Simone Is an Old Soul, in Personality & Sound, in New Single “Linger”

I sat with Simone at a cafe to talk about her new single “Linger,” moving back to New York, and playing shows for bookworms.

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Stream: “Linger” – Simone

As I sat and listened to Simone’s new single on an early master over my espresso at Sunday to Sunday on the Lower East Side, I saw her approach from across the street; freshly back in New York from L.A., she wore some baggy Levi jeans and a light jacket; her curtain bangs blew in the wind. She truly looked like a pop star off-duty.

We sipped our coffees and got acquainted on the record. Independently released May 17, “Linger” is the lead single off her upcoming EP which will be out this September, and it was written in similar fashion to all of her songs; she’ll mumble through words with her expansive vocabulary that is well beyond her age until she finds a melody she likes, and then she’ll work backwards and craft an honest story. The story of this single is centered around a past relationship and how when it ended, she had all this arbitrary information about that person and nowhere to put it. We both agreed that sometimes the remnants of an old lover can just stick around; they can just linger. Her single perfectly encapsulates that feeling in a digestible way.

“You said you loved me from the first second.”

“I said, ‘honey, that’s impossible,’” sings Simone with her easy-on-the-ears vocal. It’s an opening line that shines a little light into her maturity as an artist, as well as a person.

Simone grew up in New York City on the Upper West Side with a musical family. Her father, who drives the car for her on tour, used to play in bands and has even cut some bass on a few of her early songs. You might know her older brother, too, from the band Laundry Day.

Simone began playing shows and doing open mics downtown at the age of 11, and subsequently, recorded her first musical project at 12. If that wasn’t a feat enough, she’s since garnered many viral moments on TikTok, millions of streams on Spotify, and a loyal fan-base who really loves her.

“I don’t want my youth to be the thing that makes my music impressive; I’ve been at this for nearly a decade and I feel a little bit like a veteran. I know what I like; I have a vision for my sound, and I want people to feel something when they listen to my music.”

And feel something I do. Her songwriting is witty and matter-of-fact like early Phoebe Bridgers or Gracie Abrams; you hear it in her new single in lines like “I forgot your number, your face, and your friends, it’s strange how fast I knew you, and didn’t again.” The wordplay, the vocal control, and the melodies are not just good for her age; they are just good, period. Her production, a collaboration with the Nashville duo of Jake Finch and Collin Pastore, perfectly toes the line of an indie singer/songwriter with a hint of that Nashville sensibility. It’s not exactly country; it’s not exactly pop; it’s that beautiful balance in between that’s doing so well right now.

In “Linger” we get a taste of all those genre flavors that influence Simone; we hear an intimate verse over a dry acoustic guitar; the vocal is breathy and in-the-room. And then, the chorus hits with a four-on-the-floor kick drum and a catchy melody and suddenly you want to dance. Let’s just say, it’s got all the stuff.

Simone’s extensive experience in writing and recording songs has created a sense of confidence in her music that a lot of other artists her age don’t have. The more I listen to the new EP, the more it becomes evident that she has found a way to ground herself in the music that she wants to make; she means every word she’s singing and people can hear that in the songs. The bigger that she gets, the more I think her fans will gravitate towards her because she’s so genuine.

Simone has done an incredible job at building her fanbase over the last several years.

She has been intentional in how she markets herself, leading with an authentic personality that is unique to her, and the community has built itself around that authenticity. She is paving her own lane in an industry that typically falls flat on innovation. I mean, she went on tour and played exclusively bookstores for goodness’ sake; who else does that?!

With music as good as hers, don’t be surprised if Simone finds a way to “linger” around for the long haul.

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