LA based artist/producer Felly has seemingly done it all; from iconic collaborations to releasing his own documentary, his career in the music industry has been one to watch. He recently added another accomplishment to the ever growing list by releasing an entirely self written & self produced album, “Bad Radio”.
2023 saw the release of Felly’s latest track “Free Love”, a 60s inspired track with a groovy guitar backing track & filled to the brim with good vibes. This track shows Felly’s musical range, showcasing that his artistry isn’t defined by a specific sound or genre. As he gears up for a North American tour, I got a chance to ask Felly a few questions about all of the exciting things happening for him right now.
Brigid: Congratulations on your latest single release, “Free Love”! How are you feeling about the release, and the response to it?
Felly: Thank you. “Free Love” is a great record. I think it’s finding its home right now and will continue to for the next few years. It was apparently (according to the suits) the best first week drop I’ve ever had. Which is amazing because I’ve been dropping for years and years. “Free Love” aka free lizzy is something I wanted to put out before the tour especially. It has some of my favorite styles/ genres blended into. I feel good about it being out in the world and would imagine it’ll take better light in summer.
B: Can you tell me a bit about the creative process behind this track?
F: I wanted to make something that felt like love frequency. I had just come off a wintery/isolated feeling album, “Bad Radio.” Which I love, but I couldn’t hang out there any longer. That project took a couple years of a certain mood. I feel like I’m coming more into the sun. It’s nice for me and for everyone.
B: This track is sort of a newer sound for you, even from your most recent album. Can you tell me a bit about the evolution of your musical style and sound?
F: Yea definitely. This song takes different forms to me every time I listen to it. I swore it was a hip hop styled song but listening with the homies the other day I was like, is this disco? It makes you dance and move, puts you in your body… I think there’s something really special about that. I’m always into heady music, but this one for the heart. Which is why I say I want to play it live and see what it does.
B: Speaking of your album, “Bad Radio” was written, played, and produced by you. What was that experience like, creating an entire body of work without much collaboration?
F: It was amazing and I look forward to putting more of that energy into my other records that do involve other producers and people who are more legit in the production realm. I sort of got my confidence up as a producer during the making of “Bad Radio” so now when I go into sessions it’s important that the producer sees me and is hopefully better than me in some way. I’m not an artist who goes in and relies on the producer. I’m making it with them and we’re all pushing each other. It’s the best case scenario. But now I know it’s really cool if I come into sessions with something at least completely sourced/created by me first. I just find that I’ll resonate with it much more, and everyone will win cause we won’t feel compensated. It’s important I tell my own story.
B: Since all of the tracks on “Bad Radio” were written by you, were they more difficult to release? Did they feel more personal than previous work?
F: It was actually more playful songwriting in that. I think I’ve been super personal my whole career and some songs in “Bad Radio” are intentionally a bit vague. I’ve aired myself out on almost everything I’ve ever dropped. It was fun to mess with a more songwriting style of writing than a “journal entry” type vibe characteristic on my older shit. I was able to play with the melody a lot more. So that was the only thing I was maybe a bit insecure about – do these melodies hold? I’m confident that if I’m saying the words and they make it to a recording that I can stand by them.
B: How did the creative process for “Bad Radio” differ from your previous projects, like “Young Fel 2” or “Mariposa”, besides the limited collaboration?
F: It doesn’t differ much from “Mariposa” – which I did very much on my own as well. But it definitely differs from “Young Fel 2,” which was more of a scrapbooking style of creating. Getting loops, drums, sounds from this friend, piecing it with this person’s drums…recording a verse on the east coast….recording the second verse on the west coast. YF2 was very much finishing up a bunch of things at once. “Bad Radio” felt like it was recorded during really 3-4 months and then I just spent a year or two figuring out what the project actually is to me and dialing everything in.
B: You’ve collaborated with some pretty cool artists like MAX and Carlos Santana, is there anyone on your dream collaborations list?
F: A bunch of people. Pharell, Bon Iver, RHCP, Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, I want to meet Jay-Z I don’t need him on a song but I seek collaborating with him creatively.
B: You’re about to head out on tour, what are you most looking forward to about being on the road?
I’m looking forward to getting really good at playing guitar and singing again so I can come home and make the album I want to.
B: I saw on your Instagram story that you’re releasing a song with Arden Jones on March 22nd! Can you tell me a bit about that track?
F: Yes that’s the boy. It’s called “Crying in Sunshine.” Something I wrote after a shitty day in Los Angeles in this paradoxical feeling of…things are technically good..but it doesn’t feel good/right. I just wanted to highlight some of the paradox’s we all share. It’s a blues record essentially. A “going through it” joint.
B: Are you going to continue to release music while on tour, or will you be taking a bit of a step back from releases while on the road?
F: I really don’t know. I’m supposed to have that figured out by now but it’s really whatever song pulls my attention the most. And I’m making new things every day, so sometimes those jump the line if they’re the real thing. Sitting on a bunch of great sounds right now though and should probably just close my eyes and let go of some of it.
Listen to “Free Love” here!
