Hi Nicole! Congratulations on your new single “Guilty.” Can you tell us about the inspiration behind this not-so-typical love song?

A: Thank you! I was watching the show “Good Trouble” before I went into a writing session with Douglas Romanow and Chrystal Oudijk. For those who haven’t seen it, there is a lot of legal jargon throughout the show. So, I had imagery of court and justice on my mind that day. I was hoping to write a love song on this particular day because I struggle with them the most and I wanted to include a love song on my upcoming project. I got into the session and I wasn’t quite sure how to pair the imagery of court with a love song until Chrystal made a joke about “a love being so good it feels illegal”. And Guilty was born

You collaborated with Douglas Romanow and Chrystal Oudijk for writing “Guilty.” How did this team come together, and what was the creative process like?

A: They are both such talented and creative people to work with. This was my first time writing with Chrystal but I loved how she was immediately on board with an unconventional love song concept. I felt she helped to formulate the lyrics in a way that worked for this out-of-the-box love story but expressed them in a way that made perfect sense to me. I have worked with Douglas on many songs and I always love the way he helps bring my vision for a song to life. I wanted this song to showcase a more rock and blues sound and he knocked it out of the park.

“Guilty” is described as a song that paints the picture of a love so good it should be illegal. What does this theme mean to you personally?

A: For me, this paints the picture of the most passionate type of love. A love that almost feels so good it feels like it should be bad. This is the type of love you would do anything for. Guilty is about “your person”. That person you would do anything for, even go to jail haha!

The song marks a shift towards a country rock sound with bluesy undertones for you. What influenced this change in musical direction?

A: I think this is the sound I have always wanted to share as an artist. This is the sound I’ve always known suits me best. I think in the early days of my career; I was more easily influenced by what other people were telling me to do. I always thought I had to put out the music that other people thought was best because I wasn’t confident in my opinion. I am not finally putting out the music that feels most like me. I have reached a point in my career where the most important thing to me is putting out the music that best represents me as an artist and says what I have to say.

As a five-time CMA Ontario nominee, how do you feel “Guilty” represents your evolution as an artist?

A: Being an artist puts pressure on creativity. It put this timeline on creativity because of how fast-paced the industry is. There is always this great sense of needing to find inspiration right now to put out a song immediately. But of course, inspiration doesn’t work like that. I think I am finally getting better at allowing myself to be creative when I have something I want to say. I want to put out music that resonates and represents me and I think that is more important than putting out music I don’t believe in just because I think that is what I am “supposed to do”. Guilty represents this evolution in a big way! I didn’t care if anyone thought this song “was the one” or if it was what I was “supposed to put out”. I love the song and I wanted to share it.

Can you share any memorable moments or challenges you faced during the production of “Guilty” with producer Douglas Romanow?

A: I think the most challenging part for me was recording the vocals because of the expectations I had of myself for this song. This song feels so much like me that I wanted the vocals to be extra amazing on this track. After recording the vocals, I sat on the song for a little bit and ultimately decided I could do better. I ended up going back into the studio with Doug to record a couple of different vocal takes. I wanted to nail those big notes at the end so I redid them and I am so much happier with them now.

The lyrics of “Guilty” seem to evoke strong emotions. Can you delve into the songwriting process and how you captured the essence of the song’s message?

A: It was really about diving into the court lingo during the writing that made the most sense to explain the emotion of love. We talked through many different “court” type words throughout the songwriting process but some made more sense only to explain being in a courtroom but didn’t capture that feeling of passionate love. We took some time to make sure we were using the best language we could to marry two themes of law and love together and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

How do you anticipate your fans will react to the new sound and style presented in “Guilty”?

A: I hope that they can feel that this new sound sounds most authentic to me. But more than anything I hope they can find their own love stories in Guilty. That is always my hope for my music. I love being able to share my story but I hope people can find something they need for themselves in my songs. Listening to music growing up was always my favourite part, I could hear my stories in other people’s words and it made me feel less alone. That is why I make music. So, I hope the words of Guilty find their way to the fans who need them.

Are there any particular artists or genres that inspired the country rock and bluesy sound of “Guilty”?

A: I don’t feel like there was a particular artist I was pulling from I think it was more about finding my authentic sound on Guilty, and doing what felt right for me. The country rock bluesy sound has always been where I feel comfortable in my voice but I have swayed away from it in my career for a more pop country sound instead. I finally realized I didn’t want to sing where I didn’t feel comfortable anymore and Guilty feels right in my wheelhouse.

Looking ahead, can we expect more music in this vein from you, and how does “Guilty” fit into your future artistic plans?

A: Yes absolutely! Guilty is the second single towards a new project, with my previous single “Dirty” being the first. Both songs lean more toward the rock- country vein because I want this to be the direction going forward. I have so much fun singing Guilty on stage because it feels so comfortable. After all, it feels like me. I will most definitely be taking this vibe into the future of my career. I know my best music is yet to come!