Nicole Simone was born in Toronto and now splits her time between Toronto and Los Angeles. Her music is only one part of a wider body of work. She is an award-winning filmmaker, the creator of the series ‘ON A LIST,’ and a writer who has been featured in Reader’s Digest. She is also the founder of Redemption Paws, a rescue charity that has saved more than 4,000 dogs and helped change Canadian federal law for animals. She has built her independent career while living with a rare, life-altering disability.
From her apartment roof, Nicole Simone can see the Chateau Marmont, where the lights are always on. That view gave her “Chateau,” one of three standout singles from Circles, her first full-length album, released via Soul Spazm.
Simone made Circles through the LA wildfires. She evacuated with her dog, Indie, and spent a month in Arizona, unsure where home was.“I think the thread connecting these songs is liminality, people, relationships and places that exist somewhere between arriving and leaving,” she says. London, Barcelona and LA all become characters along the way. The title track was the first song she wrote after deciding to make the album. She wrote it at her kitchen counter, inspired by eclectic conversations with a reality star whose ex-wife was publicly trashing him online.
“Calling the album Circles ultimately felt appropriate because making my first full-length record brought me full circle as an artist,” she says. “It felt less like reinventing myself and more like coming home to myself.”
“Suit Undone” recalls a Hollywood Hills adventure with a stranger and slips in a nod to Crowded House. “Chateau” is her homage to Interpol and The Strokes, “the band I never got to have growing up.”
Producer Billy Lefler’s live drumming gives the record its raw edge. It was tracked at Death Star Records alongside vintage guitars and synths.
Indie, an Australian Cattle Dog rescued through Simone’s charity, Redemption Paws, was in the booth for every session. She passed away the week the album came out. “She’s all over the record too,” Simone says. “If I had to explain Circles now, I’d say it’s the most important piece of art I’ve ever made,” Simone says.
For further information on the artist, please visit the following links:
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Image provided courtesy of Eric Alper
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