Musician/Filmmaker/Charity Founder Nicole Simone on Her Career and Creativity (Interview)

Back in the day, being labeled as a triple threat in the entertainment industry meant that you could sing, dance, and act. This might have been a handy set of skills when technicolor musicals were huge, but nowadays, entertainment professionals have found other ways to expand beyond a single core skill. 

Nicole Simone, our interview guest for today, is a different kind of triple threat: she's a successful recording musician, an independent screenwriter, actor, and director, and the founder of the Canadian charity Redemption Paws, which rescues dogs in need and helps them find loving homes. 

Becoming a pro in any one of these areas would be a challenge, but Simone has managed to do it all and keep up the pace with a large number of projects. 

In music, she records as Late July, releasing tracks and EPs since the early 2010s, and at the moment she's working on a new record with producer John Agnello. 

Simone found her foray into filmmaking when she created a series titled On a List, for which she wrote the scripts, directed the episodes, and starred in one of the lead roles. 

But perhaps her proudest achievement is her charity, Redemption Paws, which of course requires a great deal of attention and advanced logistics to make sure that dogs in need get the help they require. 

There was so much to talk about when we interviewed Simone, and we did our best to cover as much ground as possible. We hope you'll like what you see. 

Did you always know that you would end up working in entertainment? 

Simone: I always knew I wanted to be in the arts, but I never had very specific goals. I got into music as a teenager and I really fell in love with the industry as a whole. Working at a record store really opened my eyes to the variety of artists and different paths that were taken. 

I'd always been very into documentaries and biographies about musicians and actors, so I guess that should have been a tip-off.

How has your music developed since your earliest releases?

Simone: I think I've just developed more and more of my sound and what moves me. I've always had a cinematic element to my music, and I appreciate how that has grown over the years. 

Getting to work with a lot of live horn and string players has helped me craft my sound and just combine different sounds to create new textures and layers that I wasn't exposed to before. My songwriting has definitely evolved, and I just enjoy being more colorful and less direct with my lyrics.

Following On a List, are you planning any other filmmaking work in the near future? 

Simone: I have been working on a script called Racing Marbles that I'd like to shoot in Canada. I really want to do a feature film and I'd love to collaborate with other writers and directors and not have to lead everything all the time. 

On A List was fun to make, and I'd love to have another experience like that. I care just as much about the process as I do the finished product of any project. If the process is good, the end goal is always better.

Are there any insights on the music industry you've learned during your career that you'd like to share with aspiring musicians? 

Simone: When you're starting out work on crafting your own sound and what inspires you. I remember I would take advice from other artists on how I needed to do everything myself, and they were wrong. 

I felt guilty for a long time that I didn't produce and play everything on my records. Now I revel in getting to have a vision and then bringing in talented people to collaborate and add their talents. Having a vision and then having others add a positive, colorful layer to it is key.

Your charity, Redemption Paws, is very well-established at this point. Are there any plans to expand the charity's scope?

Simone: I think Redemption Paws' success is based on always learning and growing. I didn't set out with the intention to rescue 3,000 dogs, but I think with the right people involved and the right intentions the sky is the limit.

Now that COVID restrictions have been eased, do you see yourself doing more live events or productions this year?

Simone: Yes, I'm very excited to play live shows and just see people again. It was stressful making On A List during the peak of the pandemic. I have a lot I want to get done and keep creating!

So you grew up in Southern California. Do you still live out here, and if so, do you think it's helpful to be so close to the center of the entertainment industry? 

Simone: I grew up south of LA in San Diego, so I wasn't exposed to Hollywood until after living in Canada for a long time and then returning to the states. I love Los Angeles, but I think you have to take that city with a grain of salt and a bit of humor. Hollywood is very small, everyone knows everyone. 

As vapid and narcissistic as the industry is made out to be, I think it's all what you make of it. If you're there for the wrong reasons, like money and fame, you're going to meet the wrong people. If you're there because you love your craft and creating, you're going to meet amazing people. That's been my experience and that's always been my big draw to the city. It's a kaleidoscope of creativity that I think people take for granted sometimes.

Are there any other projects or comments you'd like to mention to our readers?

Simone: I am working on a new record with John Agnello called Red Haired Girls and I released a new single this spring called "Remarkable."