In one word? Noelle Rene is enchanting. Atwood Magazine sat down for coffee with the LA-born, Boston-based artist to discuss creating music in her mother’s closet, embodying femme fatale energy, retro visuals, and the significance of reclaiming your voice during your twenties.
Listen: “so, you’re back!” – Noelle Rene
It's not solely her vibrant clothing, stylish hair, and makeup that catch attention; it's her self-assured and warm personality. Seated in her neighborhood café, Noelle Rene reviews a demo on her phone, her own voice resonating in her ears as she enjoys an iced latte despite the chill of the Boston winds.
Her musical journey began in Los Angeles, specifically within her mother's closet.
“I had returned home to California from Boston,” Rene recounts about her college experience in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic swept through campuses nationwide, prompting many students to return home just months after starting school.
For many, the pandemic became a period of reflection. With endless time and nowhere to go, individuals sought new hobbies or pursued ambitions they had postponed due to busy lives. For Rene, music was a long-held aspiration – the pandemic offered her a chance to break through her mental barriers and fully dedicate herself to her craft.
“I vividly remember recording the vocals in my mom’s closet with my laptop,” she shares. “I just used GarageBand and sent the vocal tracks to the producer.”
As water beads slide down her cup, she ponders, her brows knitting together. Music permeates every part of Rene’s life – from her corporate job to her personal performances.
Noelle Rene’s artistry has been shaped by various genres, styles, and perspectives since her youth. As a teenager, she found solace in the tunes and sonic pleasure of R&B.
“Ctrl changed my life,” she reflects. The music from adolescence tends to stay with you throughout your life; SZA’s debut album remains very special to Rene. “I found the album to be such a cohesive piece, something I hadn't experienced before.”
“Growing up, I was particularly fond of ‘Back to Black’ by Amy Winehouse. I attempted to channel that at the beginning,” she adds. “I am attracted to anyone with a genuinely soulful voice, no matter the style. It could be the vocals or the music, like Mk.gee.”
“I was a huge Arianator while growing up,” Rene laughs. “As a vocalist, I really admire her.” She quickly mentions her admiration for her as an actress as well, from *Wicked* to *Victorious*.
Rene finds inspiration in contemporary figures in the indie and pop genres, from their lyrical content to their sound and presence, such as Lizzy McAlpine, Remi Wolf, and Chappell Roan.
Her soft-spoken demeanor shines through in her emotionally charged choruses—deeply influenced by the R&B and soul genres that initially captured her. As she has evolved as an artist, Rene has broadened her sound, incorporating a variety of genres instead of confining herself to just one.
While many artists distance themselves from their earlier works, Rene values their significance in her artistic longevity. “I shouldn’t alter [my 2020 singles] because it would be disrespectful to my 19-year-old self,” she expresses. “I enjoyed it then, and it serves as a sort of snapshot.”
This viewpoint is refreshing in an era where artists frequently abandon their past catalogs. For example, Sabrina Carpenter now performs tracks from *emails I can’t send* and *Short n’ Sweet*, while rarely revisiting her earlier R&B-influenced albums.
As Carpenter's popularity has surged over the last year, new fans are rediscovering her earlier music. Rene’s gaze shifts to the coffee counter, inhaling the aroma of fresh bagels, and she hopes that fans will revisit her earlier tracks similarly to Carpenter’s.
Noelle Rene's signature looks include cat-eye eyeliner and ’60s-inspired silhouettes. Complementary colors enhance her album art—from the pop-art cover of “Creature of Habit” to Ryan Clemens' photography for “so, you’re back!”
Twiggy inspired her latest photoshoot in LA, and the influence is unmistakable. Since her debut single, Rene has embraced “Gogo boots” and “boxy '60s dresses.”
“I’ve moved towards a more dramatic fashion sense,” she comments on her evolving aesthetic. In “so, you’re back!” she is styled in dark reds and browns, her eyeliner accentuating her eye color. Her earlier singles, such as “Flight 2402” and “not my lover,” featured more neon and pastel tones.
“I’ve never felt compelled to embrace a sexy, flirty side as much as I want to now—like the femme fatale and dramatic themes, akin to those Roy Lichtenstein paintings.”
In awakening the artist’s exploration of her sonically vast capabilities, Little Simz delves beyond superficial experimentation - she reveals a
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In a single word? Noelle Rene is enchanting. Atwood Magazine enjoyed coffee with the LA-born, Boston-based artist and discussed creating music in her mother's closet, femme fatale vibes, vintage aesthetics, and the significance of reclaiming one’s voice in their twenties.