Alice Merton

“I wanted to take the seriousness out of everything a little bit, because it kind of fits my style.”

“At the end of the day, it's not the labels buying the music: it's the people out there, and you have to be behind the music and not anyone else. You're the one representing it, you're playing it for everyone; you're doing promotion and travelling around the world.”

“I think nowadays it's important to have the support of a group of people who are ready to invest time and effort in your music and vision.”

“When I was younger, I always wanted to be either a pianist or a classical singer, and when I discovered songwriting, it was like a new portal had been opened.”

“Every song is true and has its unique story behind it.”

“Being an artist and a human in this world always means confronting people who make you feel like you have to act according to their rules.”

“I didn't want to write a sad song to remind me of the fact that I'm always moving around. I wanted something to cheer me up.”

“The idea - or, if you like, the need - to write and record 'Lash Out' was born of a feeling within me.”

“I'm definitely sleep deprived - it is so hard to sleep on a tour bus! It moves around so much, and we have really weird time schedules.”

“I was realizing that I didn't have a home. I didn't really feel at home in one place.”

“I was on the beach, and I was just thinking to myself that I have no one place where I actually feel like I'm at home. I came up with the idea of having no roots - never being grounded to a certain place but having your home with people who you love.”

“If I don't feel the music, I can't perform it.”

“Music is something I can control.”

“You don't really learn how to write songs; you learn to develop as a writer, and you get to meet lots of musicians and figure out what kind of sound you want. You have the time to just develop and try different styles, and that's what I did.”

“I love writing about things I know, and I like to be very honest in my music.”

“It's a really hard decision, picking my second single.”

“I loved a lot of the romantic composers.”

“I don't really see myself as a pop star. I guess I just really enjoy being able to play my music for people who actually want to listen to it.”

“There's a few kids out there who like singing to my songs. They're, like, five, six, seven years old.”

“I always wanted to do something with music, but to be honest, I never thought I'd be good enough.”