Genevieve Stokes Interview

Genevieve Stokes has taken the world by storm lately, with her latest single “Habits” finding virality on TikTok with over 210,000 videos utilizing the song. Tongue Tied received the opportunity to chat with Stokes about the creation of “Habits” and her music journey thus far.

Hailing from Maine, Genevieve told me she has been making music since she was a child but didn’t release her first real project until last year. The project in question, Swimming Lessons, features the two emotional smash hits “Parking Lot” and “Surface Tension”. As she has begun to develop into a new era of her music, I was curious to hear how she feels with “Habits” now officially released.

“I’m relieved and excited! It feels right for it to be the introduction to my new project. My first EP had a sparse DIY sound, but I wanted “Habits” to feel more layered and almost orchestral. My music is mainly piano and vocals, but I’m slowly getting more experimental with production. - Genevieve Stokes, for Tongue Tied Magazine

“Habits” follows Stokes through a war of wills within herself as she seeks change. Between the lyrical heartbreak and joyful bounce of instrumentation, her “Habits” that keep her stuck in the loop of hope and resignation in her relationship are beautifully poignant. For Genevieve, the creation of “Habits” suspends an emotional moment in time.

“I wrote Habits on a beautiful day in April when I was struggling a lot with my mental health. I wanted the song to feel similarly bittersweet.” - Genevieve Stokes, for Tongue Tied Magazine

Genevieve also mentioned that Spring is her favorite season to write in, stating “I see Spring as a clean slate. It’s such a short season in Maine, but it’s so beautiful to experience everything wake up after a long winter.”

The lyricism of “Habits” is raw within her mostly upbeat styling, baring her fear of change and inability to let go through a heartbreakingly clear lens. With such storytelling within the track, Genevieve said her favorite lyric is found within the second verse as she sings “I’m growing up but I’m not growing old”, which rings true to my personal connection with “Habits” and Genevieve’s lyricism as a whole.

Stokes released a visualizer for “Habits”, which she stated is an introduction to the now released official music video and inspired by Alice In Wonderland. The video is both whimsical and free while still allowing the heartbreaking lyricism of Stokes of shine, and is a must watch to capture the full story of “Habits”. 

With such a sudden viral outburst of support for “Habits,” Genevieve admitted that the response to the song has been hard to process but also makes her feel very lucky.

“TikTok has allowed for the song to reach so many more people than I expected and in such a small amount of time. It is a mystical place and it’s truly terrifying but I’m grateful for the support.” - Genevieve Stokes, for Tongue Tied Magazine

Entering into her new musical era with “Habits”, Stokes is excited to explore new production avenues and feelings inside the new era of her music, stating “Each song has a different story with its own unique production and feeling! Don’t get too comfortable with a particular sound.”

With such a whirlwind career thus far, I was curious to find out if there was any advice Genevieve wished she was given when she was first starting out.

“Don’t worry about how others will perceive your music. Just enjoy the process of making it and it’ll reach the right people.” - Genevieve Stokes, for Tongue Tied Magazine

Looking to the future, Genevieve is moving to New Orleans this fall, specifically noting an excitement to explore the inspiration that comes within a new place. 

We here at Tongue Tied could not be more excited to see what Genevieve comes up with next. Make sure to stream “Habits” on Spotify, watch the official visualizer and music video on YouTube, and follow Genevieve Stokes on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to stay up to date with the newest era of Genevieve Stokes!