Armed with a multitude of original pop songs, inspired by the glamour and style of the simpler eras of pop, Vienna-born artist and songwriter Felice made the life-changing move to New York in pursuit of her dream to sing and entertain professionally.
We caught an interview with the now vastly streamed independent, to find out more about that journey, and what her hopes are moving forward. Here’s the conversation in full.
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Hi Felice – thanks for the interview! Excited to talk about your journey. For those new to your music, what was it about the nineties and 2000s pop sound or style that connected so strongly?
Hi Rebecca! Thank you so much for having me.
Growing up during the 2000s has really shaped my taste in music for me. I was around 9 years old when Lady Gaga released her debut album The Fame and I immediately became a die-hard fan. I feel like especially 90s and 2000s pop have one thing in common – It’s very glamorous. The sounds, the synths, the lyrics, the music videos all made you dive into a starlike, glittering world and was also very closely linked to fashion. The outfits were iconic, super chic and the overall aesthetic is something I still feel very connected to until this day.
What prompted you to move to New York, and how has this experience helped guide your musical career so far?
It all started back when I became a huge Mariah Carey fan at 15 years old. She made me want to become a singer and yes, also move to New York when I found out that she did the same after graduating from high school.
I was pretty young when I made that decision for myself, but it wasn’t until covid hit that I decided to make it happen. I was 19 at the time and after a trip to London with my friend, I told my parents what I was going to do. Of course they initially tried to stop me, but I was so determined to follow through with my journey they had no other choice but to support me.
I ended up having the best and worst times of my life in New York, but musically the city taught me a lot. I was mesmerized by how high the energy of the live music was, it was something I had never experienced in my life before.
Not only did the city and its experiences shape and inspire my music career, but also my own live performances, open mic sessions, my vocal school, the songs I heard on the radio.
It has been the biggest learning lesson so far. So I don’t think you can really differentiate a personal experience from a musical one. It will eventually melt into one.
Bambi is one of your most streamed songs – how did you first come to write it, and how did you build such a following for the track?
At that time I was taking a deep dive into Prince’s music and discovered his song Bambi. I immediately fell in love with it.
It’s funny, because I already knew I was gonna like it simply because of the title. Bambi has always been my favorite movie as a child and I always wanted to write a song with Bambi as a title, but I never quite knew how to implement it.
After listening to Prince’s Bambi I got so inspired that the hook line just popped into my head within seconds. It really just came to me.
I think a huge part of Bambi getting this much attention was definitely one of the Spotify playlists it got added to. That playlist had about 300k followers so it got quite the exposure from that.
Is there much of an indie music scene in Vienna, and will you return any time soon for shows or to collaborate?
Yes, I do believe there is, but I oftentimes feel like there aren’t that many artists that do the same kind of music that I do. It’s usually either more alternative or more rock than what I do, so sometimes it can be a little bit frustrating to feel like you’re the only one doing what you do.
I returned to Vienna this year already actually and I already did a lot of shows this year. I’m looking forward to all of the shows ahead for the next months. It’s gonna be super packed.
How do you write your songs – in particular, how and where did you come up with the melody and lyrics for Foolish Girl?
It’s funny how many people have asked me this questions before. “Felice, how do you write your songs? How can I write a song? How do you come up with it?”
But as much as I would like to be able to answer those questions, I simply can’t put it into words. Especially when it comes to melody. I always say the song is there before I write it. It just comes to me, which is why I feel like songwriting is something spiritual, something that is more of a feeling than a science.
The same goes for Foolish Girl. I was 15 when I wrote it. I just remember playing the chords, then the words and the melody just happened.
I usually start by singing the melody, start with a baseline or rhythm and then the words come with the melody.
The only part that I actually think about is some of the lyrics that need shaping afterwards.
How important are live performances for you right now, and what’s your biggest ambition?
Live performances are definitely one of the most important parts of being an artist to me. There is no other feeling like being on stage, performing your own songs and being able to make other people’s lives more enjoyable by doing what you love.
I have a lot of live performances coming up within the next months, so I will definitely have to focus on them a lot.
I aspire to be a leader for as many people as possible. I want to inspire people to embrace their inner glamour, to do what they have always wanted to do and to make them forget about their daily life problems by listening to my music. And yes, that would include being played by major radio stations, performing on big stages, going on world tour.
Going on a big world tour has always been one of my biggest dreams.
What’s your best piece of advice for new artists struggling to find their niche or their role within such a vast industry?
In order to find your niche you’d have to first find out who you are. Find your aesthetic, make a Pinterest board, figure out what you stand for and who your target audience might be. And then once you created that image of yourself don’t change it every 2 weeks. It takes time until people catch up with you and your image. Stick with what you believe in, no matter what others are telling you.
Do you record and produce your own tracks, or do you work with other creatives to get the completed sound?
The writing I do entirely by myself usually, I record my own tracks and arrange the vocals myself as well. I am usually working with a producer on my beats, I edit my vocals myself and then send it in for mixing and mastering.
Sometimes I work with other musicians to play some live instruments over the production. For example the guitar solo you can hear on Bambi.
What do you have planned for the remaining five months of 2024?
For the remainder of the year it’s gonna be at least one show or more every month and of course a new song release every month.
I’m also practicing guitar so I am hoping to have my debut guitar performance sometime this year.
Is there anything else we should know?
I’m thrilled about everything coming up and can’t wait to share more music and experiences with everyone. My journey has been incredible so far, and I’m grateful for all the support. Stay tuned for more releases, performances, and a few surprises along the way. Thank you for having me, and I hope to connect with many more of you soon!
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Find Felice on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube & her Website.
