Alice Auer - That Old Quiet Lighthouse - Kalila Badali
British vocalist and songwriter Alice Auer returns this week with her new single "Greek Street", out now via London tastemaker label Young Poet (Conor Albert, WOOZE). With a voice to thaw the most glacial of hearts, Alice Auer first came to prominence collaborating with south London producer (and Young Poet label-mate) Conor Albert on 2021’s 'Smile' EP and her own 2022 EP 'Daydreaming'.
Since those initial releases, Alice's music has been streamed over 10 million times; she has shared the stage with acts including Nia Archives and ELIZA; received shout-outs from the likes of Justin Bieber, and has established herself as the heart and soul of a burgeoning London scene that includes contemporaries James Smith, Matilda Mann and Maya Delilah.
New single "Greek Street" - produced by Conor Albert and co-written with London songwriter and producer James Smith - exemplifies Alice Auer's supremely relatable and refreshingly modern approach to jazz-songwriting. On "Greek Street", Auer's candid storytelling and pristine vocal shine through as she reminisces about a first date in Soho. With an empathetic worldliness, she offers catharsis against the complexities and heartbreak of relationships and daily life.
Speaking more on its inspiration and how "Greek Street" came to be, Alice Auer said: "I wrote 'Greek Street' in a day with my lovely friend and very talented musician/producer, James Smith. Story wise, Greek Street was inspired by the first date my boyfriend and I went on together, at Jazz After Dark in Soho, London. I wanted to create some contrast in the song emotionally and musically, so we wrote the lyrics from the perspective of someone who had that relationship, that experience, that romance - but lost it and longs to have it back. We then took the bones of the song to Conor and let him work his magic."
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That Old Quiet Lighthouse continue to create their sad-boy multiverse with new single ‘Laughter’, out now. After doubling their social media presence through the course of a couple of months, being featured on V13 alongside numerous radio plays including on Charlie Ashcroft’s show on Amazing Radio, That Old Quiet Lighthouse are on somewhat of a roll.
Powering through with their commitment to ‘putting the emo back in wholesome (it’s in there somewhere)’, they combine the keen and emotionally charged lyricism of Pinegrove with the bittersweet textures of Alex G, with a pinch of instrumental virtuosity for good measure.
Building an audience steadily through their brilliant mix of witty banter and immersive musical storytelling, there really isn’t another band like That Old Quiet Lighthouse. Constantly featuring different vocalists and instrumentalists on songs creates what can only be coined as a ‘sad-boy multiverse’ for the listener to enjoy, following each incredibly talented featured artist down their own rabbit hole to a place of entirely different but equally brilliant musical experience.
The guest vocalist on new That Old Quiet Lighthouse single is the perfect example of this. ‘Laughter’ is an upbeat indie-pop tune, channelling folk influences through its tenor horn counter melodies. Featuring the beautiful and unique voice of Sanja Cin, the song is almost a duet - her melodies serving as an echo of a love since gone. The best way to describe it? Infectiously upbeat, irresistibly charming, a song that perfectly articulates the bizarre nature of ending a relationship with no ill will.
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Kalila Badali is an alt-folk/art-pop singer songwriter and psychotherapist based in Toronto. Her music strikes an ethereal balance between witchy folk and danceable (yet moody) pop. At the age of seven, Kalila taught herself to play guitar and began writing songs. Having started writing at such an early age, her performing and writing has spanned two decades. She is most influenced by St. Vincent, Kate Bush, and Aldous Harding.
Kalila officially launched her music career with the release of her Indie-Folk EP, Perfectly Collapsing (shared on “plantable paper” to reduce waste). Kalila’s EP garnered attention on CBC Radio One’s Big City, Small World. Her current project, Panacea, has received funding support from the Ontario Arts Council and FACTOR Canada and will be released in 2023. Her singles, “No Eye Contact” and “Dotty Mae” are out now on all streaming platforms.
Music represents an ongoing avenue for Kalila to express her understanding of the world as a neurodivergent person. Since graduating from University of Toronto with an M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology, Kalila has been a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario with a unique private practice working with neurodivergent, LGBTQ2SIA+, and arts workers. This balancing of her two careers as a musician and therapist has led her to offer workshops to emerging artists on musicians’ mental health.
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