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Interview by Carol Wright | Photographer: Sara Laufer

We got to chat with singer/songwriter Geena Kaye about her single “hot girl summer is not my vibe” and using music as a way to cope during the pandemic.

You spent 18 years of your life living in Germany. Did their music and art scene have any influence on your career of choice?

Yes! There was a lot of Eurodance/Europop on the radio when I was growing up. The radio was also notoriously about eight months behind in terms of playing new music, so that was also pretty hilarious. My dad loves opera and classical music, so that was also a part of my music education as a kid, and I think it really instilled the importance of melody as a storytelling mechanism for me.

Tell our readers about “hot girl summer is not my vibe.” What inspired the sound and feel of the song?

“Hot girl summer is not my vibe” is a song I wrote at the beginning of the summer- restaurants, and bars in New York were slowly opening up, we were all getting vaccinated, and suddenly there was an immense pressure on social media to have a “hot girl summer.” A relationship I’d been in had just ended, and all I wanted to do was NOT be single, and NOT have a hot girl summer. My producer Ronnie and I recorded it in June, and wanted it to sound ironically beachy, sort of as a joke!

“Hot girl summer is not my vibe” is such a relatable song. Do you often like to pull from your own life experiences to write lyrics?

Absolutely. I like to pull from my own life, but with the intention that what I’m experiencing is probably something someone else is experiencing too! I always want a listener to feel like “she could’ve been writing about my life!!”

During the pandemic, everyone turned to the arts as a way to cope whether that was watching movies or listening to their favorite albums. Has music been your coping mechanism during this time?

Music and TV! I definitely wrote a lot of music during the pandemic- suddenly I had the time back that I’d spent commuting to the office, and definitely used it for artistic endeavors. I also watched a looooooot of Netflix! I think we all did.

How would you describe your EP I Dreamed I Was You, Dreaming of Me in 3 words?

Dancey, flirty, relatable!

What advice do you have for aspiring singers?

Practice often! Singing and songwriting are muscles and they need to be flexed every day. Having talent is one thing, but putting in the work behind the scenes is even more important!