Felicity, born in Australia, raised in South Africa, and schooled in Colorado, has distilled the scenery and many experiences from her international lifestyle into an infectiously soulful brand of pop. “The way I think about things or even say things is different,” she says. “Living abroad means different musical influences, and it’s definitely effected the way I write.”
The songstress was raised in a supportive environment; “My parents were passionate about introducing me to music they loved. One of my first memories, at four years old, is being with my grandma and my mother in a library, and for some reason, there was violin involved,” she laughs. “I picked it up, really took to it, and played for a long time. I was playing all these songs, and realized I liked the words even more than playing, so I started singing. Unfortunately, you really can’t play violin and sing at the same time, so I gave up violin and pursued singing.”
Performing brought her joy, and brought joy to others as well. “Singing has always been my thing, as opposed to school, which wasn’t really my thing,” she giggles. “It’s so cheesy, but there’s a saying—‘if you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,’—but it’s so true. Nothing makes me happier.” After time spent singing and listening closely to lyrics, she decided to take the plunge and write songs of her own. ”I was still living in Cape Town; one day I heard ‘Stay’ by Rhianna and I naively thought, ‘That’s great! I can do that!’ So, I wrote a song. My mom booked studio time for me, and I went in and recorded it by myself,” she recalls. “My dad found a voice teacher who gave me lessons over Skype, and he introduced me to my producer. Our first time in the studio together, we wrote ‘Poison,’ which is the first song I released. I just kept having these ideas, they were totally messy in my brain, but in the studio working with someone who clicked with me gave me the chance to hone in and make them make sense.”
Her time in the studio has produced several gems; Felicity’s latest track, “Pilot With A Fear Of Heights,” a dance-inducing tune of atmospheric proportions that showcases the range of her richly-toned vocals, was inspired by time spent in the air, commuting from Denver to work in New York. “Every six weeks, I was on a plane. Once, my phone died, and I was forced to entertain myself,” she laughs. “I get most of my song ideas in beautiful settings and there’s nothing like looking out the window of a plane. I looked out of the window and saw how high up we were. I got lost in my own thoughts, and imagined a pilot who was afraid of heights. I brought the song to the studio the next day after it had matured a little in my brain; it started out slow, and turned into a high energy, turbulent song. As far as meaning goes, I was with a boy at the time that I knew I shouldn’t have been with, but I liked him so much. He was the height, the aspect of being afraid of heights because of the chance you might fall. I was the pilot, afraid to build up to the height because of the fear of the fall, being afraid of destiny,” she adds. “It did end up crumbling, but as a result, I have this lovely song.”
For now, Felicity is content to release music one song at a time. “My songs are like my children, and I want them to get all the individual attention I think they deserve. I like to release songs that are matching how I feel at the time. This year, my goal is to connect with more people. I love seeing how my music affects others, and I love building relationships,” she reveals. “I’m chomping at the bit.”
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