Brooklyn songwriter and composer Alana Markel makes left field pop that likes to pull in opposite directions at once: playful but a little sad, polished without losing the human edges. That balance sat at the heart of her breakout EP I Love You, and it carries straight into what comes next.
Her new double single “Not Likely” offers two versions of the same song. The first is warm, electronic and almost giddy, built around a synth part Sean Mackillop sent her over iMessage while Markel was struggling with writer’s block. She ended up finding the first verse while walking through Chinatown, quietly recording it into her phone. “I didn’t realize how clearly and easily I had revealed my own psyche to myself.” “Not Likely 2” strips everything back to upright piano and voice, recorded between a friend’s apartment and a back porch in Charleston. Together, the two versions show exactly what Markel does best: turning the same feeling over until you can hear both the glow and the ache inside it.
Watch the “Not Likely” video, and catch the song on our Forecast Tape playlist on Spotify, alongside some of our favorite recent releases.
Alana Markel will perform at NYC’s Knockdown Center’s Ruins on September 17, opening for Acopia and Carla dal Forno.
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