Alison Wonderland Q&A | Live at Licorice Pizza Records

That might be a bit high for me.

I'm climb up.

Sorry, I just had a C-section, so I can't climb up on this chair cuz I just gave birth. Um,

do we have another chair?

I'm just gonna stand. [ __ ] it. I'm just gonna stand.

No, I'm just going to stand.

It's okay. No, no, I'll stand so everyone can see. I just want to say firstly, thank you so much for I don't know why I'm holding this. Like I'm about to um I just want to say thank you so much for listening to my music. And a lot of this album was made for anyone that really felt like they didn't have a place in this world right now. Um, and that's how I have been feeling. So, I did this for my fans. And the reason I did keep writing and making music because there was a point where I almost wanted to give up. Uh, was because I asked myself, is there still fuel in the tank? And the fuel is all of you. And yes, there is. And I'm super grateful.

So, I just want to say thank you number one for that. And

yeah. [laughter] And yeah, this is just so overwhelmingly cool. And uh thank you for showing up. Um yeah, and then I guess we got some this is G, but you probably know that.

Yeah. So some of the ear people who lined up the earliest we're going to get some questions from uh so speak clearly and into this.

What are you a school teacher?

Yeah, [laughter] I am actually.

Uh okay, so Kelly has a question. and Kelly.

Hi.

Hi, Alison. First of all, it truly is a no skip album. So, yes.

No skips.

Yeah. No skips. Um, so my question was, um, if you had like a personal Mount Rushmore of sets that you've played, like ones that are like really memorable or special to you.

Yes. Uh, how many I'm Australian. Is it four people on Mount Rushmore? Okay. Uh

definitely uh my mix mag set uh my first Red Rock show. Uh my first Coachella and my first EDC. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. [laughter]

Uh Palav

Palav.

Hi Allison. Hi. Thank you for not giving up because you keep us from giving up.

Oh, I love you all. I just want to know what is your favorite lyric you've ever written and what is the lyric you wish that you wrote?

Um, my favorite lyric I've ever written is probably it will feel like forever until it doesn't because I keep telling myself that in life and everything comes in waves, which is funny cuz that's also a lyric. Um, but I do believe everything comes in waves and that sometimes when you're in the pit of the lows, if you say it'll feel like forever until it doesn't, it just helps you keep moving forward. And that is definitely uh something I still tell myself because life lives. So yeah, uh that's definitely that. And then what was the I my brain just Oh, the lyric I wish I um I was thinking about this the other day.

Uh probably o uh Disarm You With a Smile by Smashing Pumpkins is a really sick lyric and everything in its Right Place by Radio Head.

That's I think that's that I just got goosebump. That's probably the answer then. Yeah.

And next,

uh let's go with Junior.

Oh, J.

Hi.

Hi, Alison. Hi.

So, my question is, do you have a favorite song you've produced? And oh, sorry. And a least favorite song you've produced.

Yeah. Uh um a favorite song that I've produced. [ __ ] Um that's really hard because that keeps changing. And um for me, they're all my babies. So, I just feel like um I I think the one that uh would be my favorite only because of the reaction it gets from people is Run because a lot of people I think discovered me during that time and every time I play it, I do feel a really special energy in the crowd.

So, I would say that's one that stands out for me, but they're all my favorite so it's hard to choose. least favorite is is you some of you are going to hate this answer, but it's only the only reason it's my least favorite is I was traumatized by producing it because I could not get it right for so long and it's the longest I've tried making a song, which is Well, there's two. Yeah. church only because I still listen to it and I go, I had a [ __ ] breakdown making this song to the point where I threw something at a wall cuz I couldn't get the drop right and then I ended up going back to the original demo drop which is so stupid. Um, but and the same was with Down the Line. So, but I do love those songs obviously, but when I think about the process, it was quite [laughter] there was a lot of like genuine tears and uh breakdowns. Do you remember that?

Yeah. So, in terms of producing, those are my least favorite. I think cuz um when you really like a topline and you think it's really strong and the song means a lot to you, which they both do, I put a lot of pressure on actually producing it. And the same was for White Fang Deep End, uh my arch nemesis. But um I thought the top line was so strong that I was just felt so much pressure on making the music match how strong it was. So that's why it was not cuz I hate the song. Yeah.

Uh for question askers, just don't point the mic at that. It will feed back. Keep it pointed down. You'll be good.

Okay. Uh favorite name of question asker with chocolate latte.

Is that your is that?

Yes. And thanks for not looking at me directly like, "Oh, you must be chocolate."

Oh my god. [laughter]

I love it.

No, this is I love that we can all laugh cuz that's a recession indicator.

Okay. So my question for you is on your creative path to greatness, did you start witnessing synchronicities and coincidences where your journey felt magical and it was only a matter of time before your dreams came true?

Absolutely. I think when you uh well there was 10 years of people rejecting what I did. So that was like quite a battle that I was kind of climbing up this hill and then when I I people started getting me which is all of you and then it all kind of came together and felt like a flow state and and and I I didn't plan any of the success by the way. I just did what felt right and I did my best and you know it took off when I think around run is when it really took off and then the mix mag set and it just kept flowing and um I've always tried to not overthink anything that I create. Um because I want it to feel really real and and visceral and come from truly the depth of myself. Um

and I think that that sometimes takes longer for people to discover. But um when they do, they like really discover it. And so I did feel like that. A funny story about the synchronicity thing is that um when Run came out, I did a limited edition long sleeve with a a crossstick a what is it? a cross word puzzle and uh there was all the the I think

find

it was a find a word and I think that there were the album tracks in there and uh accidentally without realizing it and I had already I had there was no plan to call Awake Awake until you know 3 years later when I made it but we looked back at the merch a fan pointed it out and diagonally it said Awake on the run merch and we didn't know that was really really really weird. And I felt like, oh, this was meant to happen. Yes,

it truly was.

It was really weird.

Yeah, that's magic.

Yeah, it it was magical. [laughter]

Okay, next random name. I'm going to pick Lauren. Who? That. Okay. [laughter]

Hi, Queen.

Hi.

I wanted to ask what song on the album.

She's fine. What song on the album do you feel most personally connected to and why?

Um, Is This the End is the one that um Oh my god, I can't even talk. Um, because that was a song that um I'd been meaning to write for a long time cuz it was how I was feeling, but I didn't really know how to put it in words and put it out directly. Um, and then one night I remember sitting down and listening to a loop of a synth and um

that was all word splatter that came out from my iPhone. And um uh I I I was just

writing it about wanting to give up cuz I started feeling really replaceable in the industry. And everything started feeling very loud and you know um people were going more and more extreme to uh like be noticed whereas I I just want to kind of be myself the whole time. And um it was really I was really struggling with that. And I think a lot of people do in their own head like am I good enough? Like am I replaceable? Is anyone even noticing anything I'm doing? That's just how I was feeling. And then um I needed to write it down. It was kind of like an ego death for me cuz you know I I was thinking back to the parties I used to go to and I was the first person everyone would talk. It was just kind of feeling a bit you know where do I go from here? And um the funniest thing is I've ne I've never actually explained that that much to people. Um, and anyone that's heard the song, um, whether it be artists or people who are creative or, you know, just trying to work themselves out, a lot of them have messaged me about that particular song. Um, I'm like shaking talking about this. It's quite vulnerable for me to write that because it it was like a really embarrassing admission that I didn't really feel good enough for what I was doing anymore. And um, there almost wasn't an album. And then um, I think when I wrote Is this the end? I felt like, oh, no, it's not, you know, and I needed to write that.

So, that song's really important to me. Yeah. Sorry. [laughter]

I feel so exposed. [clears throat]

Uh, who is Adrien?

Oh, that was easy.

Hi, Alison. I just wanted to say that you're you're my favorite EDM artist in the entire world.

And I wanted to to take it way back with

asking you about about the song uh uh I want you.

Mhm.

So during the making of that song, was there any specific experience or just

Yeah. You're going to This is Yes. [clears throat] or or just like just like anything that that um inspired you to shape that song in what it ended up becoming. [laughter]

Oh my god, I've never talked about this really, but it's kind of funny. Um, I want you was actually written in about 20 minutes really quickly and it was inspired by um a guy that I met at a party who I thought we were going to sleep together and um he just like never

had sex with me and [laughter] I'm so glad my husband walked out for this. Um, and then I actually sent him the song uh cuz I found him on Facebook and he blocked me and This is true. This is a true story. And um it was it I want you about, you know, we're at this party all night and like why won't you give it up to me? And that's what the song was about. And I it's made me [laughter] just It was It's a song of like hope and rejection. Um uh but it was Yeah. Uh and then about a year later, the song I guess got number one on, you know, like everywhere electronic at the time. And the guy actually then came back and messaged me

and unblocked me and came to a show. He was in Australia and it was like uh and then he tried to kiss me on the staircase and I was like no.

So that is what I want you is about. And I I'm I'm so glad I'm wearing glasses right now cuz I'm blushing a little bit. Um but yeah and and I was like no way buddy no. So yes um that is the story behind I want you. I hope that's satisfying for you. [laughter]

Uh who is Eron? Oh

I just want to say as long as you're making music, we're all going to listen to it. So don't ever give up. Okay. Thank you. [laughter] Um, [clears throat] what was the inspiration behind Floating Away? Because I thought that was a pretty standout track of the album and it's definitely my favorite. It's actually really I I can see exactly where I was when I made that song. I was sitting on my couch. It was raining and my kid was dancing to the He was just like dancing in a little circle and I just kind of was like, "Oh, this is this is where I want to be right now." And I I wanted to make this ethereal track and just have it kind of be almost meditative for anyone that was listening to it. Um and obviously I I this is also before I even came up with the name of the of the um album. So floating away and ghost just weirdly make again synchronicity. Um, and oh yeah, it

it's it's

it is

Isn't that the love the love one like four for four? Protection.

Oh, okay guys. Okay, let's take a moment to just feel really protected right now. Yo, synchronicity. I love it. Spiritual level. Yes. Um, but uh, yeah, I I think um, I just wanted to kind of feel really like when you're floating away, there's a c certain happiness and lightness to that and that's what I wanted that song to feel like. And I also wanted to make my version of a speedhouse track. [laughter] Um, but uh, yeah, I just remember that day because it was raining and and he was he was running around in a circle and I was sitting watching him and I was writing the music for it. Yeah.

Yeah. [laughter] Yeah.

Who is Caesar?

Hello.

Hi.

We love you.

I love you. I love everyone here. I'm so grateful. Thank you.

Um, my question was, what song from this album was the most frustrating to make? Um. Ooh. Uh.

You know what? Um

uh I'm trying to think what was the most frustrating and I and it goes back to when I was mixing the album at the very end and there was a song where everything I'd made it with four different people which was Psycho and the four of us had different versions of the song on our computer and I had to join them all together with stems and give it to uh Tom Norris who is an incred incredible mixer. He just mixed like the Charlie XX record. I mean, but like you know, shout out Tom. But uh we sat on the computer uh sweating for about two weeks on that track trying to get everyone's versions of their drop, like of the drop that Quicks had added to, of the drop that Member had added to, of Eric's verse, and getting that right on my vocals, on the chord progression, on the strings at the very end. like we just really sat and it was incredibly frustrating to the point where we started like calling it a Frankenstein. So that was probably the most frustrating. Yes.

Rick, come on down.

Are you still on FaceTime?

You're not. I was, but I'm going to here. [laughter]

Okay. So my question to you, Allison. Hi.

Hi. Um, so my girlfriend and I are big fans of you. We were actually number one top listen to artist for you were for my Spotify.

Hell yes. Thank you. And that was before the album came out.

That was

Oh, okay. Hell yeah.

I discovered you on that mix set 10 years ago and have not stopped since. So my question now, because you and Cascade are both my favorite artists, I've seen your backtoback. I've always wished there was more to it. Is there any plans for another B2B with Cascade or a song?

Um, you can answer that, my manager.

Yes. Yes. The the short answer is yes. Uh, we have we're just trying to find a good time to release the the song.

Music exists.

The music exists for sure. And we've just been both busy like finishing our albums and having

Well, he didn't have anymore. I I I was busy. Yeah. like spawning mini me. Um

but but um yeah, I I love Ryan. I love

Cascade. He's one of the nicest, most genuine people in this industry. And the fact that, you know, uh we we even I even shared a stage with him still blows my mind. Um I am not worthy of that.

No, I I I really truly and watching him DJ is really cool. um because it's such a different style to mine and and it's it's like you can tell he's still excited about it. Um and he's got a crazy ear. So yeah, working together was really cool and we definitely are planning to release stuff. I know that if you bug him and and me, it's going to happen and you've been talking to his manager and there's a plan there. Yeah. So yeah.

Yeah. Go to his thing and ask him as well. [laughter] That would help me. Um, Shauna, who's that?

Yeah.

Hi, Allison.

Hi. I think it'd be so cool to see you play in Oz. So, I was wondering if you have any plans in the new year where you'd be playing overseas in Australia again.

Yes.

Oh,

the answer is yes.

Is it? Okay.

We have dates, right?

Yeah. We haven't confirmed them.

Oh, we haven't confirmed. Well, I I better do [laughter] that.

Yes, we got [laughter]

I'm just using this as help to

Did he Did he ask you to ask me that? Cuz he's been trying to get me to answer what dates I can do for a while. Are you a plant? [laughter] But yes. Yeah. Um there is plans for that and and you know other countries too which I have to lock in and give answers to. I'm sorry. I was busy giving birth.

Uh, Adam

over here.

Oh, hi.

Oh,

Jungle.

Yes, that's that's your new name.

Uh, what's one artist that you haven't collaborated yet that you really want to? Um, o honestly I don't think this will ever happen cuz I don't even know if they're doing stuff together. But like I'd love to do a song with tonight only because like I love them so much as producers and they started so much and inspired me so much early in the game. Like Hudson Mohawk is one of the reasons I started making halftime stuff in like 2009. Um, and then I guess like another one would be Lana Del Rey. [laughter]

Um, and uh, jeez, I I always dreamed of

having David Adamra intro one of my

things, but that I don't think I actually Googled how old he was 2 days ago, and I called you in the middle of the night and I was like, he's 99. Um, and he's still alive. Uh, so that would be cool. Like to collab with someone that's not even a musician, like David Adamra, would be really crazy. Um, yeah. or Kermit the Frog.

Uh, let's go with Cynthia.

Hello.

Hi. That's actually a perfect segue because my question was, what role did Kermit the Frog play in this album?

Oh my god, you read the back of the notes.

Yes. Shout out baby number two.

Oh yeah. I didn't have a name for the baby at the time, so it was just baby number two. Actually, we were going to call the baby Jack and then he came out and my husband was like the first thing he said was like, "Fuck, he doesn't look like a Jack. Fuck." So, yeah, we really didn't have a name. Um, and I was like super on drugs at the time. And so, I heard like, "Fuck, he doesn't look like a drug." And I was like, "Shit." Um,

I was very like ketamine at the time. Um

um insight into my birth story. Uh

so Kermit the Frog is my favorite thing of all time and I love the song it's not easy being green. Um because it's kind of like ghost world like you just don't know where you fit in. And I just love Ker. And I honestly my favorite thing about Kermit is like the bootleg [ __ ] up memes of him where he's like, does anyone know that meme Goatsy? [laughter]

Okay, if you don't, don't Google it. It's a dude. It's a It's a [laughter] It's a dude. Wait, are there kids here?

Okay, good. It's a It's a dude bending over and spreading his butthole. Um, and there's a Kermit version of it. So, I just think it's really funny. And then for my birthday a couple of years ago, a friend of mine painted a portrait of Kermit doing the goat sea pose with his puppet hole. Um, but it just makes me laugh how much like there's so if you ever Google like weird Kermit memes or like cursed Kermit memes, so many like there's one of him like I don't snorting things. and it's just really funny. Um, so I don't know.

It just makes me happy and and I love I love Kermit. So yeah.

Uh, Craig.

Yeah. I got

Hi. Um,

my question is, are there like current or future artists that you would like to collabo with? It could even even be in the hip-hop realm, too. I was just

Oh, in hip-hop. You know what?

Damn. Wait. Yeah. I mean, I would actually love to do another collab with Chief Keef. Like,

he was

Yeah. And he honestly was one of the best people I've been in the studio with to this day. And um Yeah. I just Also, did any of you guys see Dylan Francis just walk through before? [laughter]

That was

Yeah, he he was he didn't know. He just like

[laughter]

so funny.

Um, but yeah, uh, I'd love to do another track with with Chief Keef. I think he he's so creative and like there's so much to him as an artist that like I think when you just listen to like the top five records, you don't even realize how good he is. And when he was in the studio with me, we were there for about 10 hours. And um, it was me, G, his

manager, a tray of weed, and my dog. and

my dog RIP who just passed away. Yeah, Molly just Yes. So, anyway, this album is is Oh, and he left his car running the entire time. Sorry. I just think I just ruined everyone's day about Molly. Yes. Yeah, she left us a couple of months ago and I haven't been able to tell anyone because it's been too hard. So, if you have a dog, please hug hug your dog. Um, yes. But anyway, Chief Keef, RIP Molly.

Pretty sure she ate some weed that day.

We've got We've got like two minutes left. Randomly pick a name.

No, someone put their hands up and I'll choose. Okay, you you Okay. Yes.

Hi, Alex.

Hi. Um, do you design your own clothes yourself?

Yes, I do. I do. And I'm like heavily involved in in all of that. My biggest rule when I design merch is would I wear it myself and if I which I'm I'm doing right now, these will be available. Um, but I I I only want to design stuff that I [ __ ] with and that I would wear myself. And I don't think enough artists do that to be honest cuz sometimes I'm like gh, you know, and I take Thank you. And I take time. I even choose all the blanks. Like how many hours have I gone like even choosing the blanks of the TV the shirts TV my brain? Yeah. No, it really and like I want to make sure it fits well and it and it suits everybody.

Like that's really important to me too. Like I try and make everything quite neutral. And um yes, like everything that you see comes from my brain with help from Tracy who is over there. She helps me set it up. And yeah, uh it's

I'm so sorry, Tracy. How many times have I put you through? But yes, since I started it's all me. All of it. I'm way too involved in everything you see visually at my shows. Every lighting like idea you see, every visual idea you see either at White Fang or Allison, every album cover, every color, that is all me and I micromanage it. And I'm sure it drives everyone crazy. But it's truly like everything AW is from my brain.

And that's why I design like all my own clothes, too, for you.

You love my sweater.

I know. It's so sick. Look, she look, she remixed the slip mat at the back.

It's so sick. Uh, I've got one one more question.

Please sell the XTC jersey.

Oh,

the one you wore in San Diego.

Yes,

this this thing. Um, yeah, I It's a It's a remix of that, but I Yeah, the other one was a It was a one-off for the pregnancy, but we'll see what we can do. Sorry, Tracy. Yeah.

Okay. Uh, two more. Okay. Colored colored hair then colored shirt.

Okay. Hi.

Hi again.

Um, question. Are you going to bring out the cello again anytime?

Yes, I absolutely will.

Yeah. And and weirdly, I was talking to, you know, Apache the the producer. He does a lot of stuff with strings. We've been talking about maybe getting together and doing stuff with that.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. He's really dope. And then

Yeah. I was just curious if you could share some of the challenges and adversity you had coming up as a female uh and a male

diamond. Uh yeah, so many challenges. Um part of the reason why I've always kept my body pretty covered was from the start I didn't really want people were you know people can be very judgmental by the way. No, like I'm glad that people can show their body now and it's like less of a thing, but back then I didn't want to be judged on by my gender and I was. So, I tried to not make it about that, which shouldn't be the case, by the way. And now I'm seeing so many amazing female artists come up and just not have to really feel that way anymore. And I'm really grateful that the world's turning and evolving and people's minds are more open. But, you know, there were many times and it really hurt me. Um I I don't give a [ __ ] anymore because I've proved everyone like I've been here long enough like [ __ ] you know. Um where they would say that I didn't make my own music or I didn't uh DJ my own sets and I would fake. So, you know what I did is I um well, not only did I collaborate with myself, so it's like, yeah, the other person. Um, but also, um, back in the day, I would put GoPros over my hands so people could see behind me that I was actually scratching and DJing because to me, DJing is like an instrument. And that's why I get excited about it. And I I really do believe like I would be so [ __ ] bored if it was fake. Like I I don't understand like how And there listen, I'll tell you one thing. There's I've seen way more male DJs fake it than women. Um uh and and like there's so many amazing female artists now and and I'm really grateful that that like less of them are getting questioned about their integrity. Um for me, I just felt like I had to work twice as hard. Um I never saw myself on stage. I never I never really feel any gender on stage if I'm being honest. Um I just see myself as a [ __ ] headliner.

[cheering]

Hopefully that answered it. Um, but yeah, I just want to say thank you to all of you for turning up today. Thank you for buying my music, streaming my music, buying my merch, bootlegging my merch. I [ __ ] love that [ __ ] by the way. [laughter] I really don't get when artists get annoyed if people like make bootleg merch. Do it. It's [ __ ] sick.

No, they can sell it. I truly don't give a [ __ ] I don't give a [ __ ] I I I'd rather you know, you be creative and share what you love and and and again like I would not be here without any of you and and you always remind me not to be whack and you always remind me like not to put out anything ingenu like ingenuine. Is that a word? Disinguous.

Okay, listen. I I just my my excuse for everything right now is like I just had a baby. Um but I really did. Um, and

yeah, I I I truly think this is my best album. I Someone said to me recently, a few people that it reminded them of Run, but 2025, 2026. And I think like when I was making Run, it felt the same as when I was making Ghostworld. I cut out all the voices. I told the record label to [ __ ] off. And and they really like, to be honest, like my record label in Australia and uh they they said, "We just want you excited about this album." So, I just did whatever I wanted and um and and it really just worked and yeah,

all killer, no filler. That's like and then uh there'll be more White Fang too this year, next year.

Cool.

Cool. And thank you so much again and I really appreciate it. And also every time anyone has Yeah. I don't know. I'm just very overwhelmed and and very grateful. So, I love you all. I like truly love you all.

And um I'm sure there's going to be a show.

Yeah, we'll see.

Am I going to relax? I honestly Okay, this is my last my last answer for the night cuz I'm hungry. Um but um I I don't relax. I don't know how to I my brain doesn't stop moving. And I think that's why I'm I'm a creative and I have so many things that I create, whether it be White Fang, Allison, merch, you know, whatever. And um I'm very inspired by like ideas. So I don't really know how to take any time off and I've never done that. So I'd like to, but then like as soon as I'm there, I'm just going to be like, "Oh, I have this crazy idea." My brain doesn't stop. And poor GH has to deal with that at like 2:00 a.m. I'll call him and he picks up. So, I want I want to also thank G cuz he's been with me from the start.

But thank you all of you and uh thank you to the ghost.

There goes.

All right, I'm off now. You guys all get some food and uh we'll get [ __ ] up on a spiritual level really soon.

Thank you.