The Magic of Alli Raina and the Immortal Crone of Allston
Graphic by Chloe Williams
By Karenna Umscheid
Across ice-layered sidewalks and neon signs for gas stations in Allston lies the Tourist Trap. There, Alli Raina (she/they), lead singer of the band Paper Lady, resides. On weekend nights, she hosts local bands in their basement, as one of the quintessential Allston house show venues. I visited on a Sunday evening, where Paper Lady had performed the night before.
In the basement, where the shows happen, the walls are covered in black ink messages and drawings, while a cardboard cutout of Dougie Jones from Twin Peaks: The Return stalks in the background. To the left of the stage is a boulder the house has been built around, fittingly titled the “rock room,” where various instruments are also scattered.
There’s a natural freedom in the grime of a house show. It’s music without the polish and distance of a traditional venue. Raina and the bandmates they play with relish the space to express music with no boundaries. Raina tells me that “For five people to be so on and so excited, and understand the music, and have that connection as friends where we hang out all the time, it’s just a really special thing. They’re all really, really beautiful people.”
Paper Lady gorgeously leans into their difference from a regular band. They describe their sound as the “Immortal Crone.” Raina explains that people put a lot of pressure on writing a perfect bio that will summarize the band, but this is difficult to do because of the uniqueness of their sound. Paper Lady doesn’t fall into one singular genre, and the music largely speaks for itself. Similarly, they wish the name of the band was cooler. She laughs when telling me that “I was thinking about paperboys, and how there aren't any paper ladies!”
I’m drawn to Paper Lady particularly for their humanity, and connection with nature and wild things. The band has tracks with names such as “Water,” “In Nature,” and “Return to the Lake.” Raina elaborates on the earthly connections in their music, pointing it back to their Floridian upbringing. They say that “it was a natural thing for me to personify different elements of nature.” Raina notes the sound the wind makes and the parallels between nature and people as strong influences on her work.
She also discusses a connection with types of magic in her craft. In particular, she points out the practice of manifestation, and how it can be used to bring more passion into life. They connect this with the distant and witchy theme of their music. “I shriek a lot when we play. And when I’m writing lyrics, they’re also poems and spells.”
Their writing process is not as much about creating music, as it is about healing and working through their feelings. Raina says that “It’s not necessarily a form of manifestation, but a form of helping me release things I am supposed to let go of.” Inspiration for her music comes from elements of nature, and things she experiences. They compare their songs to journal entries, or pieces of their brain. She points out that her songs come from trying to understand a lot of human connections that aren’t necessarily romantic. They say it’s about “getting older and trying to understand your relationships and who you are as a person.”
“Absentee” is a fiery, wistful track that begs to be put on repeat. Raina tells me that she wrote the song about a friend she had feelings for. They would practice the song around him, and he would still have no clue it was about him. She laughs, and says that in her head she was saying “How could I ever be mad at you? You have no fucking idea what’s going on.”
For the future, Raina tells me the band talks about moving somewhere with a lot of land, building a studio and house, and just making music. They also bounce around the idea of traveling and playing anywhere that will have them. The possibilities for Paper Lady are infinite with the musical prowess of each member, according to Raina. They want to keep finding ways to express themselves, whether it be music, but also visual art, particularly a film with their music over it. “I just want to keep doing what I’m doing, and make enough money to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Raina is a Berklee student currently taking a leave. She told me that when you’re in music school, everybody wants to jam. They’ve been a part of various music combinations. She can bring a fully-written song to the rest of the band, and have it change completely while playing it. Performing a song is an even bigger, more powerful release for Raina and the band. Paper Lady has been a lot of different things over time, but something is really special right now. “I’ve never had it click like this.”
Paper Lady’s new single, “EVE,” is set to release on April 16.