An Interview With The Lafayette, Louisiana Band SOCIAL CIRCLE!

Get to know the nostalgic synth-pop band out of Lafayette, Louisiana called Social Circle. They recently released a brand new music video for their single “Changes” this past Saturday, directed by John Paul Summers of Infinite Focus (who recently worked on this video for Adam Young of Owl City). It’s an anthemic song about accepting what makes you different and spreading love to those around you – something the world needs now-a-days.

With a flair for nostalgic synth-pop reminiscent of the 80’s, Social Circle puts a modern twist on a classic sound. The quartet calls Lafayette, Louisiana home and is made up of friends Matt, Jacqueline, Gabe and Frank. Their sound blends lush harmonies and interstellar soundscapes to create addictive, sing-along melodies.

​Social Circle’s music is a pure escape from the every day troubles that weigh you down. Matt, the high-energy lead man, states, “we want our fans to know that we’re here to party and love on them all at the same time. That it’s a great time getting to escape from all of the bullshit, but we aren’t afraid to admit that it’s unavoidable at times. We don’t ignore the hard stuff. We just turn it into something beautiful.”

​With honest, emotional lyrics dripping in glitter and neon lights, Social Circle is ready to take you to a new time and place.

VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWS6UEnNs6c

Learn more about Social Circle in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! Where does this interview find the band today? Is there music playing in the background? What music do you all like to listen to when you are relaxing or answering interview questions?

We’re all a pain in the butt to pull together, so I (Matt, dude singer) started answering this in my bed while listening to LIGHTS’ new album Skin & Earth. I called Frank, our drummer, and he’s listening to N’SYNC. Jacqueline, our gal singer, is in bed writing lyrics, but she would be listening to Tycho or Blood Orange to chill. Gabe, our bassist, is actually rehearsing like a dedicated musician, but he’s been listening this band Vaults a lot lately.

How does 2017 so far compare to last year? How differently did you all approach this year then you did 2016?

2017 has been a very unique year for us. 2016 was a lot like the beginning of our careers. We were really focused on writing new songs and playing the best shows we could book in town. We just wanted to dominate our local market. Come 2017, we slowed that down and started focusing more on our band as a larger brand rather than just a local gig, and trying to build all of the elements around it that can propel us to the next stage in our careers. It’s been the best year so far.

Can you recall the moment you all realized that you could really make music together and be this band? Why do you think your name truly represents this group and the music that you create? Where did your name come from in the first place?

Honestly, one of the most defining moments was when Jacqueline started recording vocals on a song I had written before I knew it would be a Social Circle song, which would eventually become our song “Hideaway.” As soon as I heard her vocal take, I knew I wanted to sing with her. Otherwise, I think it was the level of nostalgia the music brought everyone involved to feel that lead everyone to be a part of it. Social Circle was just a literal social circle of friends trying to achieve this fun and nostalgic new wave sound.

I always like to ask artists how their hometown has been an influence on the kind of music they make and really what kind of a band they are today. So how do you think your hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana has affected you all and the music that you create?

Lafayette can feel like one giant social circle sometimes. It’s definitely the way we all met and came together. It’s the feeling we get from our friends and fans and supporters that keep us going. Our song “Kiss Me Like You Mean It” is even written about growing up and falling in love in the southern summer nights of Lafayette. Our tastes in music and inspirations don’t originally stem from here, but there’s a charm to what we do that comes from being raised here.

What was the inspiration for your single “Changes”? What was it like making the music video for it? How creatively involved were you with it all?

“Changes” was inspired by the glamour and attitude of 80’s pop stars like Prince and David Bowie. I wanted to write a song that said something very confident, so I wrote it about conquering depression and anxiety and saying goodbye to lonely nights at home being mad at ex boyfriends and wanting to be a totally self-empowered bad-ass. The music video concept was a collaboration between us, the videographer and director JP Summers, and our creative director Molly Portier. We all sort of collectively built the concept together and it worked out amazingly.

Do you have dates already lined up to play out live this fall?

We’re working a few dates right now, but the biggest date we have is a benefit show on December 2nd with our sister-band Blonde Roses to help raise toys and funds for the kids of CASA of South Louisiana during the holiday season.

Where do you think you are all happiest- on stage performing, in the studio recording new music or elsewhere?

Our home is onstage. We definitely love being together no matter where we are, but when we’re onstage, there’s this feeling that we can’t get anywhere else. It’s where we actually get to show you who we are as people, in the way we dress, the way we sing, the way we play, the way we dance, even the awkward in-between-songs banter. It’s where we’re the most free to tell our story.

With the summer over now, what was your favorite part about it? What was something fun that this group did or tried for the first time?

The music video shoot was absolutely our favorite part of the summer. That was the most rock star day for us, running from location to location, doing scene after scene. It was a 9-hour day of shooting and was just the coolest feeling in the world.

We are living in a crazy and at times rough world right now so I am curious how you think being in this band gives you the most joy in life today? Do you think that new music being created today is going to reflect these hard times?

New music definitely reflects these hard times. Being in this band is a great space to be cathartic and release all the feelings our shitty days give us. We get to take what keeps us down and turn it into something empowering. Our song “Changes” is literally about how easy it is to succumb to those frustrating influences, and saying “No way, I’m better than this.”

Who are some of your favorite artists? Is there anyone that you would still love to work with in the future?  What would be a dream collaboration for this band?

We have a lot of musicians that inspire us individually and as a band. Brandon Flowers of The Killers, St Lucia,  Empire of the Sun, LIGHTS, Flying Lotus,  BECK, The 1975, Charlie Puth. As a collaboration, we’d love to throw down with Empire of the Sun. That’d be unique as hell.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

Ultimately, we hope people get something positive out of this band and the music we give you. We hope that whoever listens to our songs or sees us play live can spend whatever amount of time escaping from whatever reality they’re stuck in and go somewhere way more fun and freeing.

What advice would you give to a band just getting started? Or even to someone young that is thinking of becoming a musician one day?

Be honest. Finding your sound can be so hard, but as long as you’re writing and playing what you love, you’ve made the right decision. Don’t compare your success to everyone else around you. You can only move at your own pace. No one makes it overnight. Just keep working your ass off and know that it isn’t easy, but it’s 110% worth it.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about the band or your new music?

Fun fact: Before every show we ever play, we sing The Real McCoy’s “Another Night” as a big pump-up anthem and dance around like total fools. It’s a two and a half year old ritual we never forget.