Alice Merton
by Alex Teitz
In August Alice Merton was signed to Mom + Pop Records. She has an international lifeview. Born in Canada and living both in Germany and England. She founded her own label Paper Plane Records Int where she made her own EP No Roots. No Roots is also the single off the EP. Merton is on a headline US tour before she begins a headline European Tour in February. Merton will be playing Lost Lake on December 16, 2017. FEMMUSIC was honored to get a chance to speak with her.
FEMMUSIC: What was the biggest challenge making No Roots EP?
AM: I would say the biggest challenge was the production. We spent many hours perfecting each small detail of every song. Whether it was perfecting the sound of the bass mixing it with various guitar sounds, or editing the percussive elements. It definitely all took its time.
FEMMUSIC: Tell me about your label Paper Plane Records Int.? What are the challenges with it?
AM: It’s always a challenge in the beginning starting a company. Whether it’s finding the right people to work with, financing everything by ourselves and then coordinating everything so we have an overview of everything that goes on is very tiring, but in the end very rewarding.
FEMMUSIC: You signed to Mom + Pop Records. What made you sign with them? What benefits do you see in signing?
AM: We liked the fact that they had a similar structure to our label. They’re Indie and therefor I feel like they care a lot about the artist and actually building them up. It was important to me that they understood that I wanted creative freedom and I think they’re very open to that.
FEMMUSIC: Can you describe your songwriting technique?
AM: It varies. I hear a lot of melodies in my head depending on the situation. I also see sentences or words I like, write them down and often they get put into songs. I definitely write from a very personal perspective. All the songs are true events. It would feel wrong to perform something that wasn’t real in my opinion.
FEMMUSIC: What song has had the biggest impact on you and why?
AM: “Fidelity” by Regina Spektor. She’s one of the reasons I became a songwriter and started falling in love with songwriting. I love her lyrics, her melodies. She knows how to write a good song.
FEMMUSIC: As a woman in the music industry have you been discriminated against?
AM: I wouldn’t say discriminated. There have definitely been times where I feel like I wasn’t being taken seriously, or that certain people felt they knew what’s best for me. It’s tough, but you really need to stay strong and stubborn. That’s what I’ve learned. Don’t let other people push you around or tell you what they think is correct.
FEMMUSIC: Whom would you most like to tour with or collaborate with and why?
AM: Brandon Flowers from the Killers. I think the Killers are one of the best bands I’ve ever listened to and I would love to work on lyrics with Brandon Flowers.
FEMMUSIC: What one thing would you like to change about the music industry?
AM: If I could change one thing, I would try and portray woman differently. I feel like a lot of women feel they can only be sexy or successful if they show lots of skin. I’m the exact opposite. I hate showing skin and I feel it’s time to show that success doesn’t always mean taking more clothes off.