Alicia New’s love of music was born out of jealousy at age 5.
“I learned to play piano out of jealousness,” Alicia said. “My sister is five years older than me and she took piano lessons. I said I wanted lessons and they told me I was too little. I would sit down next to her and play what she was learning by ear.”
Not too long after, her parents signed her up with lessons as well. The instructor was Gayle Holcomb.
“He wrote melodies for me to do,” she said. “Then I grew up and wanted to play stuff on the radio.”
Alicia said she loved playing the boogie-woogie when she was a kid.
“The first song I played on piano was Hank Williams Sr. ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart,’” she said. “My mom took me to old folks homes and those old people ate it up.”
Alicia grew up in Bald Knob. Her parents are the late Earl New and Linda New, who lives in Branson, Missouri. She graduated from Western Hills High School in 1990 and attended Kentucky State University. She is a certified massage therapist. She used to own A New Day Spa.
“No one played music in my family,” she said. “My father loved redneck rock. Mom wasn’t into it much, but she’s supportive of me.”
Alicia’s father passed away about five years ago.
“My dad would be so proud of me right now,” she said. “He heard me play covers. I wrote a few songs back in the day, I had a song called ‘Possum Panties’ — he thought that was funny.”
In 1998, Alicia was in a car accident and immobilized. She taught herself a few chords on the guitar while she was recovering.
“I’m a singer who writes music,” Alicia said. “I’m not really a guitar player.”
Alicia has been playing music around Frankfort at bars, restaurants and various events for the past 20 years. She started out mainly playing cover songs, but she also had a passion for writing music, which she began to perform live about 15 years ago.
“Josh Alcorn and I played together for 15 years,” she said. “I started writing my own stuff and things blossomed from there. One of my songs is a heartbreak song. It is called ‘Fade.’”
Her other favorite songs are “Break it Gently,” “Wasted,” “The Ultimatum” and “Move it on.”
Alicia draws her inspiration from bands like The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac and country music.
“I’m considered a folk artist, but I have a little of everything,” she said.
For the past year, Alicia has been playing gigs with her friend, Sparky Greene, who plays bass, harmonica and lead guitar, as well as ambient guitar. He also serves as her guitar tech and soundman.
“I describe her sound as if Dolly Parton and Stevie Nicks had a baby and dropped it off at a Renaissance Fair daycare run by Pink Floyd,” Sparky said.
Sparky has his own band named Sparky Greene and the Pollinators, and when he has shows, Alicia plays drums for him. Alicia said they met one night when Sparky’s band was playing on St. Clair Street in downtown Frankfort.
“He did a song called ‘Death Letter’ and I have a song called ‘Letter to Death,’” Alicia said. “I was checking his book and I got busted. We’ve been playing together since then.
“We switch out at each other’s gigs. It gives people a different sound. He’s blues and I’m folk.”
Alicia hasn’t released an album yet, but it is in the works. She has mastered four of her songs with the help of Jason Simpson who plays bass for country music artist, Colter Wall.
“Jason was at my house and I played ‘Breaking Gently’ and ‘Wasted’ and he was crying,” she said.
The four mastered songs, along with a few other self-recorded songs, can be heard on @AliciaNew on YouTube and on Spotify and Apple Music. Some of her songs are also played on the radio.
When Alicia isn’t playing music she is creating stained glass mosaics. She creates her own pieces and sells them on her Facebook Page, Galactic Glass. She also does commissioned pieces.
“I’m doing one for an anniversary for a guy,” she said.
To hear Alicia play around town you can check her out every Thursday night at Sig Luscher Brewery where she hosts open mic night. She also hosts open mic night every other Tuesday at Chinkapin in Georgetown. She will perform in the Downtown Frankfort Concert Series’ Songwriters Series on June 11.
Other venues she plays at regularly include Brown Barrel in Frankfort and The Nook in Danville.
She has a few music festivals coming up that she’s scheduled to play, including an event at the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame on May 17; Cannastock: The Kentucky Loud Festival June 13-15; and Hollergirl Music Festival Aug. 1-3.
For an up-to-date performance schedule, follow Alicia New on Facebook.
Alicia says if it’s something unique you’re seeking, then come to one of her shows.
“It’s not what you’re going to hear on the radio — it’s just different,” she said. “Not a lot of people are singing about remote viewing and astro traveling.”
