In 2019, singer-songwriter Alicia Blue released her self-titled debut EP, which really was only the beginning of her career. The EP’s breakout single, “Magma,” was picked up by Starbucks, making its way into their stores around the world and their acoustic playlist on Spotify. From there, Alicia received attention from tastemakers like Atwood Magazine and LA’s legendary KCRW radio station. When her debut album, Bravebird, was released in April 2020, it managed to go over very well, landing on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Pop and Fresh Finds Rock playlists. A couple of weeks ago, Alicia released “Saline Waters” from her upcoming EP, Inner Child Work. With only a month to go until the EP drops, Alicia is continuing the hype by giving us the music video for “Saline Waters,” which she directed and edited on her own.
“Saline Waters” was written during the second full year of the pandemic in 2021. At the time, Alicia was obsessed with Joni Mitchell’s “Circle Game,” as it brought her comfort in the wake of so much loss. The haunting “Saline Waters” takes a look at death and mortality, with Alicia using the Salton Sea as inspiration. She explains,
“I found myself with my best friend taking a drive down to Salton Sea on New Year’s day. It’s a dead sea, without a living thing spared, and it fascinated me. Too much of something caused this, and that was salt. The white sand was rough beneath our feet, until we looked closer and realized it wasn’t sand at all. It was billions of fragmented fish bones, sea life that once was. Skeletons for sand. There was a strange thing that happened and what inspired this song, ‘Saline Waters.’ There was a friendliness in the space. I found some comfort there, at Salton Sea, where everything is dead, but just is as it is…and it’s all very beautiful.”
In the video below, which was shot on iPhone, we see the song come to life. There are artsy black and white shots of Alicia singing the song and taking in the sights around her. We watch as waves come in and out, clouds pass by overhead, and pelicans get ready to soar. As these scenes repeat throughout the video, we better understand the overall message of the song.
You can listen to “Saline Waters” on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
Keep up with Alicia Blue: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Website
