March 28, 2024

We are so excited to be premiering your new single “Close Enough.” How did the idea for this song come about?

Thank you I’m so glad you guys are! “Close Enough” is a song about two people who share a lot of history trying to define what exactly their relationship is. For me personally, I wrote this song about trying to stay friends with an ex, but in a broader sense I think anyone who has forayed into the world of modern dating can relate to these lyrics. There are so many instances where you’ve been seeing someone for awhile and you really like each other, but either one or both parties are hesitant to put a label on it. You’re just thinking “Wait, where is this going?” This song is a little bit about everyone’s favorite “What are we?” conversation.

Can you tell us the meaning behind the name “Close Enough?”

The title of this song comes from the opening line of the chorus, “Are we friends who are too close, or lovers who aren’t close enough?”. That basically encapsulates what the whole song is about too.

Any fun moments while creating the song?

Actually yes! “Close Enough” has some of my favorite lyrics I’ve ever written, especially the opening line of the chorus, which is the first thing I wrote for this song. I wrote the whole first verse and first chorus, and liked what I had written so much (which is a real rarity, I might add) that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep it up and I just stopped writing. I think I put it down for a good 8 months because I was so afraid the rest of the song would fail in comparison. But finally one day I was like “come on Sonali, you need to finish this”, and it was actually very easy to write.

What’s the process of writing one of your songs?

I always start with a single lyrical idea or concept, and go from there. I’ll put down all my unfiltered thoughts about whatever it is I’m trying to write about, paying no attention to word choice or rhyme or anything like that, because the main point of all this is to just to get the raw emotion, that’s the heart of a good song. After that it varies, I might come up with a melody or chord progression, or maybe try to turn my jumbled mess of thoughts into poetic lyrics, it depends!

You’re currently preparing to take over the stage at Florida’s acclaimed SunFest music festival! What are you most looking forward to for this performance?

Yes! That still does not feel real. There’s so many things I’m looking forward to for this that I don’t even know where to start, but to be completely honest one of them is the stage! Festival stages are huge, I don’t think I have ever stood on stage that big. I’m used to cramming a bunch of musicians in as tight a space possible and then trying not to trip over each other. I don’t even know what I’ll do with all that space! And of course the obvious, just getting to share my own music that is so personal to me with thousands of people. This is the kind of opportunity you dream about forever but never know if it’ll actually happen. I’m just really really grateful for this.

How did this opportunity come about for you?

I guess this is one of those really lucky instances where the stars were aligned. The night I found out I was actually at a concert with my friend and we were seeing the band COIN. It was the first night of their tour, and I remember how genuinely happy the lead singer, Chase, looked. You could tell he took none of it for granted. I thought to myself how incredible that feeling must be, and I wondered if I’d ever be lucky enough to feel it. About 20 minutes later my phone buzzed and I saw I had an email- it was from SunFest asking if I was available to play.

Are you excited to open up for Pitbull?

That definitely does not feel real either! I’ve grown up listening to his music forever, seeing my name on a bill with his is incredibly surreal.

Any other fun things in the works you can tell us about?

Lots of new music! I can’t announce any release dates yet, but it’s coming!

Do you have any last things you want to tell your supporters?

It’s kind of corny, but a massive thank you. I think self doubt plays a big part in a lot of artist’s careers, and that coupled with my battle with Chronic Lyme Disease over the past few years have really made me question whether or not a career in music was feasible. There were a lot of times it felt like it wasn’t. But I’m getting healthier and going strong, and my fans have stuck it out with me this whole time and been so incredibly supportive of everything I do. That gives me the strength to keep fighting for this, and for that I’ll always be grateful.

Listen To Sonali’s New Single “Close Enough” Now:

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