“Circles”, released today by Geena Fontanella, is a well-crafted vibey electro pop/rock song with an alternative flavor. Right off-the-bat, Geena’s vocals come in strong atop simple electric guitar, and she sings bold soulful lines that build higher into an enticing chorus melodic shape. At the moment that it hits the rocking music break with vocal effects, harmonies, and electronic effects, the song hooks and reels us in. The lyrics “you’re always running in your circles babe, but I don’t really fit in your shape” are poetic, authentic, and express an understandable topic that many listeners have been through before. The songwriting is very compelling and commercial, which is impressive considering that Geena truly writes her own music. On top of it all, the production is vibrant and hypnotizing. Singer/songwriter Geena Fontanella has always brought an electrifying energy into the pop world, with a little sass in not caring what people think. Her writing brings thoughtful lyrics, powerful vocals, and an edginess that entrances audiences. The LA-based indie artist has been extremely dedicated to becoming a great writer ever since she watched a video in high school of Katy Perry saying, “How can you really perform a song and feel it, if you didn’t write it?”. It was at that moment that she knew that it’s not about fancy production tricks on the outside, but her true path to greatness comes from creating quality content that is solid on its own.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Geena, and here is what she had to say:
Q&A with GEENA FONTANELLA
Your vocals is so soulful, and you pin down the ultimate alt-pop sound. Who would you say are your biggest influences in music?
Sometimes it’s really hard for me to pin down my all-time fave influences, but what I always go back to even today is Destiny’s Child, Paramore, and Alanis Morissette.
The writing of “Circles” is extremely catchy and well-done. What was your writing and recording process for this track?
Ironically, it all started on guitar. I learned most of my writing skills from Nashville and their philosophy is this, “If it sounds good with you and a guitar, it’ll sound good produced.” I laid down electric guitar and Bardo (producer of Circles) distorted the crap out of it and we were off to the races. A little secret too, when we tracked the vocals, we accidentally tracked them too hot and they distorted, but we ended up loving the sound so much that we kept them for the final version.
Lyrically, your words are very relatable. Did any real-life events occur in your life that influenced “Circles”?
It’s actually funny how “Circles” came about. I was really creatively spent at the moment because I played 30 shows in 30 days while maintaining my writing schedule, but Bardo (producer of Circles) reached out and I had been dying to work with him so I couldn’t say no. At the time, I was really frustrated because I just moved to LA and it seemed like everyone was so closed circled. A “you can’t sit with us” kinda vibe. I’m a very inclusive person, so I was super upset about it. I think the emotional cocktail of being exhausted, frustrated, and Bardo’s kindness to let me feel, put my guard down and allowed me to write from a very raw place. I basically decided, “Screw them, I don’t fit into their shape anyways.”
How has your music life been affected by the times that we live in?
Covid has been a rough transition. I typically play 4-5 shows a week, but now all of that is gone. The thing that has kept me creative is all my Fontas. They bought merch, streamed my music, got tickets to online shows, messaged me to keep going, etc. They’re the reason why I’ve been able to release so much music over the last few months. Can’t thank them enough.
Are there any upcoming projects we can look forward to?
Oh the list of ongoing music is endless. I think what to look out for in the next couple weeks is the Circles music vid and Remix. Both are going to blow your mind and a secret special guest is joining as well =)
What would you like to say to all your followers out there?
I’d like to say to all my Fontas, thank you. You’ve pushed me to take all this to the next level and I know when we sellout the Staple’s Center in 3 years, it’s going to be because of you.
