just make it happen. We wrote, tracked, mixed and made the video in evenings around fulltime work.

We used all British gear. The Burns guitar, the Watkins Organ, Brenel tape machine, the Grampian reverb. No collectors items. Just the junk no-one wants that we had to hand. We DI wherever we can. It worked with The Doors. People forget that. Vocals were a couple of takes. We've actually tracked A LOTTTT of 'rainy day' drum breaks for when you need a track in a flash.

The flip side of your release features a reimagined version of Syd Barrett's 'Octopus'' What drew you to this particular song, and how did you infuse your own style into the interpretation? 

So much of Syd's solo work is plagued by lack of interest in the room. Weak, lack-lustre, vague, dirge. Really eye-opening as a gaze into the writer's soul, but no one seemed to care about him getting something commercial off the ground. Maybe that didn't matter. I feel he was done dirty. If all the glam guys loved him so much, why did noone get him out? 

We just wanted to trash it up in a more '66 UK popsike way. The guitar sound is ripped from Bat Macumba - 0s Mutantes. We put the vocal through a ring modulator because it sounds awful, and all the cymbals through tape delay. It made us laugh, and that was enough to say fuck it, let's put it out. Vegetable Man - Jesus & Mary Chain is always gonna be the best Syd flip.

‘Siren Song’ will be released on September 8th, along with a double bill show with Spirit Award at London's Shacklewell Arms on September 21st. What can fans expect from your live performance on this special occasion?

Spirit Award are nasty, fuzzy grunge. They'll eat us alive if we don't follow suit. We'll go aggressive. We'll ask Kendra Frost (Lonelady/KiteBase) to play Organ with us. Shacklewell Arms when it's busy is a temple. Never seen a bad busy show there.

You recently supported artists like Death & Vanilla, Jane Weaver, and Breanna Barbara. How do these experiences impact your approach to your own music and performances?

Death & Vanilla we got to interview for Soho Radio. Really stunning writers. Taught us that grooving it out together in the room can be a great writing inspiration.

When we played with Jane and Fenella in Coventry EVERYTHING came to life. Deliaphonic is a festival in memory of British electronic music pioneer, Delia Derbyshire. We reinterpreted our songs on Marxophone, three synthesisers and two samplers. Julian House (The Focus Group and visual artist for Pulp, Oasis, Broadcast and Stereolab) produced all the handmade anaglyph visuals. It surprised us as much as the audience. That elevation made it really transcendental. You really don't fuck up when there is something that spiritual taking place on stage. Jane, Raz, Pete et al are always on top form. Incredibly musically talented, and have a deeper understanding of what they are doing. For us, it's a lot more playing with toys. 

Breanna is incredible. She hyped us into actually wearing gold and sequins and owning it. The dynamic of her group is second to none. Charlie on the drums also plays with W.I.T.C.H. Again, it's just that reminder or just how musically accomplished a lot of these touring bands are.

What do you love right now?

HAAi. She's barely scratching the surface of what she's about to do. Her production is second to none. Viji - Beach babes sure, but man their pop is class. These next releases are going to explode. A Void - Really loud and nasty. This next record Shuta Shinoda mixed is going to be a big step up. Raven Violet - Pure source of inspiration. The genuine lovechild of UNLOVED. Her voice and Holmes' evil Alan Vega soaked gothpop is unstoppable.

What do you hate right now?

Mods. Of all the forms of cosplay in the World, the Paul Weller variation has to be the most tragic.

If your music could be the soundtrack to any classic movie, which one would you choose, and why?

Truthfully, any one of those utterly mind-numbing box-office-smash Marvel movies. Just give us the dollars and the certified tik-tok viral status... We'd then go blow it all tracking new Soundtracks for the Coffin Joe movies. At Midnight, I'll Take Your Soul. All-time hero.

You've mentioned that Looking Glass Alice is a representation of the "babes of the 'burbs How does your suburban background influence your music, creativity, and artistic perspective?

You know how it is, music is full of these propped up posers. London is rife with them. After Covid, economic diversity is all but dead in the arts. Thanks, Rishi. Living somewhere green is vital for mental survival. We have this anonymous experimental library music supergroup with some major players from other groups. They keep us nourished with terrible films, and truly awful soundtracks.