Chatterbox: Felix Antonio chats his new album, costal childhood and indie-folk inspirations

Hey Felix, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. Could you tell us a little known fact about yourself?

Hey, thank you for your interest in my music!!

A little known fact about myself is that the first instrument I learnt was the clarinet haha and I kinda hated it. That’s why I learnt cooler instruments by myself as a teenager (guitar, piano, bass, drums…).

Congratulations on the release of your new album, Felix Antonio & the Sea. This is an interesting Hemingway-esque title choice, so how does this represent the record?

Thank you very much! I’d never really thought of that, but I actually read this book The Old Man and the Sea approximately the same age I started writing songs, when I was 16, so maybe it’s all connected haha. I really like the poetic, symbolic and evocative aspects of it. I grew up in Normandy, near the sea, and I would spend every summer of my childhood in the Mediterranea. I think the sea is a part of me, at least that’s how I always felt. In times of trouble, doubt, changes, I needed a reminder of the beautiful things in life. I needed the waves to wash the pain away, and that’s what the EP is about.

You’ve been releasing music for around three years now, so how has your approach to songwriting and production evolved over that time?

I think that this EP has been more acoustic than my first one. I tend to lean more and more towards a form of simplicity and softness in my production. As for the songwriting, this EP has been the opportunity for me to tell things about myself I never had the courage to. There’s a form of raw sincerity in these songs that I really cherish.

Focus track ‘it’s over, i’m sober’ draws directly from your experience of cutting substances out of your life, so would you say that music has helped you navigate your sobriety?

Well, at first, I wanted the song to be about cutting substances out of my life. But then I realized that the song was about something more symbolic. I had a friend with whom I used to party a lot. Our relationship was very fun and intense but didn’t end well. I think getting sober for me also meant getting closure for that time of my life and the pain it caused me. It’s about finally being happy alone, and writing it really helped me move on. So yeah, music really helped me navigate through this time of my life.

Indie-folk is a genre that continues to connect listeners. Which artists or bands inspire you the most?

I’m really into indie folk artists such as Chance Peña, Sufjan Stevens, Jonah Kagen, Phoebe Bridgers, Tom Odell… or bands like The Lumineers, Hollow Coves and Cigarettes After Sex.

What do you hope that listeners will take away from these songs? What’s next for the project?

I really hope that these songs will bring a sense of comfort to people who need it. Sometimes to put words on specific feelings or situations can be really helpful, to realize that you’re not alone, and that it will be ok. My music is also getting more and more optimistic, so I hope I can inspire people to keep on hoping for better days when times are difficult. What’s next for the project is that I’m currently working on my debut album, which will be the most important project of my life!