Singled Out: The Constellations' Felicia

I wrote "Felicia" in the car headed back home after a long day at the studio. While we were writing this record I would go through periods where I'd write 4 or 5 songs a day. Obviously only a few made it on the record but "Felicia" was one I went in the next day and insisted that we work on. I explained to Ben Allen, our producer, I wanted to do a funky soul song, sung by an Iggy Pop character, that bordered a hip hop feel. He looked at me crazy and said " I love it , let's lay it down". That was kinda our writing process.

Someone would come in with an idea, we would all tear it apart, rebuild it and lay it down. "Felicia" is a loosely based on a girl I know very well if you know what I mean but also just represents the power that women have in general when they are comfortable with their sexuality. When a woman is unafraid of expressing what they feel sexually, whether it be playing into a man's fantasy or creating their own fantasy, there is something so powerful about that confidence. I love women and think there is something beautiful about each and everyone of them. I'm amazed by them and this was just a kind of dedication to them.

We started with a simple bass line I laid down on the keyboard and went from there. I was really lucky to have a group of talented musicians with me in the studio. I've never learned chords or keys I just write what I feel works and Ben and the others would break it down into chords and keys for me and jazz it up. I never expected it to be a single because it is a very provocative song but everyone really reacted to the song and at the end of the day rock n roll is still all about sexuality and "Felicia" embodies that idea. Hell, my big brother's pastor's wife loves it and plays it all the time. That's gotta say something right?