Indie Pop Newcomer Alice Moore Releases Debut Single “Cigarettes” Ahead of Forthcoming EP, The Waiting
Alice Moore has released her debut single “Cigarettes,” a track that unfolds like a hazy late-night confession. It marks the first glimpse of her forthcoming EP ‘The Waiting’, scheduled for October 3, 2025.
Moore grew up between Trois-Rivières and Drummondville, Quebec, places that shaped both her musical curiosity and her lyrical honesty. Her voice, drenched in intimacy, moves with ease through the moods of alternative indie pop, while her band gives the songs texture and atmosphere.
Her group includes Samuel Lessard on guitar, Léandre Bourgeois on keys, Ismaël Chagnon on drums, and James Forest on bass. Together, they form a constellation of sound that feels lived-in, pulling from the richness of Quebec’s indie traditions while carving something new.
“Cigarettes” begins with a stark admission—“Yesterday, I bought myself a pack of cigarettes, but I don’t smoke.” The line sets the tone for a track about love, contradiction, and the quiet moments of unraveling. The song balances restraint and release, drifting between vulnerability and resolve.
The lyrics echo discomfort, longing, and the fear of being alone. Lines like “Here I am today chain-smoking cigarettes while it’s spinning in my head” make the private feel universal, bringing listeners into a space both fragile and fearless.
In her own words, Alice Moore explains the creative process:
“The first single ‘Cigarettes’ was almost left off the EP. My producer, Sam Mallais, convinced me it had something worth sharing, and I’m grateful. It grew into one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written.”
Recorded at Studio 345 in Sainte-Hélène-de-Bagot, Quebec, ‘The Waiting’ EP came together with friends, late nights, and a sense of collective energy. The band’s decision to track most instruments live gave the record a raw immediacy, making it feel more like a captured moment than a polished artifact.
Moore’s songwriting, rooted in the indie pop universe, explores themes of love, mental health, and the quiet edges of human experience. Her voice lingers on words the way memories linger on places—refusing to fade quickly.
With ‘The Waiting’ on the horizon, “Cigarettes” acts as the doorway into Moore’s world: sharp, soft, and unafraid to hold tension. It introduces an artist whose work lives in the spaces between solitude and connection, nostalgia and presence.
Hi, Alice! Good to meet you! Care to introduce yourself to the readers for those not familiar with your music?
Hi everyone! I’m Alice Moore, a singer/songwriter out of Quebec, and I’ve just released my first single “Cigarettes” ahead of my upcoming EP “The Waiting”. I’ve been singing and playing music since I was very young and have always had an interest in songwriting. I ended up studying music in Cégep and completed my studies in a year-long composition program. I was in a band at the time, in which I was the sole writer, but I never found that I was able to bring my musical visions to life. I have pretty specific influences that I really wanted to shine through in my music such as, Lana Del Rey, Radiohead, and Half Moon Run. After a few years, I decided to finally break out on my own, which has led me to the release of “Cigarettes”.
The opening line of “Cigarettes” — “Yesterday, I bought myself a pack of cigarettes, but I don’t smoke” — is so striking. Can you walk us through the moment that line came to you and why it felt important to keep?
I was actually travelling in Thailand when I first thought of it! I was reminiscing on a recent relationship that was very unclear for parties. I was feeling bad since I knew that I had really hurt someone. I don’t normally smoke cigarettes in everyday life, but while I was travelling, I decided to buy pack. The line had come to me at that moment, so I just decided to write it down. When I came back and got to writing about the relationship, that line really called to me and became an important part of the song.
You mentioned that “Cigarettes” almost didn’t make it onto The Waiting. What changed your mind, and how does it feel now that it’s the first thing people hear from you?
I started writing that song way back in 2019 and back then, I had only written the verses. When I eventually did find the chorus, I had brought it before my band at the time, but we were never able to land on a sound that everyone was happy with. Because of the trouble I had while working on it with them, I started feeling that it just wasn’t a song that was meant to be. However, when it came time to choose the songs that would make up my first EP, my producer, Sam Mallais, really believed in the song. He totally loved the choruses which he found were catchy. He told me that he had a vision for the song and that it deserved its place on the EP. I trusted him and wasn’t disappointed. It became a song that I really love, so much so that I decided to release it as my first single.
Collaboration seems central to this project. What did Samuel, Léandre, Ismaël, and James bring to these songs that you couldn’t have imagined on your own?
Well, I had already worked with James and Samuel in my first band, so they already had a feel for what I liked. For example, Samuel knew exactly the kind of guitar tones I liked and disliked, which made it easier for him to find his sound on the EP. Ismaël has a big soft spot for indie music and has played for many different indie artists, so he brought just the right vocabulary to the songs, which really worked for me. Léandre, being the most experienced musician, was able to bring an amazing atmosphere to the songs that wasn’t there before. It helped create my musical identity in a sense. Being the only musician I hadn’t worked with before, he was also able to bring an exterior point-of-view to the songs. We spent quite a few nights working hard on the songs, twisting them and shaping them together. Everyone was truly invested in the music which led to an EP I can say I am very proud of. By having that amazing band and my producer, Sam Mallais, with whom I am close friends, I was able to bring my music to life in a way I never could have without them.
As a newcomer stepping into the spotlight, what do you hope listeners feel or discover about themselves when they hear “Cigarettes” and, later, the full EP?
I hope that my music will make people feel things and emotions in the same way that music I love does. Whether it’s the lyrics or the music, sometimes it just gets to me and deeply resonates with me. I hope my music can have that effect on listeners, and that they can relate to my experiences and influences.