There are dozens of people huddled around, blocking foot traffic down a main walkway in Berlin. The number of onlookers swells as, one by one, they are bewitched by the enchanting sounds of Alice Phoebe Lou and her guitar. It’s a scene not unfamiliar to the 21-year-old Berlin-via-Cape Town street musician, who is a local icon of sorts; once you hear her voice, it becomes obvious why just last year, ALP jumped on the chance to release her debut ‘Momentum’ EP. Lou’s following continues to grow, with footage of the singer-songwriter busking gaining serious traction on YouTube and her TED Talk on ‘Performance’ clocking up over 260,000 views.
Closely following the release of a video for the haunting “Rebel Rose”, Lou has unveiled a video for “Berlin Blues”, an older gem of hers that transports the listener smack-bang into the middle of a Woodstock crowd. The video meshes images of APL’s childhood with present-day Berlin, the blues-tipped folk number adopting a new percussive groove that intensifies the fervour of her visionary lyricism: “And there is a place where we one day will delve, where there’s no more walking on egg shells.“ It’s a wonder she hasn’t been snapped up in a million dollar record deal – but if it means we can keep enjoying APL in her element, we’re certainly not complaining.
See the video for “Berlin Blues” below…
And hear the original recording here…