Alice Cotton Bio.
“Cotton has the quality that Paul Kelly and Stella Donnelly have whereby it seemingly feels like she’s narrating the mundane moment in life and relationships that we’ve all been through and then - POW - you’re hit with the depth and breadth of her storytelling.”
Straight outta Darwin, queer indie-folk artist Alice Cotton’s infectious songs ‘hit you with the depth and breadth of her storytelling’ (triple j). Fresh off a top 10 placement in NT’s Territory Sounds Countdown and a finalist placement for the inaugural Australian Folk Music Awards, Cotton is carving up the country’s regional music scene with her infectious and off-kilter blend of folk, alt-country and indie-rock. Audiences are drawn in by Alice’s playful banter paired with stunning vocals and introspective lyrics about family dogs, queer love, and a constant longing for food.
Collaborations with Australian artists.
Based in a tiny regional city in the tropical north of Australia, Cotton has a national reach, bringing together a slew of Aussie music legends for the first single off her debut EP, ‘My Turn’. A collaborative track with industry heavy-weights Nick Huggins (Alice Skye, Jen Cloher) and Holly Thomas (Quivers, HUSKY) ‘My Turn’, out November 4, is a self-assured statement about stepping into ownership of your creativity.
Cotton’s debut single ‘Sleeping Dogs’ and accompanying Auslan-interpreted film-clip garnered strong radio play including a triple j premiere, regular play on the likes of 2SER, 8CCC, ABC Darwin and Alice Springs, and a finalist nomination for the 2021 Fist Full of Film’s Music Video Award.
“Cotton pens a beautifully tender and emotive track inviting us into her reflection” - Steph Liong - Tone Deaf, on 'Sleeping Dogs'
Her follow-up single ‘You Drive a Hilux’ , paired with an outback NT tour, continued to garner strong community radio and audience support for her music, listed twice in Tone Deaf as top Australian music picks for community radio and added on high-rotation to SYN FM, as well as play across double j, RTR FM, PBS FM, 2RRR, 2DRYFM, Edge Radio, Radio Adelaide, 5tripleZ and JOY 94.9 FM, and a feature on Brian Nankervis (RocKwiz)’s national ABC radio show Songs and Stories.
Born and raised in Darwin, Alice Cotton would write songs as a child about her everyday world; mouldy pillows and fly-screen doors. She left for Melbourne to study classical music, and then, a Masters of Music Therapy. Cotton returned home to the NT seven years later and embedded herself in community, running a pub choir through Big Community Sing!, performing at Darwin Festival, and producing sell-out LGBTQIA+ events for Darwin Fringe Festival.
And it’s not just about her own music. The community-minded artist was the recent recipient of an Arts Access Award, commending for her work providing professional development and creative performance workshops for disabled and neuro-diverse musicians in Darwin.
Cotton is spending 2022/23 releasing singles off the EP (supported by ArtsNT) backed by a national tour with a run of regional shows from late 2023. Locally, you can catch Cotton supporting The Audreys on September 24, co-writing with award-winning folk-country artist Dave Garnham, or playing in post-punk feminist outfit The Ovulators.
“A Territory hit”
NT News
“Sweeping, intimate, melancholy vibes”
FROOTY Magazine, on Sleeping Dogs
“Alice has delivered a song that resonates with NT nostalgia”
Benjamin Erin - Tone Deaf, on You Drive a Hilux
“a nuanced way of viewing the world has clearly produced an artist and performer of rare qualities ... Alice’s approach is insightful”
Foldback Media
“Cotton pens a beautifully tender and emotive track inviting us into her reflection”
Steph Liong - Tone Deaf, on 'Sleeping Dogs'
“Cotton has the quality that Paul Kelly and Stella Donnelly have whereby it seemingly feels like she's narrating the mundane moment in life and relationships that we've all been through and then - POW - you're hit with the depth and breadth of her storytelling”
Nkechi Anele, triple j