Photo Credit: Brian Scagnelli (@brianscagnelli)
By Alissa Arunarsirakul // April 15, 2021
After skimming through her growing discography, it’s quite clear that Faerie is a dreamer. Drizzled in otherworldly synths and calming melodies, Faerie’s soothing indie pop records bring comfort, joy, and liberation to our ears. Now back with more righteous music, Faerie is pleased to present her utterly romantic new single, “re: invite to the moon.”
“re: invite to the moon” is layered with the most precious indie pop elements that create an inescapable harmony we can’t get enough of. For this immaculate track, Faerie recruited Spanish composer VelviV, who had the clever idea of a piecing in a darling trumpet solo. If you’re looking to escape your worries, “re: invite to the moon” is your perfect opportunity.
On “re: invite to the moon,” Faerie exclusively shared with us,
“‘re: invite to the moon’ is our love letter and invitation to those craving escape from this fragile world. VelviV and I allowed our minds to wander and imagine an otherworldly paradise waiting for us. It was my way of coping with my anxiety. Creating this brought me some peace. We hope this track will bring comfort to people who listen as they realize they’re not alone and that they have a chance to accept this invitation and fly away with us.”
The Hidden Hits has your first listen of “re: invite to the moon” below:
To celebrate the release of her new music, we recently chatted with Faerie about separation, jazz, and of course, “re: invite to the moon.”
HH: You have such a timeless soundscape we can’t get enough of. What inspires your musical style?
F: Thank you so much! I’m inspired by artists such as Lorde, Harry Styles, The Marías, Bon Iver, and AURORA. Dreamy pop, modern psychedelic sounds inspired my goal for “re: invite to the moon.” I wanted the vocal tone and movement to have a smooth flow, making it breathier and more relaxed. The goal was to focus on that feel-good vibe, so if anyone were to play or sing along, it would immediately make them sway.
HH:What was it like working with VelviV on “re: invite to the moon?”
F: Working with VelviV was really fun! I’m based in NYC, and he’s in Spain, so we
collaborated by exchanging demos back and forth until we heard something we liked.
He’s a fantastic collaborator and immediately understood my vision once I pitched the
idea. VelviV and I both agreed that the communication was excellent and that despite
having a big-time difference in between, things moved relatively quickly and smoothly.
HH: Between the charming bass lines and twinkly instrumentals, “re: invite to the moon” offers such a dreamy experience–almost as if we’re floating among the stars. Can you walk us through your creative process for this stellar cut?
F: After meeting VelviV on a collaboration website, we talked about our favorite bands and connected through that. We listened to an inspo playlist for a bit, and then we decided on a key (Cm). It worked out beautifully! His composition felt like magic when I first heard it. I focused mainly on the vocal arrangement and lyrics while VelviV composed and produced the track. The build-up was significant, so I virtually met with singer/songwriter Charles Sublette (Zard) to record backing vocals in the chorus and asked Nathaniel Castillo to mix/master. Both did a fabulous job and added depth to the track. As for lyrics, I needed to create a story around the instrumental. I was thinking about my significant other after not being able to see him for three months. We sent handwritten letters for fun, talking about places we’ll go after this is over. It inspired me to turn this song into a letter to him. It allowed my mind to wander and imagine this paradise on the other side.
V: Composing the track was surprisingly easy. The key we agreed to work in is one I use pretty frequently, and funnily enough, I was listening to a lot of chilled dream pop (Men I Trust, The Marías, etc.) on those days, so the inspiration came quite quickly. I wanted to do an easy-going song, easy to listen to but with a bit of twist. That was the moment when the little chorus modulation was born. The hard part was keeping it simple. I found myself deleting a lot of stuff to achieve the objective proposed. I opted for a trumpet solo instead of a guitar one to make it more mellow and dreamy. It seemed to fit better in the song.
HH: As we can tell from the swooning horns in “re: invite to the moon,” you’re definitely influenced by jazz elements. How did you come to discover jazz? What do you love about it?
F: Growing up, I took voice lessons, then joined choir and theatre in school. My teachers assigned a range of songs from Broadway to pop to jazz. I remember singing songs by Nat King Cole, Cole Porter, Ella Fitzgerald, and Édith Piaf, so jazz has a special place in my heart. I fell in love with the fluttering, soulful, complex, and ethereal structure. Jazz breaks barriers and allows your mind to step out of the box in terms of composing.
HH: What does “re: invite to the moon” mean to you? What would you like listeners to take away from this track?
F: In this song, I’m passing along the invitation to escape with me. When writing it, I was in such a dark place and felt like I had nowhere else to go. Writing this song allowed me to create this intergalactic fantasy, a place to start over and be around loved ones without any chaos. I want listeners to know that they’re never alone. This song is for everyone struggling to cope with all that’s happening. Close your eyes, imagine a peaceful place, and prepare for takeoff.
HH: It’s only been a few months since you unveiled your EP, 2am, but we can already tell you’ve grown as an artist with “re: invite to the moon.” Is this new track a reflection of what else we can expect from you moving forward?
F: This project allowed me to try something different from 2am since it had more of a
synthpop sound. I’ve always wanted to work with dreampop, and I think I’ll definitely be
incorporating some elements of that in my future work. I’m experimenting with mixing nu-
disco and dream pop, so we’ll see how that goes. You can expect more collaborations
with other indie artists in the future!
HH: If you could collaborate with anyone in the music industry, who would it be?
F: I’d have to say Jack Antonoff, for sure! He has a signature sound and worked with some
of my favorite artists. I watch his “Making Of” videos every time I want to feel inspired, too. It would be a dream to work together someday.
HH: What are your three hidden hits?
F: “Anna” – Georgia Parker
“Like Other People” – Mina Okabe
“Soy un Triste Payaso” – Pure Intruders
The Hidden Hits 