Fiona Brice leans into repetition and release on Think Loops

There’s a quiet intensity running through Fiona Brice’s new EP Think Loops — a sense of thoughts circling, settling, and slowly letting go. Written in the aftermath of a sudden move in 2024, the record pulls together fragments of melody and rhythm that had been living in her notebooks for years, half-formed and persistent.

Known for her work across classical, film, and contemporary music — and collaborations that stretch from orchestras to global pop artists — Brice takes a more inward turn here. Built around layered piano and minimalist repetition, Think Loops explores the restless mental patterns that shape both creativity and everyday life.

Produced with long-time collaborator Ed Harcourt and released via Bigo & Twigetti on April 24, the EP unfolds like a series of passing thoughts — بعضها anxious, some calming, all deeply personal. We caught up with Fiona to talk about the ideas behind the record, the role of repetition, and why sometimes the best thing you can do with a melody is let it loop.

Think Loops marks a new body of work for you — what was the starting point or idea that shaped this EP?

I had to move home suddenly in 2024 and during the packing process I gathered together pages of manuscript containing fragments of melodies and rhythmic patterns. Not yet fully formed pieces, but ideas I have quickly scribbled down during practise. Making ‘aside’ notes is something I do when playing both violin and piano, I often discover patterns or phrases that grab my attention and loop in my brain while I’m rehearsing, and I write them down to clear my head so I can carry on with whatever I’m trying to learn. On closer inspection I found that several of these sketches were interesting and complimentary to each other, so when I unpacked in my new flat I decided to compose them properly and create this EP. They also reflect the busy mind of a musician. We all have a lot of music running through our heads and it can sometimes be intrusive, or cause anxiety, or cost sleep at night. Recording these pieces was a way of purging those thoughts.

You worked with Ed Harcourt on the project — how did that collaboration come about, and what did he bring to the record?

Ed and I have worked together on many records, we are old friends and have similar tastes in piano music and a shared understanding of the creative process. One of the downsides of my house move was that I couldn't take my beautiful Challen baby grand piano with me, so I recorded at Ed’s studio on his grand piano instead. Ed brings an excellent critical ear to the recording process and we both like to work quickly on instinct while the music feels fresh, as opposed to agonising over tiny details, which I find can be detrimental to the feel of a final recording.

The title Think Loops suggests repetition or cycles — how does that concept play out across the music?

The concept plays out quite literally with looped phrases, repeated patterns. Minimalist composition with subtle variation. We recorded the piano in layers so we could treat each layer differently and that helps to create depth, warmth and ambience. It means the music can be mixed more specially to get a dreamy, meditative feel. As with the music of Philip Glass or Terry Riley, both composers I love, careful repetition can create a sense of calm reflection and stillness.

Your work often sits between classical and contemporary sounds — how did you approach that balance on this EP?

Having spent many years in studios with producers and rock bands, it is natural to me to want to manipulate sound, rather than just capture a clean recording, which is the more traditional way to record classical repertoire. Classical recordings often focus on the excellence and virtuosity of the performer, but my music is not about that, it is about capturing the mood and colour of the music as I hear it. My focus is emotion rather than virtuosity. That’s why Ed & I decided to record the Think Loops in layers and use reverb, delay etc to bring out each loop’s particular character.

With “Think Loop 5” as a lead single, what did you feel it represented about the wider project?

This is one of the more complex loops, working with cross rhythms in the left hand but with a strong melody in the right, yet it can be played in one take so it was a good choice for a single as I can easily perform it live. The other tracks are little more tricky. It also has the feel of a bittersweet goodbye, which on a personal note is appropriate for the period of my life these works were borne out of. It concludes the EP well.

Think Loops is out April 24 via Bigo & Twigetti, with “Think Loop 1” available now.