Must-Have EP Review: Songs For My Therapist By Ali Coyle

We have had the pleasure of listening to, and now reporting on the debut album of a rising indie rocketship called Ali Coyle. The title is Songs For My Therapist and for our part, listening to this type of musical art IS therapy. Each song is brilliantly composed and strung together like the laces on a Go-Go boot.

Santa Ana-based singer-songwriter Ali Coyle has an uncanny ability to create introspective yet relatable indie pop. Her music is best described as cinematic poems, each song taking influence from photographic memories of nature and of the human experience. From self-doubt, finding your identity, achieving forgiveness and healing, Ali Coyle succeeds in crafting songs that inspire us all to ask the tough questions to reach a deeper meaning.

Ali Coyle grew up as a first-generation Irish American in Orange County, California. From an early age, she gravitated to music and performance, learning classical violin and then ultimately the guitar, where she found her freedom of expression. After a life-changing trip abroad to Ireland at 17, Ali connected with her roots and began to write and sing folk music in her first band. Soon later, Ali met her musical mentor and collaborator, producer Dave Tweedie, who is an intricate part of her life, and musical journey. After moving to East Los Angeles and performing in a series of bands while living in an artist warehouse, Ali’s community was ultimately separated from each other. Feeling drained and disheartened, the singer/songwriter moved to Santa Ana where she faced an “epic existential crisis”. Channeling these intense emotions and struggles, she soon began to write and record her debut EP Songs for My Therapist.

The six-track EP is influenced by her discovery and self-acceptance behind being an openly queer woman and her intense feelings surrounding love, heartbreak, and healing. The first single “Trust Me” is about “having hope, falling in love and taking a chance,” confides Ali. Featuring blissfully warm vocals, atmospheric soundscapes, and mood-setting saxophone, “Trust Me” is an affectionate ode to a new romance. Then there is “On My Way Again,” which is a more bluesy, roots-inspired indie-pop tune all about navigating the darkest of times and coming out stronger and with heightened awareness. On “Clear Water,” Ali Coyle finds solace in existence, connecting with water as the ultimate healer. “Clear Water” was recorded primarily using my looping pedal with sounds pulled and reversed to create orchestral-like effects that made the raw and emotional vocals carry extra importance,” says the songwriter.

For us, this was a very rewarding experience to hear. First of all, we were delighted to listen to so many instruments in such a small amount of songs. Nothing about this album felt forced or presentational like a demo. The whole project has a nice flow and a special sort of charm that brings out the personality of Ali through and through. An honest and soulful reveal of some powerful emotionally charged content.

Check out our favorite two songs from the EP below.