Alison Wonderland architects a world of her own design as its chief author, creator, and voice. Since emerging in 2009, the Sydney-born and Los Angeles-based singer, producer, songwriter, and DJ’s sound has quietly inched towards mainstream ubiquity as the sonic sorceress received the “Highest Female DJ Billing Ever at Coachella” label, captured #1 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart twice consecutively, headlined sold-out arenas around the globe and clocked upwards of 500 million streams. We had the pleasure of speaking with Alison ahead of the release of her brand new album ‘Loner’.
Hey Alison, thanks for taking the time to speak with us! How are you doing?
Hey! I’m doing great. I’m in the middle of my tour right now and I’m about to drop an album….super exciting times for me.
Let’s kick things off your two latest singles, ‘New Day’ and ‘Forever’. How happy are you with the finished products and how has the reception been towards them?
I am so proud of these songs. This album means a lot to me and it’s my favourite music I have ever written. I think because I put my all into them, they have spoken to the right people and the reception has been better than I could have ever dreamed. I am super grateful for that. I feel happy that I have been able to evolve and it has been embraced.
Those two tracks are part of your upcoming album that’s out next month, how long has this album been in the works?
I wrote this album during Covid, most of it started at the end of 2020 and I kept writing until the end of 2021. Although one of the songs on there I wrote years ago… but I relate to it more now than I did then. Funny how that stuff happens!
Have you included all your unreleased tracks in this album or have any just missed the cut?
Oh I wrote soooo many songs for this album … probably over 40 demos… so a lot of them didn’t make the cut. These were the ones that I felt encapsulated the narrative of the album the most. The ones I was most proud of and felt strongly connected to.
Over the past couple of years, you’ve been constantly releasing amazing music. Can you give me a little insight into the process of making this album rather than a bunch of singles?
I like to sit down and just write out my thoughts when I am going through a big moment. It helps me get through it, it helps me move onto the next part. It’s an outlet for me, it’s therapy. I have always been an album artist, I like to tell a full story. It feels like a time capsule of my life.
You recently played a spectacular set at UMF, how was it to be back on stage again?
Omg it was soooo amazing! I sang most of my set live and had live drummers. I love that I can keep pushing myself as an artist and performer and people are getting it!
We heard some of the tracks from your upcoming album in the set, how was the response when you were on stage?
It was so amazing! I was overwhelmed and it made me even more convinced that when you are super honest with your music, it speaks to people universally.
Throughout the years, with all your releases, you always evolve and expand on your sound – how important is it for you to keep exploring new sounds and styles as you grow as an artist?
It keeps me hungry. With electronic music, we are reliant on technology and it is evolving all the time so I like to evolve and move with it. It keeps my brain fresh and helps me hear things differently. I still like to think all my music sounds very much like Alison Wonderland.
Thanks again for taking the time to speak with us! Do you have anything you’d like to announce with our readers?
I HAVE AN ALBUM CALLED LONER OUT MAY 6 IT’S MY FAV MUSIC I HAVE EVER MADE AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!
