F WORD DIVES INTO POOL GIRL

14 minutes ago
8 min read

WORDS, CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING MAISIE JANE DANIELS - PHOTOGRAPHY KAYT WEBSTER-BROWN - HAIR&MAKEUP DIANA MACOVEIU - SET ASSISTANT FINN SOLEY

Released today, Pool Girl's latest single, Crab, is a tender meditation on vulnerability, instinct and the quiet courage it takes to step beyond your comfort zone. It's a fitting introduction to Allie, the California-born artist behind the project, whose ability to transform the smallest observations into something deeply human runs through everything she creates.

Before we spoke, I had styled the accompanying editorial, unknowingly clipping a tiny toy crustacean charm onto a pair of her shorts. It was then that she smiled at the coincidence. The song had grown from an image she'd carried with her for months: a small crab cautiously emerging from its shell before suddenly darting forward with complete certainty. For Allie, it became a metaphor for creativity, sensitivity and learning to embrace being seen.

That instinct for finding meaning in the everyday shapes the entire world of Pool Girl. Growing up in a small Californian beach town inspired the project's dreamy aesthetic, while a lifelong fascination with swimming pools evolved into an artistic identity all of its own. Even her forthcoming debut album, Melancholic Beach Town, isn't simply about a place, it's about returning home only to realise that while the landscape has remained the same, you've quietly changed.

Warm, thoughtful and wonderfully open, Allie speaks with the same honesty that defines her music. We caught up to discuss the world of Pool Girl, the beauty of sensitivity and why sometimes the smallest symbols carry the biggest stories.

Maisie: For someone discovering your music for the first time, how would you describe your sound?

Allie: I'd describe it as beachy, indie, electronic... with some darker elements. I think everything I make has a nostalgic feeling to it. There's always a little bit of melancholy running through it too.

Maisie: Where did the name Pool Girl come from?

Allie: Honestly, I knew from the very beginning that I didn't want to release music under my own name. I'd already seen what it takes to market a project, and I felt like creating a name that had its own identity would be a lot easier.

The funny thing is, I didn't actually have the name for ages. I was already making music and still hadn't decided what I wanted to call the project. I've always been obsessed with swimming pools. My mum's side of the family are all pool cleaners in Los Angeles, so I've grown up around pools my whole life. Then one day I was making these pool-themed ceramic pieces—

Maisie: I've seen them! They're so cute.

Allie: Thank you! I absolutely love making them. While I was working on those ceramics, the name Pool Girl just popped into my head. At first I actually used it as the title of one of my demos rather than as my artist name. But then I sat with it for a while and realised... "Wait... this is it." The moment I had the name, I could suddenly see the entire world around it. I could picture the colour palette, the merchandise, the music videos—it all became really clear. It just felt completely like me. Being from California, it felt natural and authentic.

Maisie: You've really built an entire universe around Pool Girl. It feels like much more than just a music project.

Allie: That's exactly what I wanted. Honestly, I only wanted to make this project if I could build it as a full 360-degree art project. The visuals are just as important to me as the music. That's probably my favourite part—every release becomes a new creative challenge.

Maisie: You've been spending the summer travelling around Europe, and you're in Marseille at the moment. What drew you there?

Allie: Marseille has been so inspiring. Over the last year I've slowly started working more in France, so it felt like a really natural place to spend some time. I don't know how long I'll stay—I'm here for the next few weeks at least—but I'm absolutely loving it. At the moment I'm finishing all the visuals for the album, editing videos and putting everything together. It’s been really special to be in Europe for the summer and I'm excited to see how much of this place ends up finding its way into the finished project.

Allie wears bandana P&CO; shorts UNDER ARMOUR; bikini top & charm TK MAXX; shoes G.H BASS

Maisie: We have to talk about your new single, Crab. It's out today—how are you feeling about finally releasing it?

Allie: Honestly... I'm nervous. (Laughs.)

I get nervous before I release anything. I think that's the moment where every doubt suddenly appears. Releasing music is always vulnerable because you're putting a little piece of yourself out into the world. Crab feels especially personal. It's almost like a journal entry. I actually only wrote it about a month ago while I was travelling, so it came together really quickly. It just felt right. Sometimes you've just got to trust that instinct and let it go.

Maisie: The song feels incredibly vulnerable, and then releasing it is another layer of vulnerability altogether. Was there a particular moment that inspired it?

Allie: Definitely. I'd actually been thinking about the idea of a crab for a really long time. I'm a Cancer— (Laughs.) —which feels like such a silly thing to say because I'm not massively into astrology... ...but I've always connected with the symbol of the crab. The idea of having this really hard shell but being incredibly soft underneath has always resonated with me.

Earlier this summer I kept noticing little crabs on beaches and rocks. Then one day I saw one that had just the tiniest bit of its head poking out. It looked absolutely terrified. It was taking in everything around it before finally coming out...

...and then suddenly it sprinted away. It moved with so much purpose. It knew exactly where it was going. Watching that really stayed with me. Being an artist means constantly putting yourself out into the world, and that's not always comfortable. Seeing this tiny creature hesitate, then move forward so confidently—it became this really beautiful metaphor for vulnerability.

Maisie: That's such a beautiful image. Do you think becoming Pool Girl has made you feel more confident, or more exposed?

Allie: That's such a good question. I definitely feel more confident in my abilities now—as a producer, a songwriter and even just calling myself an artist. That was something I used to really struggle with. I never felt comfortable claiming that title. Now I trust what I'm making. I believe in it. That's been a really lovely thing to experience. At the same time... it's definitely exposing. But I think it's okay because everything I'm putting out feels honest. When something feels true to who you are, the vulnerability doesn't feel scary. It's only when you're pretending to be something else that exposure starts to feel uncomfortable.

Maisie: The video for Crab was shot entirely on film during a layover between New York and Portugal. What made you want to capture it that way?

Allie: I'd been following this filmmaker, Nema, for a while. His work kept popping up on Instagram, and I just loved the way he captured summer and beach scenes. So I messaged him out of the blue and said, "If I'm ever in Portugal, I'd love to make something together." I honestly wasn't expecting him to reply, but he was completely up for it. Then everything just lined up perfectly. I had a five-hour layover in Portugal on my way to France, so we met up and decided to shoot something without really knowing what it would become. I'm so happy with how it turned out. It just feels like summer.

Allie wears skirt P&CO; cycling shorts KNWLS; glasses STYLIST'S OWN

Maisie: Was there something about shooting on film that digital couldn't quite replicate for you?

Allie: Almost everything I've released has been shot on film. It's become its own little art form within the project. I also think the people I collaborate with get really excited about shooting on film, and that enthusiasm is contagious. There's something magical about not knowing exactly what you're going to get until it's developed. You have to trust the process. I love that.

Maisie: If Crab was the soundtrack to a film, what film would it be?

Allie: Probably The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Or The Talented Mr. Ripley. Something like that. To me, Crab feels like a little journal entry, so I'd imagine it living inside some sort of indie coming-of-age film where someone's quietly processing a big life change.

Maisie: The song is inspired by your Cancer star sign. What's the biggest misconception about Cancers?

Allie: I think people hear the word sensitive and immediately assume it means someone gets hurt easily or can't take a joke. For me, that's never what it has meant. Being sensitive just means I feel things really deeply. I'll notice something that somebody else might walk past without thinking twice about, and it'll stay with me. Most of that is internal. I actually think sensitivity is a beautiful thing. It's never been something I've wanted to lose.

People also say Cancers are really intuitive... and honestly, I think that's pretty accurate. (Laughs.)

Maisie: Your debut album, Melancholic Beach Town, arrives in September. What can fans expect from it?

Allie: That's such a good question. I think the biggest thing is that I wanted it to feel cohesive. Growing up in Carpinteria—a really small beach town in California—I naturally wanted to bring in surf-rock textures as a nod to home. There are lots of lush guitars throughout the record, but I've also always loved left-field electronic music and going to DJ sets. So the album sits somewhere between those two worlds.

You'll hear drum machines, darker basslines and electronic textures woven into these really warm, guitar-led songs. Lyrically, it's just me processing this past year of my life. It's about movement in every sense—moving on from people, relationships and different chapters of life—but also the strange feeling that sometimes nothing is moving at all. I also consciously wanted to write beyond romantic relationships. There are songs about my best friend, my siblings and my parents. It felt important to create a fuller picture of my life rather than focusing on one relationship. I've also been thinking a lot about moving away from Los Angeles. A lot of these songs explore that feeling of wondering whether you've outgrown somewhere—or whether a season of your life is simply changing.

Allie wears pull over P&CO; cycling shorts KNWLS; shoes CROCS; bandana STYLIST'S OWN

Maisie: I'm sure that's something a lot of people will relate to in their own way.

Allie: That would honestly be the coolest thing. I hope people can take these songs and make them their own. That's actually where the title Melancholic Beach Town came from. It's about returning to my hometown and realising it hasn't really changed... but I have.

It's such a strange feeling when somewhere that once defined you suddenly feels different, simply because you've become a different version of yourself.

Maisie: Will we get to hear these songs live?

Allie: That's definitely the dream. I'm doing headline shows in Los Angeles and New York where I'll play the album from start to finish, which I'm really excited about. After that I'm hoping to tour this autumn and spend as much of next year on the road as possible.