Toronto-born singer-songwriter Nicole Simone has released her debut full-length album, Circles, through Soul Spazm, bringing together cinematic surf-pop influences, personal experiences and reflections on identity, relationships and belonging.
The independent artist, who divides her time between Toronto and Los Angeles, developed the project during a period marked by personal upheaval, including the Los Angeles wildfires that forced her to evacuate her home.
The album draws inspiration from experiences across several cities, including London, Barcelona and Los Angeles, while exploring the emotional uncertainty of moving between different stages of life.
Nicole Simone Explores Personal Transformation on ‘Circles’
Simone describes the album as a collection of songs connected by transitional experiences and the relationships that shape them.
“I think the thread connecting these songs is liminality, people, relationships and places that exist somewhere between arriving and leaving,” she says.
During the Los Angeles wildfires, Simone evacuated with her Australian Cattle Dog, Indie, and spent approximately one month in Arizona. The displacement contributed to the album’s recurring questions about home, stability and personal identity.
The title track, “Circles,” was the first song Simone wrote after deciding to produce a full-length record.
Written at her kitchen counter, the song was inspired by conversations with a reality television personality whose former wife was publicly criticizing him online.
“Calling the album Circles ultimately felt appropriate because making my first full-length record brought me full circle as an artist,” she says. “It felt less like reinventing myself and more like coming home to myself.”
Singles ‘Chateau’ and ‘Suit Undone’ Reflect Los Angeles Experiences
Three songs highlighted in the release are “Circles,” “Chateau” and “Suit Undone.”
“Chateau” emerged from Simone’s view of the Chateau Marmont hotel from her Los Angeles apartment rooftop. The hotel’s illuminated windows became a source of inspiration for a song influenced by alternative rock acts Interpol and The Strokes.
Simone describes that musical inspiration as “the band I never got to have growing up.”
Meanwhile, “Suit Undone” recalls an encounter with a stranger in the Hollywood Hills and incorporates a musical reference to Crowded House.
Together, the tracks illustrate the album’s combination of cinematic storytelling, alternative rock influences and surf-pop production.
Live Instrumentation Shapes Nicole Simone’s Debut Album
Producer Billy Lefler contributed live drumming to Circles, giving the recordings a more immediate, organic sound.
Recording sessions took place at Death Star Records, where vintage guitars and synthesizers were incorporated into the arrangements.
The production approach combines contemporary independent pop with instrumentation associated with earlier alternative and indie-rock recordings.
Simone’s dog Indie accompanied her throughout the recording process, remaining in the booth during every session.
Indie, whom Simone rescued through her animal welfare organization Redemption Paws, died during the week of the album’s release.
“She’s all over the record too,” Simone says.
The dog’s presence throughout the sessions adds a personal dimension to a project already shaped by displacement, uncertainty and changing relationships.
Simone Balances Music, Filmmaking and Animal Welfare Advocacy
Beyond her recording career, Simone works across film, writing and animal welfare.
She is an award-winning filmmaker behind the series ON A LIST and has contributed writing to Reader’s Digest.
She also founded Redemption Paws, a Canadian animal rescue charity that, according to the release, has helped save more than 4,000 dogs and contributed to changes in federal animal welfare legislation.
Simone has developed her independent creative career while living with a rare, life-altering disability, balancing artistic projects with her charitable work.
A Return to Canada and a New Creative Chapter
Although much of Circles draws from Simone’s experiences in Los Angeles, the record ultimately reflects her connection to Canada and the idea of returning to familiar surroundings after periods of uncertainty.
The album represents a significant milestone in her recording career, moving from individual releases to a complete collection built around a shared artistic theme.
“If I had to explain Circles now, I’d say it’s the most important piece of art I’ve ever made,” she says.
With Circles now released through Soul Spazm and available on digital music platforms, Simone enters a new stage of her independent music career, bringing together her experiences in Canada and abroad through a project centred on personal change, resilience and belonging.
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