INTERVIEW: Join Nicole Simone in an Incursion to a “Past Life”

With a diverse cultural background as a first-generation Sicilian and a free-spirited wanderer between Toronto and sunny Southern California, Nicole Simone’s music reflects her eclectic experiences and boundless curiosity. Initially drawn to the intensity of death metal, she found her true calling in the expressive potential of the telecaster guitar.

Despite her captivating stage presence and undeniable talent, Nicole remains grounded, delighting in life's quirks. Her creative process is fueled by a deep fascination with the natural world, from weather patterns to the mysteries of the cosmos. Even as she navigates the challenges of a rare health condition, Nicole approaches life with unwavering determination, channeling her resilience into every lyric and chord.

In today's interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Nicole Simone about her upcoming release, "Past Life." The single, which was produced by Billy Lefler at Death Star Studios in Los Angeles, is set to go live on June 7.

This powerful song seamlessly blends the anthemic energy of 80s/90s music with introspective explorations of karmic connections and the sentimental complexities that arise when two souls meet and spark. Nicole's lyrics deliberately evoke a sense of haunting déjà vu, guiding us through the emotional reckoning of happenstance in the face of a universe full of fractal recursion. 

Underlying the song is a resigned acceptance of the cyclical nature of relationships, rooted in the belief of past life connections that can no longer be sustained in the present.

How did work on “Past Life” begin, was it lyrics or music first?

I write a lot when I walk, and I think I was walking in Beverly Hills when I wrote the chorus for this a while ago, then left it for a couple of months. I had told my producer Billy Lefler that I liked the chorus and wanted to work on the song. I showed up at the studio and Billy and I were talking about someone I had been involved with. Without realizing it, he had said some pretty honest things about the situation that really made me realize that the person we were talking about was not a great dude, and I was ready to burst into tears! I kept my poker face and immediately wrote down the verses for the song, which came out of feeling completely defeated by this person’s ego.

It’s a very rich, “full” sound that does indeed capture previous eras of sound, who are your biggest musical influences?

I always think my biggest musical influences are people I sound NOTHING like. Jeff Buckley, Stephen Malkmus, Tom Waits, but I am a kid of the indie sleaze era, and The Strokes and Interpol come out in my music.

Where did the concept of "karmic connections" and past life themes come from for you when writing this song?

I think once in a blue moon you meet someone, and you recognize them from across a crowded bar or a library, and you immediately feel like you know each other. I had that experience a couple of times, and it feels like you already have a big history but in reality, you don’t, you’re just very similar people living a similar life OR maybe it’s something more ethereal than that. It’s a confusing phenomenon. I also think in the era of social media we spend so much time stalking each other’s digital footprint, we make assumptions, sometimes without realizing it, and then treat the person based on the parasocial relationship we developed with them. It’s kind of an unfair world that way, getting to know someone organically is lost.

What personal experiences or vulnerabilities did you draw from to write such raw, introspective lyrics?

I think particularly living in Hollywood you can be surrounded by all these romantic ideas but then the harsh realities of the artificial nature of a lot of transactional relationships set in, so we amuse ourselves in other ways to avoid any real connection. I was feeling so defeated when I wrote this song, you feel like you’re keeping things together. There are three people in a relationship - you, them, and the relationship. You have to choose the relationship, and if the other person is always choosing themselves, you’re running an emotional deficit.

You describe the song as urging the listener to "relinquish control" - what lessons about surrender and acceptance do you hope people take away when faced with the uncertainty of love?

I feel older, but not very much wiser in this department. Everything is incredibly nuanced and situational. I think people read too many memes that deal in absolutes and certainties, if someone does this then it means this, but it really doesn’t. People and relationships are far more nuanced than they are given credit for. Everything is temporary, even the greatest love stories. Remember that.

Do you believe in Past Lives?

I used to think it was a lot of hogwash until I got into the work of psychiatrist Carl Jung and hypnotherapist Michael Newton. I think there are some phenomenal studies of people intersecting in ways that defy logic or statistics. I am forever obsessed with the wins and losses of serendipity. I am particularly fascinated with children who remember past lives, and there are University programs dedicated to this phenomenon. When I was a kid I was very into big band and bebop music, it kind of was off-putting to my parents that I preferred to listen to Cab Calloway and Doris Day than Fred Penner or Sharon, Lois, and Bram. As a kid, I always thought kid music was terrible! If I had to guess my most recent past life was sometime during that era, people always say I have a very old Hollywood feel to me. Given that between 1939 and 1945 an estimated 1000 people died an hour as a result of the war, I would not be surprised if many of us are very connected to that time OR it’s a bunch of phony baloney, but it’s sure wild to think about.

What’s next for Nicole Simone?

I am very focused on connecting my music to film, whether that be through my music videos, film projects, or sync. I have a cinematic heart. My new EP comes out in June, and I’m mulling around new songs and ideas.

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