Multi-artist Janet Labelle has shared a video for her new single “You’re Gone.” Writing the track began in her apartment in Brooklyn, NY on one of her go-to writing instruments, the piano, which brought comfort, familiarity, and a sense of catharsis when reflecting on the song’s theme of romantic loss. LaBelle shares: “The writing process for me was about embracing difficult emotions instead of trying to run away from them. There’s a lot of repetition in the song, which felt grounding to me in finding my own peace with a difficult situation.”

LaBelle found inspiration on the West Coast, working on the song at Loantaka Sound alongside producer, Evan Taylor, in Los Angeles felt invigorating for LaBelle as the instrumental came together before the lyrics were complete. She shares: “I could just live in the studio—there’s an element of unexpectedness that is relaxing and inspiring to me. I also love recording in a way that aims to capture something pure, raw, and in the moment.”

When she took time off to complete the lyrics, LaBelle noticed that the healing aspects of her time in LA were beginning to make their way into the song’s fabric, whether it was the soothing proximity of water and her experiences surfing or time spent making music with her friends. The essential elements of what LaBelle found particularly energizing became part of the hopefulness of the song with its mantra-like acceptance of loss and change. LaBelle shares: “One of the repeating lyrics is ‘You’re never coming back and that’s fine.’ As much as possible, I’m leaning into it in this song. Music and songwriting can be really cathartic for me. I definitely do it for personal reasons.”

Shooting the video for “You’re Gone” posed the challenge of adequately expressing the processing of loss while still engaging with a lively, loud outside world that at times feels distant. LaBelle and Riley decided on filming at the Santa Monica Pier to suggest the vibrancy of a world that’s continually on the move while showcasing a character’s particular bravery in doing things on her own despite a difficult inner experience. The video’s quieter moments in golden hour light were captured near one of LaBelle’s favorite surfing spots in Malibu, dovetailing her own life with the inner reflection introduced in the video.

LaBelle’s commitment to capturing energy in the studio spills over into her production work via her label Wild Violet Records and is something she hopes to expand on in order to empower and support other artists in future.

LaBelle is a staple of the New York City scene, as a front woman, a touring multi-instrumentalist (most notably performing with Jimmy Destri of Blondie), and most importantly, a forward-thinking producer, rapidly turning song sketches into fleshed out nuanced works. With six releases to date, including four EPs Suddenly (2021), I Only See You (2018), Blossom & Blue (2011), Moon Songs (2010), her new single arrives alongside a video directed by Madaline Riley and filmed by Xavier Luciano.