Interview, Words, and Photos by Katherine Cardinale
On a cool September evening, nostalgia folk indie band Shallow Alcove played an intimate, acoustic set opening for Emma Harner in Boston at Berklee Conservatory’s The Red Room at Cafe 939. Although it was short, Grace and Dan immediately captivated and connected with the audience with just their guitars, vocals, and down-to-earth personalities. The set included “Wishes on Weeds,” a cover of SZA’s “20 Something,” and “Crumbs,” which is the third single off their forthcoming album, Pain Is A Heavy Door. One fan wearing a silver tiara blew bubbles into the crowd towards the end of the set, which fit perfectly with the band’s aesthetic and was a special moment for everyone in the room.
Grace and Dan took the time to meet people at the merch table after their set, which allowed fans to share stories and talk about their love for the band’s music. Their merch included colorful t-shirts with hand-drawn designs, as well as DIY stickers created by Grace!
We got to ask Grace some questions about Shallow Alcove’s musical journey, as well as the upcoming album. We hope you enjoy learning about the band and Pain Is A Heavy Door!
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: You’ve been releasing music since 2021, but you are finally releasing your debut album next month. How has the current rollout experience differed from your past releases?
SHALLOW ALCOVE: This rollout has felt very different. Previously, we would do things in a very formulated way: announce a single three weeks before its release, only promote that one single, etc. This time, we’ve been playing around. We did a surprise release. We’ve been sharing unreleased songs all over the place. It’s felt a lot more organic and fun.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: Who are your current musical inspirations, and how have they impacted your music?
SHALLOW ALCOVE: Phoebe Bridgers, always. Especially in the way that she doesn’t play by industry expectations. I feel like that has inspired us the way we’re releasing and promoting this album live, kinda just doing what we want. For the music itself, we’re very inspired by Big Thief. We recorded this album very live, a decision inspired heavily by them.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: If you had to describe your new album in emojis, which ones would you choose?
SHALLOW ALCOVE: 🪄🐇🎈🚪
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: What was the inspiration behind the artwork for your upcoming debut album, Pain Is A Heavy Door? It’s so cute! The bunny looks like Miffy.
SHALLOW ALCOVE: LOVE MIFFY! The inspiration comes from a lot of different songs on the album. When you hear it, you’ll recognize each component on the album cover. The bunny has become a big symbol for this album; the song that contains the title lyric is about how anxiety can turn you into an animal of prey, or a rabbit being pulled out of a hat.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: Is anything (else) you’d like to promote?
SHALLOW ALCOVE: Keep your eyes peeled for some headline tour dates! ♡
