Alice Phoebe Lou

Doors: 7pm Show: 8pm As the eyes open and the world first blinks to life, there it is: oblivion. Rather than destruction or collapse, Alice Phoebe Lou’s oblivion is a deep, inky place where motes of softly burning potential gently drift into life. The South African-born, Europe-based singer-songwriter reached past the torrential noise of modern life and into another space to pull out luminous melodies and intimate lyrics, turning them into playful, profound songs that honor the sublime simplicity of her busking years. “Instead of overthinking the outcome and the judgment, these songs are just creating for myself, a coming home,” she says of Oblivion (due October 24 via Nettwerk Music Group). “Tapping into this unawareness of unconsciousness sounds like bliss. Oblivion is a place where you can forget what others see in you and find your true essence.” Over the course of five impeccable LPs, Alice Phoebe Lou established herself as a musical force, continuing to unveil new facets to her expressive vocals and beguiling songwriting. While that evolution drew rave reviews from critics and her growing fanbase (now totaling more than 2.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify), the singer-songwriter was starting to feel the pressure of needing to constantly build the next stage. And after 2023's grand Shelter, that seemed an especially daunting challenge. “In this industry there’s an emphasis on needing to go bigger, to one-up yourself,” Alice Phoebe Lou says. “But instead I returned to my roots of playing on the street. These songs come from deep inside my subconscious, dreams, the oblivion of sleep, the place where you can access your deepest thoughts, desires, memories, and true feelings without thinking about the way it'll be received.”