ALIA ‘Soho Sessions . Side A’
ALIA is a magnificent storyteller. Soho Sessions sees folk and the life of folk happening in its most naked form. You are in touch with ALIA on a soul level. That intimacy and level of openness is simply intense and at times overwhelming. You can’t seem to put their music down because it demands your full attention. ALIA is an artist that blows your heart wide open. All the walls you built and all the pretense you put on simply collapse in their presence. And in the busy and noisy world, they sit you down, human to human, and keep you honest.
ALIA’s voice is expressive and free-spirited. You can hear their pain and passion the singing, as if you’re standing behind them as they go through hardship and joy in life. Through music, ALIA carries you along on their journey, and your sight too is widened. They share feelings that are oftentimes inaudible through words, and there are so much emotions, dreams, nightmares and even screams living vividly and passionately in their music. It’s raw and fierce, drastic and magnificent. ALIA gives all of themself to you when they sing. The kind of trust and honesty is hard to see today, and they gives you goosebumps in the simplistic strip-down acoustic form.
If one was to compare ALIA to a folk singer, then perhaps, they remind you the most of Bob Dylan’s attitude in music—the kind of music that burns and gets you attention.
“Cellar Door” feels like a moment of introspection in a journey. On the road, soul searching, in between two places. There’s a sort of openness and introspection accompanied with fragility in connection to uncertainty and longing, and “Cellar Door” is a song that taps into that space. “The Heart of the Wolf” is a gorgeous, emotive track with soaring and soulful vocals. ALIA tears themself up in the music, like crying, like in rage. Their performance is simply powerful.“To Be The Man In Your Plan” features a stunningly haunting with backing vocals intertwined into the main melodies, leaving an lingering aftertaste of melancholy and vulnerability.
Read our interview with ALIA and learn more about their art and journey.
Punk Head: I love the authenticity and spontaneity of "ALIA". What was the creative process like?
ALIA: Very kind for you to say, if you mean the name, “ALIA” this is just my first name. On my father’s bloodline, my heritage runs through Egypt and Morocco, it’s known as a quite powerful name in the Arabic culture. My art in music is very honest and to the core of strength in my feelings, so wouldn’t go any other route in naming myself anything but my name.
PH: What did you enjoy most about making this EP? What is your personal favorite song from the "Soho Sessions . Side A" and why?
ALIA: I was lost in enjoying the process, learning and creating, and what I produced from it all. “Cellar Door” was the first official song I wrote that was claimed as a finished and produced track, this was around a year ago or so… after that song I was knee-deep in passion and losing myself in my music, it was therapy for me, I let out over 20 other songs over a few months last year, a few a snuck onto SoundCloud (unmastered and not officially released), the track two (“The Heart of The Wolf”) and three (“To Be The Man In Your Plan”) both are the most recent, so to see the journey of what I was as an artist, what I had to show for myself to what I’ve learned along the way and can adapt more into my art - that alone blows my mind and makes me very proud.
Sadly… like a parent with children, I can’t name my favorite. They all on their own mean so much to me, and hold those emotions and stories very close to my heart. I also find that they all stand very strong on their own, which is what I wanted (blend in meaning but strength in character).
PH: How has growing up in Denmark affected your music?
ALIA: So I was born there and raised till three years old, my mothers and her heritage, all of her family are based across the islands of Denmark. In 1997 I came to England, I moved around a lot (living in Kent and East Sussex) but I did travel a lot (that I am grateful for) going to visit family there, including other countries I am from, which enabled an openness I guess in my vision and heart, how I see the world and feel it - any creative human feeds from some of those past sources - I think it gave me a very open mind in genres of music. We had a family friend, this boy the same age I was, I remember his loved vividly for Jimi Hendrix - remember the love for music my Danish family had in general, the happiness they would be listening, dancing, and enjoying life with cassette tapes, radio stations, CDs. I believe that affected and perhaps said in a better way, but instilled it within me, it became a natural passion and existence for me to be communicating through music.
PH: Who are your biggest influences?
ALIA: This is always the hardest question to answer aha… I’ve learned along the way, when people hear or see me live or listen to my music they all notice things I never knew existed - a connection to another artist(s) or band(s) - so to name a few I’ve been compared to the likes of Joni Mitchell, Tracey Chapman, Jeff Buckley, Van Morrison, Lana Del Rey, LP, Leonard Cohen, and Tash Sultana. They defiantly all as artists have a huge place in my heart in terms of craft, visuals, the insane artistry overall… but they’re also many others I adore haha!
PH: Who would you most like to collaborate with, if it could be anyone in the world?
ALIA: Again so many I would dream of working with, hopefully, one day (manifesting) but I may have to go with Hans Zimmer, he is one of my favorite musicians/composers who ever lived the art he creates is immensely powerful as a child till now his work always hits me deeply in a very emotional way. The idea of colliding ideas, and creating something out-of-the-box with him… would be very thrilling and exciting to achieve.
