A Chat with Alice Gift (06.12.23)
The alter ego of German-based Nicolas Isner, Alice Gift is a musical project that breaks boundaries lyrically, melodically, and aesthetically. He released his well-received debut album Alles ist Gift in 2021, despite the severe restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic, and recently created another overwhelming, astounding, genre-diverse album for the masses. We speak with Alice Gift about Nothing Against Uplifting, But…, scary experiences, opinions about people and much more!
OSR: A bit cliché but what drew you to music?
Alice Gift: When I was growing up, most of the time I was told what to do and what to think, and when I discovered music it was the only thing I didn’t ask permission for and I kept it to myself. Nobody in my family was particularly musically inclined, so it was my domain and I could be as I pleased. What’s more, music was love at first sight and I felt immediately drawn into its power. It was the most natural way for me to express myself.
OSR: Why did you opt to pursue a career as a musician?
Alice Gift: I wouldn’t say it’s a career, but rather a necessity. I need to make music like someone needs to eat and drink or do sport if you prefer something you don’t technically die from deprivation.
I love touring, it’s a bit like a circus life, going from town to town, discovering and meeting new places and new people, it’s part of the privilege of being a musician.
When it comes to composing and producing music, there’s no greater feeling for me than creating a song and shaping it until it sounds as close as possible to what you had in mind. The satisfaction is enormous and extremely gratifying. The disappointment if things don’t go well can also become a tragedy though, but that’s the price you pay, and it’s always worth it to me, as long as I don’t go mad.
OSR: What inspires you to write music?
Alice Gift: Most of the time I write music to escape from something, it’s a way of channelling the feelings and things I’m dealing with, it’s a way of processing things. But when it comes to aesthetics, I’m like a sponge, I draw inspiration from the moods I find in the films, art or shows I attend. I used to absorb everything when I was younger. These days, I feel like I’m full of sounds and visuals and I need to digest them and do my own thing.
As far as the lyrics are concerned, they’re quite personal and intimate, but I’m moving further and further away from my own persona to get the bigger picture. They’re more influenced by society and philosophy than they used to be. It’s more social and political than before. It’s less self-dramatising.
OSR: What can you tell us about your EP Nothing Against Uplifting, But…? Is there a backstory or theme to the EP?
Alice Gift: It’s taken me a long time to put out a new record, but I hope it’s been worth the wait because I think it’s become something quite heterogeneous with a drama worthy of me. There are a few tracks from unfinished recordings from my debut album Alles ist Gift (‘Pride’, ‘Headwar’, ‘This Time’), and some very old songs like ‘To Live And Die In L.A.’ which I wrote for a film project that never came to production, and ‘Krypta’ a strange thing that’s been sleeping at the bottom of a drawer, as well as a brand new dancefloor track ‘Pride (Prequel)’ which I produced only 2 months ago!
Again, almost everything on this record was done by myself, partly in the recording studio (Salon-Berlin), partly at home, as well as a few drum recordings in the rehearsal room.
OSR: What were the good and bad things about creating Nothing Against Uplifting, But…?
Alice Gift: I’m sorry but I cannot think in those terms. This album was, as usual, a natural process, and I’m happy with the result. I wanted to put the songs together in such a way that they told a story, an emotional journey, with a beginning, highlights and an end.
OSR: You released a music video for the track ‘Pride’. What can you tell us about the video and the process behind its creation?
Alice Gift: I wrote this song a long time ago, back in the Velvet Condom (my previous band) days. It was in the studio of our friends from Noblesse Oblige, where we were rehearsing at the time. I was alone in the studio trying things out and the whole song just came together in one shot. The idea was to compose the saddest song possible, so I temporarily called it ‘Saddest Song’, inspired by the Isabella Rossellini film The Saddest Music in the World. As the song didn’t fit in with the Velvet Condom aesthetic at all, I kept it to myself, not yet knowing that one day I’d release it again for a solo album.
The text came much later and was inspired by an event in my private life. It was dark, I was driving home and had an accident that prevented me from continuing. Instead of calling for help, I decided to stay asleep in my car until the early hours so I could walk to the next garage. A certain shame prevented me from calling for help, as if I didn’t deserve it. That’s something that really struck me, to see how pride can isolate you.
That’s what I wanted to express in the clip, through Djamila and me, who, after a serious accident, kept on driving even though our vehicle was totally wrecked. A kind of headlong rush and denial of the reality that’s trying to catch up with us.
OSR: What makes you unique as an artist?
Alice Gift: This is not an easy question because the perception we have of ourselves as an artist or a person is terribly distorted and generally has nothing to do with how others perceive us. But from my point of view and taking into account people’s reactions so far, I’d say I’m pretty unpredictable when it comes to music. I don’t take the easy route and I don’t compromise with my music to get attention or to be more easily categorised, so in those terms, I’m quite unique. I don’t follow aesthetic rules to please anyone, therefore I don’t sound like a lot of other bands. I’m a DIY artist with no creative restrictions or marketing plans.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
OSR: Some random questions: what has been your scariest experience ever?
Alice Gift: I recently played a show, opening for She Past Away in Berlin, and that was just a very intense show for me. I was in a bit of a second state at first. I lost someone very close to me 2 days ago and I didn’t think it would affect our performance so much. It was when I tried to tune my guitar on the first song that I felt I was completely out of my depth. I felt like I was somewhere else.
I was in a bit of a trance during the concert. And all of a sudden the sound cut out in the middle, as if a spirit had wanted to manifest itself at that very moment. Yes, we were playing with She Past Away, and at the same time, she passed away. I was really scared, standing in front of 1500 people, feeling I’m losing my mind.
OSR: What do you wish you had spent more time doing when you were younger?
Alice Gift: I like that one. And sometimes less is more. 😊
Being less likely to be influenced, being less insecure, having more sex, doing more art, less time listening to bullshit, being less feared of things. But apart from that, I’m fine, I had a wild and intense youth, and for the things I regret, I can’t really blame myself.
OSR: How long does it take you to form an opinion about a person?
Alice Gift: There are two phases: the first impression, which occurs immediately when you meet or see someone for the first time, and the second, more in-depth impression, which generally occurs after the first serious conversation, such as this interview. 😊
OSR: What can we expect from you in the future?
Alice Gift: Not giving up! And a new album that contains some of the best stuff I’ve ever written.
OSR: Do you have any message for our readers?
Alice Gift: Here you go:
Don’t give in to pressure – you never do well under pressure.
Stand by your opinion, even if it is not in line with your environment.
War and one-sided opinions never lead to peace and freedom.
Don’t let your doubts stop you from doing what you set out to do, and don’t forget that everything you do has been carefully thought through.
Go step by step, no matter how small they are.
Don’t compare yourself to others, compare yourself only to what you have set as your goals.
Choose realistic goals, based on what you’ve already achieved, your identity, and by making a very objective selection of the feedback you receive.
Be organised, everything else is just fantasy and luck.
Many thanks to Alice Gift for speaking with us. For more about Alice Gift, check out his official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
