At a time where staying connected is more important than ever, House of Solo has launched ‘Party of One’, a series providing intimate insight into how your favourite artists are dealing with isolation and what we can expect from them during lockdown.
Alice Chater, a rising pop powerhouse who has racked up over 42 million Spotify streams, has just released her latest track “To of Us”. A deep and elegant ballad about relationships at breaking point, it’s perfect for some lockdown introspection. We caught up with Alice over email to discuss what quarantine life is like in Sweden and her recent fishing fails.
First of all, how are you? What’s your isolation space like?
I’m doing good. I’m in the middle of nowhere in a forest in Sweden. It’s a little bit weird, but I’m here with nature and I feel very good actually. I’m a summer house with my boyfriend by the Baltic sea. It’s a very cute little cottage house, a very traditional Swedish house.
So are you self isolating in Sweden? What’s that experience like, have you been enjoying the perks of herd immunity?
We’ve haven’t really been out. When we go to the supermarket we wear gloves and masks, and we get the strangest looks. No one is wearing masks and gloves, and people are very chilled. We’re like ‘have you not read the news?!’ We haven’t really been out apart from to the supermarket.
How have you been affected by COVID both personally and professionally?
Although obviously it’s a really terrible time, personally I think it’s been quite good for me to be out here in Sweden, because I’ve had down time. I think it’s good for me to be outside and around nature. It’s crazy how much that helps your mental health. I feel very weird and upset about not doing any shows, it’s really bugging me as I love performing. I’m lucky that I’m being able to record music at home. My boyfriend is a producer and he’s been helping me.
‘Two of Us’ is a track about relationships at breaking point. I think that due to lockdown some people might be reaching these limits with their relationships quicker than normal! How have you found cohabitation during all of this?
It’s been very intense, because we’re at the beginning of our relationship. Before we were in different countries talking on the phone a lot and now we’re together 24/7. But we haven’t had one argument yet! We don’t get on each other’s nerves, I think we’re very similar.
So you seem to have mastered pretty much every performing art going, training in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, flamenco, hoop and aerial acrobatics, as well as singing! Have you been working on any of these skills, or picked up some new ones, while in lockdown?
I’ve picked up some gardening skills! Well, I’ve been sweeping leaves a lot… We also went fishing which was something I’ve never done before either – but we didn’t catch any fish. I’ve also been trying to bake, which hasn’t been going too well! I’m currently trying to master a white chocolate cake…
You’ve said before that “all your songs are about one person”. How does this affect your writing process while in lockdown? Have you been finding that different things are inspiring you?
Yes definitely, I’ve moved on from writing about that now. I’m very inspired by new happy things in my life for sure. I’m definitely in a different writing space now.
I love your track ‘Lola’ with Iggy Azalea, it’s a great tune for dancing in your bedroom. What songs have been keeping your spirits up during lockdown?
Whitney Houston’s Bodyguard soundtrack, we’ve been rinsing that! I’m obsessed with Whitney Houston. We’ve been listening to ‘I Will Always Love You’ like crazy, and Dolly Parton’s version too. The whole soundtrack is so amazing. I’m also loving the whole of The Weeknd’s new album and the new Doja Cat song.
Lots of your videos are really high end choreographed pieces. If you had to, how would you create a music video in lockdown, what would it look like?
I would definitely shoot outside, filmed on my iphone, as it’s such a great backdrop. Incorporate the sea somehow. Do some choreography in the shallow water! And maybe some contemporary dances in the forest!
So I know that you grew up in Kent but now spend a lot of time between Sweden, LA and London? How has it been for you not being able to travel in between? Has lockdown changed your perception of the concept of home at all?
I feel a bit confused, like I’m in a dream and haven’t woken up yet. I don’t know where my home is, so it’s quite confusing. It feels so weird not to travel. I’m used to always being in different places, but it is nice to finally be somewhere for a good amount of time. I don’t think I’ve done that in years.
How do you reflect on your time so far in London?
I’ve loved living in London. When I first moved there I had to grow up very quickly. Not being able to see my family all the time was tough. I learnt to be on my own, which I still struggle with sometimes. But it’s also made me a much tougher person, which is good as it’s a very cut-throat industry. I’ve also learnt that I’m a beach girl, and I do have to go back every now and then to see the sea and be in the country. That will always be my roots. I found that hard sometimes in London.
What are you most looking forward to doing once this crisis has passed?
I really want to go away on holiday! Go somewhere very hot and travel on 100 different planes to get to a remote island. I am also definitely looking forward to having sushi in a lovely sushi restaurant.
