In 2006, Paste Magazine began capturing video performances of some of our favorite bands and Daytrotter began doing the same with audio. We joined forces five years later, and have since combined to capture 11,545 performances (and counting)—at the Paste Studios in Atlanta and New York; at the Daytrotter Studios in Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Ill.; and at venues across the country and even internationally. We pride ourselves on the quality of these sessions and still can’t believe the range of amazing artists we’ve been able to work with. Every weekday we’ll highlight a favorite session from this deep and ever-growing catalog. Enjoy today’s Paste Session of the Day below!
Alice Phoebe Lou makes music for slow Sunday mornings and songs for old couples having their last dance at their grandchild’s wedding. Lou’s graceful stage presence can captivate whole rooms, and her ethereal voice carries people to places of warmth and comfort. Her voice is silky and smooth with jazz phrasing making it difficult for the listener not to simply melt. The bass lines and rhythms are tight, and the keys and synth perfectly align with her charismatic and delicate tone, sparkling with depth, especially in “Nostalgia.”
The Berlin-based South African singer/songwriter first entered the indie/alternative scene in 2014 with her self-released Momentum EP and played at SXSW for the first time in 2015. Lou grew up on genres ranging from Ethiopian jazz to German hip hop and applies her eclectic music taste to the music she writes.
Alice Phoebe Lou and her bandmates spent two weeks recording Paper Castles with the goal of making the record sound like it’s being played for you in your own living room—sincere and not overproduced. The songs “Something Holy,” “Nostalgia,” and “Paper Castles” translate extremely well to this live studio session since the music was written to be played live. Check out her 2019 Paste Studio session—as well as individual song videos—below or her 2018 session here.
Alice Phoebe Lou
Session Date: March 6, 2019
Location: Paste Studios, New York, NY
Songs: “Something Holy” | “Nostalgia” | “Paper Castles”
Credits: Brad Wagner (video, host), Bob Mallory (audio), Pat Dunford (photo)