Raconteur and chanteuse of the people Alicia Blue invents her own line of folk with every release. Documenting her experiences in song, her latest is a tribute to Los Angeles’s own songbird, Lauren Ruth Ward. And while Alicia is East Side music royalty herself, ‘Queen of Echo Park’ is a magical tribute to the rock star befriended by an entire community.
“Songwriting started off a los a very necessary way to make sense of my chaos. Darker work, in way,” Alicia shares. “But Queen of Echo Park wasn’t that way at all. In fact, it was more of a painting in sunny broad daylight.”
The song starts with claps and a gentle quick strum. If you live in LA you know who it’s about instantly, “with rainbow bangs…she said ‘come to me, come as you are.’” Produced by Jordan Ruiz, the song features the one and only storytelling style of Blue surrounded by a waterfall of colorful vocals, a la ‘Because’ and some of which belong to none other than Lauren Ruth Ward. All four Beatles are smiling somewhere.
From start to end, the whole song is mystical and chill-inducing. Blue became fast friends with Lauren Ruth Ward when they first met, and humbly sings the words on everybody’s tongues, telling of the inspiring way in which Lauren lives her life: “and the beauty and mystery and larger than life experience I have with her and continue to have.”
“I needed to paint the picture of what we all felt.” Alicia continues. “Lauren has lifted up so many of us in the LA scene, it felt silly not to comment on this energy flowing through us.”
Catch Alicia Blue live at the Teragram on April 29 with none other than Lauren Ruth Ward, and Swimm. Stay in tune with Alicia Blue via her Instagram.
Words: Ari Tibi
