Alana Mars is just getting started with debut EP 'The Prologue'
May 3, 2024
Cover art for Alana Mars’ EP, The Prologue. Photo by @taylor.sicko.
Denver-based indie alt pop artist, Alana Mars, has just released her highly anticipated debut EP, The Prologue. This project has been two and a half years in the making, and is the product of collaboration between Mars and fellow Denver musician, Ben Pisano. Mars is an established player in the Denver music scene, performing regularly at popular venues across the city, and notably, at last year’s Underground Music Showcase.
Her background as a songwriter and performer dates back over a decade, as is evident in the exceptional lyricism throughout the six song collection. It’s as if she derived the lyrics directly from her journal: narrating firsthand experiences with relationships, documenting revelations about life as a young adult, and airing out grievances to those who’ve wronged her. The Prologue, aptly named, represents the origin of Mars’ journey as she looks ahead at the fruitful career that lies before her.
The first track, “Hold My Tongue”, is a vivid recounting of Mars’ internal struggle with queer romantic feelings she developed for a friend. Vignettes of Mars and the unnamed crush attending a party come to life with the sounds of chatter and glasses clinking embedded in the production.
Suspended in an atmosphere of undulating synths, Mars’ tender voice details the pain associated with her unspoken feelings. Lyrics like, “I can’t stop thinking about you most of the time/But I hold my tongue, try to be polite” and “Please don’t leave me on this couch for a boy/I can’t stop thinking about how you would call him your toy” are gut wrenching to anyone who’s experienced a similar unrequited sapphic love.
In stark contrast, the next number, “Don’t Ask” is an acoustic power-ballad about Mars seeking guidance from her tarot deck. Riddled with clever references to specific cards, she confesses to knowing already what the cards will tell her. The whimsical energy of this ballad, carried by drums reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, builds as Mars comes closer to admitting what she’s initially in denial of.
The bridge serves as the climax, where she pulls the lovers reversed, indicating trouble in a relationship. Upon this revelation, she sings, “Let out a cry/Let the winds of change wash over me” and “Let out a sigh/I know I’ll heal in time” before launching back into the final chorus. The release of coming to terms with a painful, yet necessary change is relatable to any twenty-something.
The closing song, “Two Toned” is the sweet and very honest story of Mars herself. She wears her struggles on her sleeve as she professes, “I’m always hot or I’m freezing/I can butter you up or tear you down with no meaning”. Between the warm harmonies and silky guitar refrains, this track is a timeless display of the folk influence on Mars’ artistry.
This is unsurprising given her history as part of folk-trio, Sister Neapolitan. Later in the song, she sings, “I told Lily I need therapy, but then I smoked so much that I forgot” and right before it ends, “Oh and take it from me, take your meds”. The vulnerability paired with self-deprecating humor is relatable, raw, and endearing.
In The Prologue, Mars is making known her growth, both as an artist and a person. She’s ready to carry her hard-earned knowledge with her to the next chapter in her career. Alongside her bandmates, Katie, Steve, True, and Nick, Alana Mars will be playing an EP Release Show at Lost Lake Lounge in Denver on Saturday, May 4th.
