Ahead of her 'homecoming' Rock City date on the Voyeur Tour, breakout pop singer-songwriter Alessi Rose spared some time to chat to LeftLion about the value of human connections, favourite Nottingham spots, and the road from the Derby to the rest of the world...
Congratulations on Voyeur — the EP and the tour! What are your feelings about how the EP has been received?
I was so unbelievably happy with how it was received. I’ve always wanted my music to connect with people to the extent that they can apply those lyrics to what’s going on in their own lives, and so I feel like Voyeur has very much been that for many.
It’s an intensely personal and revealing record. Can you tell us about the writing process?
It was a period of time in which I was becoming more accustomed to being an artist and being perceived outside of my own audience, and being an artist whose first experiences of the music industry are occurring with every growing day for everyone to see, and I guess it exposed so many conflicting feelings. Feelings of love and pride but also shame and punishment - all things that are dug up when your life circumstances are so rapidly changing.
And what is it like singing those songs live?
Crazy. My concerts are super loud; people truly do know EVERY word to EVERY song. There is no part where people are bored or not paying as much attention. It’s this constant ride of insanity and joy and emotion.
Music was my way of keeping a diary
Although your debut single came out only a couple of years ago, you’ve been writing music for a lot longer. What made you start making music?
I started writing music as a cathartic way to understand my feelings, and make sense of my OCD in a time when it wasn’t really spoken about, and so music was my way of keeping a diary effectively.
When was the point you realised things were really taking off?
I think the minute I started doing shows and they were selling out so quick. Before that, my measure of how well things were going was just hearing people connect with my songs online and being so glad that there were real people behind the messages. My first tour sold out with like 15000 tickets gone in ten minutes, and I remember being back home and just freezing completely. I’d had no idea how big it all actually had gotten
How does it feel to be routinely compared with stars like Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams ...?
I think it’s really sweet that there are so many female pop artists killing it right now, and so to be compared to these women who are redefining pop in their own ways is super complimentary; however I also am excited for when I have some more music out and people are able to see me in my own lane, side-by-side with these women. I’ve been writing music on my own for so long that I have a very firm clutch on who I want to be, and so if comparisons help the general public understand me more, then great, but it’s not something I pay too much attention to myself.
We know you’re from just up the road in Derby! It’s great to see an East Midlands artist doing so fabulously well. How did growing up there shape you as a person?
I think growing up in Derby has helped me because, in the nicest way possible, writing about mundanity and suburban life and the desire to get out of there as a kid is something that is so relatable to so many young people. Every teen hates their town when they forcibly have to live there and whilst now I look back very fondly on my hometown, I think that period of looking for an escape made me creative. I also had no connections to the music industry, which forced me to get pushy in how I approached showing people my music. I wasn’t born into a family of musicians, nor did I live in London, so I had to make people care.
Does it still feel like home?
Thankfully yes. I think I’ve virtually lived out of a suitcase this entire year so Derby honestly feels like true home. My favourite places in the world are Derby and LA which is a nice juxtaposition.
Do you have any favourite Nottingham spots? (Other than Rock City of course!)
When I was a kid I loved the American Apparel on the corner by the old shopping centre. They always played great music in there. I also bought an incredible faux fur coat from Cow Vintage once.
Finally, what can fans expect from your Nottingham show in December?
Pop music, drama, running, crawling, yelling, more drama, more pop music, maybe a big light up cross...
Alessi Rose performs at Rock City on 3rd December 2025. Her Voyeur EP is out now.
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