George Alley

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Recently I was able to connect with talented pop artist, George Alley, to discuss their latest single and video for “Letgo.” This Philly-based artist collaborated with producers Ian Romer and Frank Musarra on their debut self-titled LP that is out now. In this interview, I asked George about the artistic direction of the single and its inspiration, what went into the video treatment, as well as what George Alley hopes their fans will take away from this track. George Alley is available for purchase here.

What inspired the creation of “Letgo”? Are there any personal experiences or stories behind the song?

I wrote “Letgo” before I even realized I was working on an album. It was sitting on my hard drive until Ian Romer, who produced the album, heard it and suggested we develop it further. Lyrically, I was inspired by the circle line on the London Underground or highways that circle cities, like in Columbus, Ohio. To me, they serve as metaphors for romantic relationships—dependable, but ultimately bringing you back to where you started. I think life often feels like that. I’ve rarely felt completely “all in” about anything—whether it’s jobs, cities, romantic relationships, or identities. But making this album is the first time I’ve felt fully committed to something.

What visual aesthetic did you aim for in the video? Can you share any memorable moments from the filming process?

There have been seven promotional videos for this debut album so far, and the video for “Letgo” was an opportunity to work with two of my favorite collaborators—visual artist and author (and ex-boyfriend) Dr. Philip Moore, and videographer Robert Lambert, who works out of Atlanta. Since the song has a lighthearted feel, I wanted the video to have a different aesthetic, something that stood apart from the punk-noir vibe of “Wishlist.” Philip’s collage style is influenced by Buck Rogers, Star Wars, the B-52s, and Ed Wood, which made it perfect to release the video on Halloween. When I asked Philip about it, he said: “Once we got on location at a former high school theater and discovered the amazing, heavy, lush red curtain, we knew we had to improv more with the curtain and stage. With the various performers, we were all tapping into our inner high school theater kid, just having a lot of fun dressing up and playing with movement, ideas, and plot.”

What do you hope listeners take away from the single?

It’s been great to see “Letgo” gain popularity! It’s somehow in my top three most-streamed songs on Spotify without any promo. We even did a live version at GroundFloor Studios in winter, which I recently posted on YouTube. The song expresses that feeling of always searching for something better, yet dreading the possibility that the next choice could be worse, or just more of the same. It’s a pretty relatable fear. I felt it when I graduated college and ended up working customer service at an insurance company while living at my parents’ house, and I still feel it today. That’s why I’m partial to the line: “I’ll get on new ground / away from this town / buried under greener grass.”

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