Allie Frost: Embracing the Ethereal Darkwave Sound

Allie Frost, a solo musician hailing from northeast Massachusetts, has been making waves in the music scene with her unique blend of ethereal darkwave and goth rock. With a touch of shoegaze elements thrown in for good measure, Allie’s sound is both haunting and captivating. In a recent interview, she shared her journey as a musician and the release of her first EP on the Peruvian darkwave label, In Club Records.

From Solo Artist to Label Release

Allie’s foray into the solo music scene began around 2019-2020, after years of making music. “I’ve been making music for a long time, but I would say that I branched into this solo life around 2019, 2020,” she explained. “So just a couple of years, and I make what’s known as ethereal darkwave kind of goth rock. A little bit of a shoegaze element there, because I really like the swirly stuff, and that is what I’ve been doing lately.”

Her first EP, released digitally on August 1st of this year, marks her debut on In Club Records. “So I have my first EP released, my first label release on a small Peruvian darkwave label called In Club Records, and that came out digitally on August 1 of this year. And I just got word that the digipack CDs and tape cassettes are almost done in production, so they should be sent out to me pretty soon.”

The Resurgence of Cassettes and Vinyl

In an age where digital music reigns supreme, Allie’s decision to release her EP on cassette and CD might seem unconventional. However, she believes that physical formats, like cassettes and vinyl, are making a comeback as collectors’ items.

“Yeah, cassette. I know it seems to be a really big collector’s item, and it’s, I guess, just like vinyl. It’s coming back.”

Allie even plans to pop the cassette into her older vehicle, which still has a tape deck. “So the label printed a limited run of that for people, the collectors that really like to have cassette tapes. And actually, I have a rather older vehicle, and I still have a tape deck in the car, so I’m gonna pop it in as soon as I get it.”

The conversation shifted to the resurgence of vinyl, with Allie’s interviewer sharing their recent experience of getting back into the format. “I mean, I just recently got back into vinyl and putting an LP on, and you hear that crackly original sound, and you think, oh, God, that sounds much better than a CD. I just love that almost raw format, and it’s just so good to hear. And you start listening to an album like an album should be listened to in one, not this modern way of playing my favorite songs. And it’s just picking songs from all over the place. I just love that.”

The Appeal of Physical Formats

Allie and her interviewer delved deeper into the appeal of physical music formats, discussing the experience of sitting down and listening to an album in its entirety. They agreed that digital music has made it easier to store and access music but has also led to a change in listening habits.

“It’s funny how that happens, how your taste evolves and changes over time,” Allie mused. “Things you may not have listened to, you suddenly listened to, and vice versa. It’s certainly happened to me, too. I used to love certain music that now I’m just not drawn to listen to anymore. It’s bizarre.”

Despite the convenience of digital music, both Allie and her interviewer expressed a desire to see vinyl pressings of Allie’s future works. However, the high cost of vinyl production remains a hurdle for many independent musicians.

The Inspiration Behind Allie’s Music

When asked about what inspires her music, Allie didn’t hesitate to mention the role of life’s tragedies and turmoils. “Oh, goodness. I hate to sound cliche, but a lot of tragedies and turmoils of life just lose grief, really,” she said. “I kind of identify with the whole grief wave term. I think it’s a great avenue to put out your feelings in a healthy way, I’d say. And I just. I have a lot of things to say. I’ve always been creative and into the darker style of music.”

Allie’s love for swirly, shoegaze guitars and danceable new wave and darkwave music has also shaped her sound. “I guess I just wanted to do sad music that you can dance to,” she explained.

The Personal Nature of Allie’s EP

Allie’s debut EP is a deeply personal work, touching on themes of family loss, illness, and other heavy-hitting topics. “My lyrics are there. It’s. This EP is incredibly personal. A lot of family loss dealing issues, dealing with illness, and just some really heavy hitting topics that I just put out,” she shared. “I just laid it all out and made a. An EP worth of music that I’m incredibly proud of.”

The interviewer praised Allie’s ability to create relatable music by drawing from a place of truth and honesty. “I think that’s what probably makes your music so good as well. It’s because it’s coming from a truthful place and you are, like you said, there it is. So I think that helps,” they noted. “It’s more relatable for other people as well.”

Upcoming Shows and Future Plans

As the conversation turned to Allie’s upcoming shows and future plans, she mentioned her excitement about performing at the UN Convention in Newark, New Jersey, in October. “It’s actually my first festival gig. It’s kind of, it’s not a ton of bands. It’s more intimate,” she explained. “I think there’s about eight bands playing and then a whole bunch of DJ’s and other types of performers. It’s going to be quite the fun time. And I am opening the night that it starts on October 7. So I’m supporting some pretty great acts and I’m incredibly honored and I can’t wait to do it.”

Allie also shared her plans for future releases, expressing her preference for creating EPs with fewer songs and focusing on high-quality production. “I’m kind of into the fewer songs. Really great production, and I’m kind of into doing that first,” she said. “I do have a big catalog of things from. From my old logic files and everything, but I think next is going to be another EP that I already have in mind.”

Collaborations and Remixes

The interviewer inquired about Allie’s interest in collaborations and remixes, to which she responded enthusiastically. “I’d like to venture into trying to remix. I’ve never done a remix for anybody. Someone actually just proposed a remix idea to me, so we’ll see how that goes. I’d really like to see what I can do there,” she said.

Allie also expressed her openness to having her own music remixed by other artists. “I would love to do that. There is a remix on the EP for abandoned ghost that my husband actually did, and I think he did a fantastic job with it. And so I guess that was my first official. Remix. And. Yeah, I think for the upcoming EP you’re going to see more remixes on there from various artists.”

The Importance of Support and Perseverance

As the interview drew to a close, Allie touched on the challenges she faced in recent years, dealing with personal and health issues that impacted her ability to work on her music as much as she wanted to. However, she remains optimistic about the future and the importance of having a strong support system.

“The past few years were really difficult, dealing with a lot of personal and health issues, and I kind of couldn’t work as much as I wanted to. But things are changing. Feeling better, working more. I feel like, a little more hopeful. Not so doom and gloom about the future happens to us all,” she shared. “You’ve just got to, I don’t know, persevere and keep telling yourself it will get better.”

“And the company you keep to having some good support around you is essential.”

Conclusion

Allie Frost’s journey as a solo musician in the ethereal darkwave and goth rock scene is one of perseverance, honesty, and a deep love for her craft. With her debut EP released and plans for future projects and performances, Allie is poised to captivate audiences with her haunting melodies and relatable lyrics. As she continues to navigate the challenges and triumphs of life as an independent artist, one thing is clear: Allie Frost’s music is a testament to the power of embracing one’s truth and using it to create something beautiful.