London-based singer-songwriter and producer Faye Meana has been making music since before the average child can read. First sitting down at the piano at the young age of five years old, she quickly found a solace and excitement in the keys that only grew as she got older. From writing songs on the instrument to experimenting with GarageBand as an early teenager, she has been finding her voice for her entire life.

Her new single, “On & On”, might be the best she’s sounded yet. Released ahead of a forthcoming project, the track blends modern R&B and electronic synths, while lyrically detailing an all too relatable relationship struggle. “I know a lot of people, myself included, who have found themselves stuck in a loop with someone, constantly having the same arguments about the same things and feeling like nothing ever gets resolved,” she tells Wonderland as we catch up to discuss the new single. “In those times, it feels like it really would take a miracle to sort things.”

Stream “On & On”…

Read the interview…

Hi Faye! Talk to us a bit about the early days of your career. Where did your love for music originate?
Hey guys, thanks for having me! So, I started playing piano back when I was five and pretty much became obsessed with it straight away. My childhood was spent in front of the piano at every opportunity to be. When I was 14 I started playing around on GarageBand; producing songs I’d already written on the piano into actual tracks. Come 16, I realised this is what I wanted to do, moved over to Logic and started learning to produce for real.

Congratulations on your new single, “On & On”! Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind this track and what listeners can expect from it?
“On & On” is a real mash up of all my favourite genres of music. The driving beat typical of the disco era in the 70’s mixed with 80s synth-pop. This being said, it’s always important for me to add a modern twist on things, I think that definitely comes through in the track.

How does ”On & On” differ from your previous single, “No Need To Be Shy”?
“No Need To Be Shy” was really the starting point of incorporating more electronic sounds into my production. I waited a year to create a project that incorporated more of the music that I listen to regularly.

As both a singer-songwriter and producer, what challenges did you face in creating “On & On”, and how did you overcome them?
It can sometimes feel quite demanding doing everything on my own, especially if I’m feeling a bit creatively blocked; I’m stagnant, waiting for it to pass. I was stuck on the production for a few months with “On & On” to the point where I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish it. Luckily, the clouds parted and I finished the song. Even with all the challenges, there is the best feeling of accomplishment when you’ve made something yourself.

Could you walk us through your creative process when writing and producing “On & On”, from initial concept to final product?
So I started with the synth sound you hear at the beginning of the song and throughout. It was actually for another song, but I thought it was so catchy I wanted to use it for the main theme of a different song. So I started building the song around this, the verse and pre came to me super easily, I knew exactly what I wanted to write the song about and the melody really just flowed. But I got really stuck on where I wanted the chorus to go; I had pretty much got the whole of the song down in terms of production and verses, so I asked Hannah Yadi if she would be down to help me out with the chorus. One afternoon we literally got the entire chorus down, and it tied everything together so well. This was actually the first time I had ever had anyone co-write a song with me and I couldn’t have thought of anyone better than Hannah to do this with.

You’ve mentioned blending nostalgic sounds with modern R&B in your music. How do you strike a balance between these influences, and what draws you to incorporate them into your sound?
I think naturally my voice and melodies draw inspiration from R&B and soul but my production is very heavily inspired by electronic sounds. I think I subconsciously take my favourite parts from different genres and mesh them all together to make my style.

With your background in jazz piano and influences from disco and Motown, how do you infuse these elements into your music while still maintaining a contemporary edge?
This was all I listened to as a kid so I think, inevitably, this has and always will have the biggest influence on my music in terms of how I write and produce. But honestly, I think the music I create is just a culmination of what I’m listening to the most at that point in time. The contemporary side comes naturally due to the fact I listen to a lot more current music now compared to when I was younger. If I’ve gone through a phase of listening to lots of 80s ballads, then my music will sway more towards this genre, but if I’m more in my feels and listening to more indie tunes, then I will most definitely not be making an upbeat song [laughs].

What do you hope listeners take away from “On & On”, both lyrically and sonically?
Lyrically, I think a lot of people will relate to the track. I know a lot of people, myself included, who have found themselves stuck in a loop with someone, constantly having the same arguments about the same things and feeling like nothing ever gets resolved. In those times, it feels like it really would take a miracle to sort things. Saying this, I wanted “On & On” to feel a bit more like a light reflection on this instead of being a really heavy and depressing song; I hope people take that from the song.

You’re set to perform at Cross The Tracks festival this summer. What can festival-goers expect from your live performance, and how do you prepare for such events?
Yes, I’m super excited to be performing, the line up is insane. You can expect to hear a few new songs from my upcoming project and to see me performing with my full band of super talented musicians, I’m so lucky to play with them.

Looking ahead, what can fans anticipate from you in terms of future releases and projects in 2024 and beyond?
“On & On” is the first single off of my next project — the project will be out in the summer preceded by another 2 singles. There will be lots of shows, in London and outside of the city too, including my Headline in July. I always update my socials when I’m playing a show!