With “California Fields,” Michellar isn’t just releasing a debut single. She’s letting people into her own complicated history with California. After more than two decades living in the state, she’s seen both its beauty and its breaking points. That tension comes through in every word and every note.
The track was first written on acoustic guitar, and you can still feel that closeness in how it starts. But once Lloyd Miller of Spirit Song Studios in Austin got involved, the song took on a whole new rhythm, pulling in Latin flavors without losing its emotional roots. The result doesn’t feel overly polished or dressed up. It feels lived-in. Honest.
Michellar wrote the song during a time when fires were tearing through Northern California. Watching homes disappear changed how she saw the place she calls home. The destruction wasn’t just out there in the news. It got under her skin. That comes through in the music. She’s not trying to dramatize it or turn it into some grand statement. She’s just telling the truth as she felt it.
The vocals were recorded at Women’s Audio Mission in San Francisco. For Michellar, it was her first time in a studio. You’d never guess it. The performance is grounded, not showy. It’s clear she’s not trying to impress anyone. She’s trying to say something that matters to her.
Some people might pick up on the influence of Kansas’s “Hotel California,” especially in the mood and the storytelling. But this song is doing its own thing. It’s not about escaping or dreaming. It’s about facing the hard stuff and figuring out what it means to stay.
“California Fields” feels like the kind of song that could play over the closing credits of a film about home and loss. The kind where you sit through the silence after it ends. Not because the song demands attention, but because it earns it.
For Michellar, this is where it started. Since this recording, she’s put out 19 more singles in all kinds of styles. She’s chasing growth, not comfort. This one planted the roots.
Discover more from Cinematic Giants
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
