Alice Boman Dream On Vinyl

The profound sense of quietness that can be heard in Alice Boman's music stems from its simple roots. Initially a project that started at home when she was a teenager, the songs she was making were just 'sketches'. Yet as soon as her at home tinkering reached other people ears, it was clear that there was so much more to her talents. Two EPs followed, 2013’s 'Skisser' and 2014’s 'EP II', as did a wave of critical acclaim and an array of TV placements for her music on shows such as Transparent, Wanderlust, and 13 Reasons Why. With her new reach, the Swedish songwriter captivated listeners one-by-one. A period of reflection and concentration on songwriting followed, as did a run of stirring one-off singles made with producer Fabian Prynn: 'Heartbeat', 'Dreams' and 'End of Time'.  Boman now finds herself in a place far away from the artist she started out as. “It’s like two different worlds,” she says. “I didn't even realise that this was something I could do for a living. Things feel a bit more certain now and it's nice to be able to dive into it fully.”

Despite her debut album feeling fuller and richer, as well as being her most accomplished work to date, Boman’s intimacy remains intact. “I didn't want to lose the nerve of intimacy,” she says. “That's an important thing for me.” The songwriting for the album initially began in a similarly isolated and autonomous way. “I took instruments and recording equipment to a house in the countryside of Sweden for a few weeks to get away from everything,” Boman says. “To just focus on writing and playing. No distractions. Sometimes you need that distance to get into a flow.”

Boman soon wanted to introduce the nature of collaboration into this record, working again with Prynn and also embracing a new creative dynamic with producer Patrik Berger. “This album is a new way of exploring intimacy for me. It can be scary to create with other people but you have to let that other person in and not hold back.” While this record still remains distinctly and undeniably hers, working with Berger has had a big impact. “It felt so good and so right working with him right away,” she says. “It's nice to be able to let go when it's with someone you feel like you can trust.”

It’s an interesting partnership given Berger’s production history (Robyn, Charli XCX, Icona Pop, Santigold). But this is not a glossy pop album. Instead, Berger tapped into the core of Boman’s sound and identity and elevated it to a new place. “That kind of music isn't something I listen to a lot,” admits Boman. “And before meeting him I had this in mind but he wanted to work with me because of what he had heard. He wanted it to feel like me and didn't want to change much.” Berger felt that connection to Boman too, finding that he was able to step into a new sonic realm in his role as producer. “Working with Alice got me thinking of music in a different way,” he reflects. “I never thought something so soft could sound so intense.”

The end result is an album that radiates a dense, fog-like texture, oozing melody and somehow managing to simultaneously uplift you and break your heart. While Dream On may be rooted in the essence of collaboration and reaches new sonic destinations, it’s also a deeply personal one. “I guess it's about love and heartbreak and things I’ve been through,” says Boman.