Giséle still remembers the first time she sang live. It was the school talent show, year two, some song she can’t recall now. What she does remember is the sting of coming second. “I was so angry I didn’t get first place,” she says. That mix of determination and fire hasn’t gone anywhere. You can hear it in her voice on her new track, 'Goodbye,' and you can feel it in the way she talks about her journey. She’s not shy about wanting this song to hit hard.
'Goodbye' came out of frustration. Giséle grew up on the NSW North Coast, surrounded by sun-drenched beaches and ancient rainforests. But when you’re sixteen and stuck without a driver’s license, all that beauty is a bit meaningless. “The Tweed Coast and the Gold Coast are only about 50km away,” she says. “But to me, it felt more like 500km.” The song digs into that restless energy, the itch to get out and grab onto something bigger. There’s tension in the bassline, layers of harmonies, and a driving beat that doesn’t let you stay still.
Getting the energy right wasn’t easy, though. She admits the production process tested her patience, especially when it came to those harmonies. “At the time of recording, they all sounded so good,” she says. “But after the mixing and mastering, it felt like there were too many. The hardest part was figuring out which ones to cut and which to keep.” She worked through revisions with her producer, Matty, until they landed on something that felt fresh but still true to the song’s raw heart.
Patience has been the theme of this whole EP, which she’s spent the past year carefully piecing together. It’s not easy when you’re sitting on songs you’re desperate for people to hear. “I just want them out the day I leave the studio,” she says. But holding back means giving the tracks room to breathe, to evolve into something she can be proud of. And it seems to be working. She reckons her songs are just getting better and better.
You can feel Giséle’s influences all over this record, Olivia Rodrigo, Tate McRae, that personal pop sound cuts through. “Most songs are about personal emotions,” says Giséle. “Only that person can sound authentic singing them. If I’m singing about someone else’s experiences, it might come across as karaoke. My songs are all me.”
In the track "Goodbye," the emotion comes from a real place. She hopes the song connects with people who’ve felt trapped, stuck, or isolated. “You’re not alone,” she says. “There’s a big world out there with great places and opportunities. Get out and find them.”
So what does all the beauty of the region mean now to Giséle? The Scenic Rim, the hills, and the rainforest behind Murwillumbah are her top destinations, featuring unforgettable waterfalls, swimming holes, and hikes. She lights up talking about Mt Wollumbin and Springbrook, places that remind her why the North Coast, despite its frustrations, keeps pulling her back.
Local Sounds Radio is spinning 'Goodbye,' and it’s easy to see why. It’s the kind of track that grabs your attention immediately, with a pulse that keeps pushing you forward. She wants it to make people feel alive, shaking them out of whatever rut they’re in and moving them towards something better.
Giséle’s already thinking ahead. The EP still has a little way to go before it drops, but her focus hasn’t wavered. “I just want people to hear these songs,” she says.
Listen to "Goodbye" by Giséle on Local Sounds
https://app.localsounds.com.au/song/gisele/goodbye