As the future grows more uncertain, indie singer-songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou is eager to look back.
This much is clear from her two most recent singles released last year. “Better” and “The World Above” are reflections on an angstier, younger self, full of 20-something longing. In these moments of retrospection, it’s easy to find a bit of cringe and regret — but in a show of maturity, she opted to be gentle with her past self instead.
“To go back and to re-encounter those feelings is like a conversation with yourself — it’s a good perspective to put yourself in because you can see how far you’ve come, like you’ve come out on the other side in some way,” Lou, 31, says. “I love that shit. It helps me understand who I am now.”
These moments of creative reflection spurred a desire for something deeper and more intense: an entirely self-produced album, to be released independently later this year, composed of songs half-written over the past decade and completed, compiled and performed entirely solo. Lou says the as-yet untitled new album, whose debut single “You And I” drops April 11, will channel an imperfect acoustic sound akin to the likes of Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell’s more scaled-back works.
“It’s a beautiful exercise in my own pursuit of what I like, and what I want, as well as a really nice retrospective moment,” Lou says. “It’s like when you’re moving houses; you go through all your old shit and you’re supposed to be packing, but you end up down a rabbit hole, reading some old letters from a lover.”
“Some of them will feel unfinished to the listener, but that was kind of the point for me as well,” she adds. “Just allowing for that janky, wonky, imperfect thing. It really is a lesson in not taking yourself too seriously, not feeling like everything needs to be clean and tied with a bow.”
‘Is this gonna be worth it?’
This attraction to messiness might surprise those familiar with Lou’s career since launching herself onto the scene with her debut LP Orbit nearly a decade ago. Following the success of songs like the 2020 single “Witches” and “Open My Door” from the album Shelter a few years later, she’s since become your favorite indie darling’s favorite indie darling.
After spending the tail end of last year supporting Clairo’s Charm Tour, Lou will play a handful of shows with Remi Wolf, including her Red Rocks show on April 10, and will open a stretch of dates with Denver-born band Tennis later this year.
“[The Charm Tour] definitely felt like a turning point,” Lou says. “It has felt like I’ve been kind of welcomed into the proper American indie ranks.”
Even after securing a sure spot in these so-called indie ranks, it’s easy to feel like the early hustle is never all that far in the past. Originally from South Africa, Lou moved to Europe in her late teen years and eventually settled in Berlin to pursue music.
Global tours may feel like a career milestone, but they come with a host of challenges that constantly threaten any built-up sense of security.
“America used to be this huge battle, this overwhelming, massive place where you don’t even know where to start putting yourself out there,” Lou says. “I would tour there and come back with negative money and backache from people’s couches. It always felt a bit like, ‘Is this gonna be worth it?’”
‘I just want to play music’
Now, Lou is enjoying the kind of hard-earned success that comes from putting yourself out there, over and over and over again.
“Playing Red Rocks — there’s no way that was even a potential on my horizon,” Lou says. “America’s been giving me a lot of love. It’s a bit of a scary place right now, but I love the people, I love the fans and the energy. It’s a whole ‘nother level out there.”
Opportunities to open for artists with a broader and sometimes younger fanbase have also been a special experience, according to Lou. In an industry dominated by short-form compatibility and minimal attention spans, it can be difficult to break out beyond a core group of supporters.
“I really want to connect with younger people, but I am, like, allergic to the TikTok thing,” Lou says. “I just want to play music, and to be able to play in front of people.”
Despite breakthroughs into the mainstream indie-pop zeitgeist, the goal was always that simple.. To this end, Lou plays free shows multiple times a year, usually in her home city of Berlin. She performs outside U-Bahn stops and in her favorite park, telling fans the day before to meet her “just outside the station, under the big tree.”
These spaces provide an opportunity for her to experience music in its purest form: She gathers her gear, lugs it down the subway steps, and fosters a moment of magic in a spontaneous, intimate setting.
“It’s an exchange of energy and music at its core. It’s creating a tiny little bubble that anyone can step inside and feel connected and warm,” Lou says. “I’ve always loved watching somebody’s face just light up — somebody who wouldn’t usually be going to a concert, who maybe doesn’t have those things in their lives, encounters this spontaneous act of art and activity. I think there’s nothing like that feeling.”
ON THE BILL: Remi Wolf with Alice Phoebe Lou and Dana and Alden. 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 10, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Pkwy., Morrison. $75