"Don’t Give In" has a hopeful and magical feel that is undeniably uplifting and serves as a gentle reminder to keep persevering through life’s challenges. What message and feeling do you hope your listeners gain from it?
Simone Elisa: Thank you! Writing “Don’t Give In” was in some ways a therapeutic process. It definitely serves as a reminder that as long as you have that fire in you, you can get to where you want to be. There have been times in the past when I had to remind myself of that and pull myself back up to keep going. I hope that I can help anyone else needing that message to feel their power again and to remember that it’s not up to anybody else, it’s up to you. As long as you keep going, you’ll get closer to where you want to be in life.
Can you describe your songwriting process and what you need in order to get your creative juices flowing?
Simone Elisa: I usually start at the computer or piano depending on my mood. If I’m at the computer I’ll start with a few synths most likely and a beat, to see what kind of energy the song feels like, and then let the ideas start flowing melody-wise. Usually, it feels like I fill in the blanks lyrically and let the melodies dictate the experience first before really diving into the lyrics. If I start at the piano, I’m usually (definitely) feeling moodier and use that as a therapy session to get out anything I’m feeling and then move it to the computer afterward.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences and inspirations?
Simone Elisa: Definitely Tove Lo, Marina, Taylor Swift, and Ashe. All of their writing styles are different and unique to them and I like to stay true to myself as a writer too.
What first got you into music, and when did you realize that you wanted to be an artist?
Simone Elisa: I got into music as a really young kid. Before that, I had always been singing random melodies about anything I could think of, and my parents eventually hinted that I might want to learn piano too. I ended up really getting into piano and songwriting in high school, but I wanted to be an artist since as early as I knew musical artists existed. My mom always played Celine Dion and Whitney Houston and I’m pretty sure those iconic artists as well as The Spice Girls, and Britney Spears, made the connections for me as a kid that it’s what I wanted to do with my life!
Aside from your own, what are the three top songs you currently enjoy singing?
Simone Elisa: “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, “Chronically Cautious” by Braden Bales, and “No One Dies From Love” by Tove Lo are three songs that are an immediate dopamine hit to my brain and I can’t stop singing them!
If you weren’t pursuing a music career what would you be doing instead?
Simone Elisa: I wouldn’t do anything other than this, I’m completely obsessed!
Interviewed By Vanessa Siebrass
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