George Alice has had a whirlwind 12 months. After winning the 2019 triple j Unearthed High competition, the Adelaide singer-songwriter came in at number 64 on the triple j Hottest 100 in January with the breakout single ‘Circles’, and has been growing her profile with the infectious ‘Stuck In A Bottle’.
With restrictions slowly beginning to lift, she’s hit the road for the ‘Schools Out Tour’ which will see her hit up Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong, and Adelaide. Kicking off the run of dates in Brisbane with a packed show at The Zoo, she showcased perfectly just why she is one to watch as we head into 2021.
With only two songs out at the moment, her set was mainly showcasing unreleased songs that confirmed that she has the hits backed up, stored and ready to create some even bigger moments that will takeover radio. Opening with ‘Bandaid’, the G-Flip inspired banger really set the mood and tone for the show with its elevated production through live drums. Not taking anytime to muck around, she glided straight into ‘Stuck In A Bubble’ and gave the audience a song they could singalong to with her.
‘Nervous’, and ‘Fly’ followed which highlighted her strong songwriting, and in-between the songs she further elaborated the stories behind them which added to the candid nature created by the cabaret styled seating of the venue. Explaining how ‘Flight’ was inspired by a couple that sat next to her on a flight and were anxiously holding onto each other the whole time, the romantic track was an immediate gush-worthy favourite. ‘Breathe’ was then one that she explained as a songwriting collaboration with fellow Unearthed High finalist Tulliah that explored the changes that were drastically happening in her life following winning.
But the real standout moment of the night came during the vulnerably stripped back ‘Heartless’. Honestly singing the lyric “I would give my heart, but right now I’m heartless”, she had the audience in awe with goosebumps running up their arms, and tears welling in their eyes. This was a song that she added to the setlist mid-show, and it was a spur of the moment decision that really paid off as it was a track that everyone was raving about as they were leaving.
Introducing ‘Teenager’ as her next single, she teased that it will be released very soon and with its catchy chorus you better be ready to singalong to it on triple j as soon as it drops. Thanking the crowd for coming out to see her, she closed the show with the song that started it all, ‘Circles’.
George Alice is truly a force to be reckoned with. Her hook writing is bold, her storytelling is captivating, and the production is super tight. This live show was a strong introductory into who she is as an artist, and showcased her strong incoming trajectory. So prepare for a George Alice takeover.