ALMA SHARES THE NEW SINGLE ‘HEY MOM HEY DAD’

“Pop bangers and searing confessionals.” – NME

“All eyes are on Alma as she makes her next move.” – i-D

“Her incredible stage presence is matched by a supremely creative view of what pop music can achieve.” – Clash

“One of the most exciting pop stars we’ve seen over the past few years.” – Hunger

“Summery pop perfection.” – Wonderland

“As if Avril Lavigne joined OMD immediately after the death of a much-loved pet.” – The Quietus

‘Hey Mom Hey Dad’ finds ALMA reflecting on her very personal family experience. ALMA and her twin sisters Anna had to look after their wheelchair-bound parents since childhood after their father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and their mother with rheumatoid arthritis. It was a great responsibility for two children and at times a heavy burden – but as the two sisters grew up, they realised the strength that comes with their parents’ life. And as ALMA started to achieve success, she realised that her accomplishments would provide both the money and the opportunities to make a substantial difference to their lives.

ALMA’s impassioned vocal and dynamic diva fill the song with her inimitable personality, while the production’s mix of modern alt-pop, power ballad melody and an undercurrent of Beatles-tinged psychedelia feels quite unlike anything else within the contemporary music scene.

ALMA says, “As it has been a strange couple of years, it felt natural for me to start opening up about my upbringing and how it has affected my life. Some people know that I come from a dysfunctional family and until now I have never really wanted to tell my story. By dysfunctional I mean that both of my parents are in a wheelchair – my father has MS and my mother has been ill with different stuff throughout the years. It’s been hard at times, and I feel like me and my twin sister had to grow up too quickly.

I can’t really remember a time when I felt I could just be a kid. And when someone is struggling in your family, everyone around must take care of that person – which is even harder when it’s both parents.  And when your parents can’t physically show you love or boundaries, it’s extremely difficult, it helped me realise how important words and emotions are, which is one of the reasons why I think I started writing songs.

My parents have however taught me so much – especially about never giving up. I’m happy I can share this through my music and help my fans who are in a similar position to know they are not alone. This song is not a sad story – it’s just a real story. No family is perfect, but we are all trying our best”. 

The unflinchingly real personal experiences behind ‘Hey Mom Hey Dad’ and BBC Radio 2 playlisted ‘Summer Really Hurt Us’ preview ALMA’s upcoming second album, which therapeutically explores the issues that she would otherwise leave unspoken. Sonically, it focuses on surging, forthright modernist pop sparked by a fiery punk heart, but this time with ALMAprimarily working with carefully selected collaborators such as Elvira Anderfjärd (Taylor Swift, Tove Lo) and Decco (Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez, Calum Scott) both in Finland and Sweden. It was the opposite approach to the array of co-writers and co-producers she linked up with during the globetrotting sessions that led to her debut album ‘Have U Seen Her?’.

That quest for truth infuses ALMA’s songwriting with narratives that are instantly relatable. Iconic female artists recognise those skills, with Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Charli XCX and Tove Lo just some of the names who have enlisted her as a co-writer – resulting in a catalogue which has exceeded 650 million streams. Those traits have also surfaced in ALMA’s own breakthrough moment ‘Chasing Highs’, which has exceeded 160 million streams and received Platinum certification in the UK.

There’s no magic formula, just hooky, earwormy, multi-genre songs that are brave enough to reveal her inner vulnerabilities for the world to embrace. As she notes, “If you’re making music with the singular intention for it to be polished, poppy and commercial then you should be scared, but if you’re doing it to be 100% real with yourself, you should not be.”