Q&A: Genevive Stokes Emotes Raw Emotion with 'Swimming Lessons'
GENEVIVE STOKES IS SURROUNDED BY A LUSH GREEN FOREST - She is perched down, little leaves surround her ankles as she rests her face delicately in her hand. A mist dances in the air. She is wearing a cream-colored dress and a pair of dirt brown boots. She is on film. It is raw, unfiltered, yet also oddly pristine and delicate. This is the visualizer for the stripped-back version of her song “Surface Tension,” - the song itself was originally released in 2021 followed by her debut EP, Swimming Lessons. Like her visualizer, her music emotes those same feelings of raw emotion. A strength of Stokes’ writing that doesn’t go unnoticed.
Growing up in Portland, Maine Stokes taught herself the piano at the age of 8, quickly falling in love with music. It became her identity and something she began to take seriously in high school. The now 19-year old released her first single in 2019 called “Simple Love (Voice Memo),” followed by “Morning Dove” and “Surface Tension.” All of which are featured in her EP. Stokes’ music is recognizable for its flowing piano and her aching gentle voice. Her lyrics leave you drifting off into thought and bring you back to reality with the catchiness of the chorus that at times make you want to dance and others cry. Read below to learn more about Stokes and Swimming Lessons.
LUNA: Firstly, congratulations on the release of Swimming Lessons! How have you been doing with things opening up this summer and the upcoming shows you’ll be opening for?
STOKES: Thank you! It’s honestly pretty scary for me. I haven’t played out in a long time or ever in this context, so it’ll definitely be a learning experience. But I’ve been practicing and getting a band together which has helped me feel more prepared.
LUNA: You’ve said before that a lot of the songs from this EP were never meant to be seen by the world - what emotions did you feel when the EP was finally released?
STOKES: I’ve always performed my songs in front of strangers, but having it be heard on such a large scale is definitely intimidating. Sometimes listening to my lyrics can make me cringe or feel really vulnerable, but at the root of it I’m super excited to share my music with others. And I’m trying not to listen to the overly-critical voice in my head anymore.
LUNA: When you first released some of the songs from this EP as singles did you always intend for them to make their way into the EP?
STOKES: Yes! It took two long years of preparation but I always planned on releasing the songs as an EP.
LUNA: What was the hardest thing about working on this album?
STOKES: Finding a production style that suited my music was pretty difficult. We went through so many drafts of “Surface Tension” and “Running Away” before I was truly happy. But I learned so much and it genuinely ended up being one of my favorite parts of the process.
LUNA: When you made the visualizer for the stripped-back version of “Surface Tension” did you have a vision in mind for what you wanted it to be?
STOKES: Recently I’ve been inspired by fairytales and delving back into childhood fantasies, so I thought this would be a nice introduction to that theme in my music. We filmed after a rainstorm so there was an eerily beautiful mist covering everything. I think it worked out perfectly.
LUNA: What inspired you to write the songs off this album?
STOKES: The EP is a collection of songs I wrote throughout high school. It was inspired by everyday life and just being a teenager with a lot of emotions.
LUNA: Was there a specific intention behind releasing a stripped version of your songs, such as “Parking Lot” and “Surface Tension”? Were the stripped versions closer to the original sound of the songs or something you thought people might like to hear?
STOKES: All of my songs start as just piano and voice, so these acoustic versions feel very natural to me. I also like having an alternative version where you can feel the lyrics and overall mood in a different way.
LUNA: What is your favorite memory from working on this EP?
STOKES: I think back on the production process very fondly. We rented out a cabin airbnb in Maine and spent multiple trips/ months producing the songs. It felt very natural and calm.
LUNA: You’ve worked closely with Abbie Pitre for a lot of your music videos - does your relationship with Pitre guide or inspire any of your creative direction or choices for your music videos?
STOKES: Abbie influences my work so much! We grew up together so we see the world in a similar way, and Abbie has an incredible eye for photography and film. We have a lot of fun coming up with ideas together because we’ve always loved doing stuff like this.
LUNA: What do you hope to focus on for the rest of the year?
STOKES: My album…. :)
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