LIFE IS A MIXTAPE: ALICE BROWN

Today's 'Mixtape' comes from Alice Brown, a live music promoter and artist manager based in the West of Scotland. Alice holds a Bachelor's Degree in Commercial Music and is the Founder and Director of Timeless Music Promotions, a company that works with up and coming acts from across the UK.

"Music has always played a massive part in my life and has always accompanied me through the highs and lows of every situation. I have a massive amount of songs that mean something to me in one way or another, this can be through memories, lyrics or even the way that the song makes me feel."

The Cheap Thrills - Keep Me In Check

I don't know what the lyrics were written about, but they remind me of my Gran. I remember my Mum and I were playing the band and as soon as we heard the opening verse it reminded both of us of her. We heard the track not too long after my Gran had died so it really hit us. My Gran used to make sure we did everything right. There's an opening lyric that goes "it's no surprise that your dark eyes don't shine no more, chase you down corridors .... keep me in check, keep me in line, make up for my poor sense of time, it's you I respect"

It's these lyrics that really struck us throughout the song. My Gran had the darkest brown eyes and she was ill for a while before she died. She used to have a thing about the time, if we told her we would be at her house for 7pm and we were a minute late there would be trouble haha! She stayed in sheltered housing for a while and I used to take my Gran in her wheelchair from the dining room back to her room and run down the corridor pushing her wheelchair with us both laughing. My Gran was the head of our family, we all respected her, and she always made sure that I was alright and made me feel like the most important person in the world. The couple of lines in the song really resonated with us at the time and now every time I hear it that's who I think of.

La Club Royale - Rise Up

This song means a lot to me for different reasons. I manage the band and it was the first song they released. It was the start of a new project for us all and the release was very successful, so the song stays with me for that reason. The lyrics in the song talk about encouraging someone to be their best self and I feel that that's something everyone needs a bit of. Whenever I feel down or that I can't achieve anything I listen to the song to give me some motivation. 

Columbia - Where Did It All Go

This is a song that I have related to in the past couple of months. It's a band I work with and the lyrics can be related to the pandemic and how it sometimes feels like everything has disappeared. I think everyone has struggled at some point over the pandemic and I think this song shows you aren't alone in struggling and one day we'll get through it. Hopefully soon!

Sienne - Can You Hear Me Now

It's from another band I manage, and this track was the first single I worked with them on. As soon as I heard the track, I fell in love with it. I also loved everything about the release, it was released during the pandemic, so the band got lots of people together to send in videos of them singing the track and then added them together. It felt like a project that lots of people had an input into and really brought people together during a hard time. It starts off with the boys harmonising and it draws you in straight away. Every time I hear the track I just think about the process of the release and remember that we're all in everything together.

Ocean Colour Scene - The Circle

This is a song I have related to since I was young. I had a rough time in high school and absolutely hated it, it was music and football that got me through it. When I was about 14 my parents told me they wanted to see Ocean Colour Scene and asked if I wanted to go with them so I started listening to the band and fell in love with them. I remember the first time hearing 'The Circle' and I related to it massively, it touched on being left out of a group and feeling like you don't belong within a certain place and it's the song that I needed to hear during high school. I can always remember my Mum telling me that if Simon Fowler felt that way when he wrote the song then there's nothing wrong with me feeling that way and that there's always a group where someone belongs. Now, when I hear the song I always see how far I've come from school and it reminds me to keep on pushing. There's an acoustic version called 'Outside of a Circle' and it's the most beautiful version of it.

Cast - Paper Chains

This song means a lot to me. The lyrics tell a story of life and how everything changes. There's one lyric that stood out to me as soon as I heard it and I quote it regularly "I've never judged a man unless I've seen the world through his eyes". I just think it speaks a massive amount that in a world where people are quick to judge each other we should take a step back and think about why people are acting the way they are. 

David Gray - The One I Love 

This has always held meaning to me. It used to be my Mum's ringtone for years when I was a wee girl and I always just associate it with her. I remember when we used to go out to the shops we would just play David Gray on repeat and sing it at the top of our voices.

The Who - Baba O'Riley

Similar to the last reason has to be on the list. It's always been my Dad's ringtone and my Dad is the worst for leaving his phone lying around the house so every time you hear the intro to the song you see us all running to answer the phone on time haha! We've gone to see the band twice as a family as well and they've always played around the house while I've grown up. They are just a band that have always been there for me!

 The Recreation - Do You Want Me?

I love this song! During lockdown I started playing the guitar and singing a wee bit and this was one of the songs I learned. I remember being at the beach with two of my friends and telling them this was going to be the next song I learned and playing it. Now, every time I play it I go into a different world and it takes me away from the issues that I have going on. There's also a wee story to it! One of the bands I used to manage decided to take a break during lockdown and it was a very difficult decision for us all, although it was the right decision it was still emotional for us. I was an emotional wreck for days after it and every time I tried to play this song I burst out crying because of the opening line. We all laugh about it now but the song has always just had a special place within my heart. I just think you can hear the emotion coming out of the band when they play it.

Do you have a song that you'd like played at your Funeral?

I've never really thought about what song I would have at my funeral, I guess I've always just thought other people would pick them for me. I think everyone would add in 'The Best' by Tina Turner as I'm a massive Rangers fan. I think the song has always been there and I've sang it every other Saturday since I can remember so it's the perfect song to go out with.