Circling Girl: Dream Pop for the Soul

Meet the Band

Isabel Daninger, 26, Singer (left)

Devon Wellborn, 25, Singer, Guitar and Keys (right)

Alison Flynn, 23, Guitar (right center)

Noah Thomas, 23, Drums, Bass (left center)

photo credit to Chlo Barkley

The Beginning

Devon Wellborn, 25, and Isabel Daninger, 26, first met in seventh grade while singing in choir together. A year later, Devon taught herself guitar through YouTube tutorials. One day, she and Isabel began harmonizing in the bathroom and realized, “Wait, that sounded good.”

At 16, the two formed their first band, Morning Radio, during high school. In 2021, they moved to Colorado, where they met Alison Flynn, 23, at a coffee shop. Alison initially worked as a producer for Devon and Isabel’s project. Shortly after, Noah Thomas, 23, joined the group when they all met through school. Together, they formed Circling Girl.

photo credit to Chlo Barkley

Cocteau Twins

The inspiration behind Circling Girl comes from a wide range of musical influences. For Alison, the ethereal sounds of the Cocteau Twins played a major role in shaping her musical taste. Another significant influence on the band’s overall vibe is The Sundays. Alison explained that she naturally gravitates toward artists and genres that share those dreamy, authentic qualities.

Isabel’s musical background reflects a slightly different shape. On her father’s side, she was raised on The Cure and Beach House, while her mother introduced her to Mariah Carey and Coldplay. As a child, Isabel was inspired by Hannah Montana and dreamed of becoming a pop star.

Now, as an indie pop artist, she said, “This is much more enjoyable than being a pop star.” Vocally, she draws inspiration from The Sundays and Hayley Williams.

Devon’s musical foundation is rooted in classical piano, and her favorite composer is Debussy. She describes herself as someone who searches for a certain “magic” in music, viewing songs as “dreamscapes.” Deeply connected to her subconscious, Devon often draws creative inspiration from her dreams, approaching music as a visual and emotional experience.

The band’s name, Circling Girl, was inspired by a Cocteau Twins song that resonated deeply with all four members. Isabel connected with the imagery of girls holding hands and spinning in a circle, symbolizing both connection and chaos. Alison, meanwhile, interprets the name through a more personal lens. “As a trans woman,” she said, “I feel like I’ve been circling girl my whole life. I feel like I’ve been getting closer and closer.”

Lyrically, Circling Girl is driven primarily by Isabel and Devon, while Alison’s contributions often take on a more political edge, adding depth and dimension to the band’s songwriting.

Writing Between Three

When it comes to the writing process, each band member plays a different role. Devon explained, “I think that we all have different skill sets—or strong suits, rather.”

Alison said she usually starts with the guitar. She’ll develop a few ideas that could evolve into songs, compile them, and then “audition” them for Isabel and Devon. The ideas that pass the test are the ones that move forward. Isabel noted that her lyric writing tends to be more thematic.

“Sometimes I can’t fall asleep, and I’ll get something stuck in my head and just word-vomit,” Isabel said. “Then I bring it to them, and Alison has a guitar riff that we feel matches the energy, and Dev is very melodically inclined. We tend to have those roles, but we also fill in the blanks for each other.”

Devon said, “In terms of melody, I love to think of the shape of it—like making an interesting line. After we have the foundation of the song, I love to think about what’s missing in the soundscape, and that’s where I’ll fill in something sparkly with either synth or guitar.”

When discussing the album, the band likes to describe songwriting as “birthing.” The hardest song on the album to “birth” was “Blue Collar”, which took about a year to complete.

Alison’s favorite track from the album is “Cruel Thing”. From a compositional standpoint, she said, it’s the song they’ve been trying to create their whole lives.

Devon’s favorite is “Porch”, which she describes as having a complex progression.

Isabel said it’s rare for her to sit down and write a song about a specific subject. Often, she brings the band unfinished lyrics and doesn’t realize what the song is about until it’s completed—and she’s had time to process the events in her life. She describes writing as a natural form of self-reflection. Devon said she admires the way Isabel writes from such a vulnerable place, allowing listeners to connect deeply with her lyrics. Alison added that her own writing style is more direct in comparison. “I love how [Isabel’s] able to write,” Alison said. “It’s like an abstract painting—so beautifully worded, and you can find many different meanings in it.”

photo credit to Chlo Barkley

Genre is a Sticky Word

That’s what makes their songs stand out. Their dream pop sound sets them apart from generic pop music, and they also dip into elements of folk. The band describes their music as embodying “fragile feminine energy.”

“We pull from so many genres that we’ve each been exposed to, from classical to goth,” said Isabel.

“We’re definitely more toward the pop side, but we’re still dreamy,” added Alison.

“We take a lot of inspiration from the sounds of ’90s girl rock,” Isabel said.

When it comes to live performances, Alison explained that Circling Girl tries to play their fair share of shows without oversaturating an already crowded market.

When asked what it feels like to perform on stage, Devon admitted it can be quite terrifying. As a child, she loved dancing around and being the center of attention, but as she grew older, performing became more nerve-wracking. She said that meeting Isabel helped her come out of her shell and rediscover the fun of being on stage. “I love how present you have to be on stage,” Devon said.

For Isabel, performing feels meditative. “I try to exist in my own body and let myself do whatever feels natural on stage,” she said. “It feels like I’m honoring the part of me that was little—dancing around my room, pretending to be that pop star.”

For Devon, performing provides an adrenaline rush, while Isabel often feels more emotionally and physically exhausted afterward.

Levitt Pavilion is one of the main venues the group is most proud to have played, along with Skylark, Fox Theatre in Boulder, Lost Lake, Globe Hall, and Larimer Lounge. Circling Girl also opened for DeVotchKa, an indie-alternative band from Denver, who collaborated with them on Porch.

As for the future, the band’s focus is on writing. They want to return to the craftsmanship of making music. Noah Thomas, the band’s manager, is concentrating on increasing their exposure. The group hopes to go on tour within the next year or so—their ultimate goal being connection.

“You make things so that people can relate to them, and you’re vulnerable so that other people can feel safe in their vulnerability,” Isabel said.

Ultimately, their dream is to touch people the same way music has touched them.

 Behind the Scenes

 Noah Thomas, 23, who wears many hats, is also a member of the band. He works as a front-of-house and tour manager for Dice and serves as a stage manager and instrument technician for Sharon Van Etten.

“I do a lot of things for a lot of people,” he said. “I started playing music with some friends in middle school, in seventh grade. The guy I was playing with was in a band, and I was really jealous,” Noah recalled. He attended a summer camp that gave him his first opportunity to perform on stage. “It changed my life. I thought, I really like this,” he said.

Not long after, he joined a band and later started his own group called Veggie Matters, which eventually evolved into another band, Blue Chance. They played their first sold-out show at Moe’s Barbeque. Despite the milestone, Noah said the sound engineer that night was terrible—which sparked his interest in live sound. Two or three weeks later, he mixed his first show.

Noah became involved with Circling Girl through a mutual connection—his partner at the time was roommates with Alison. Initially, Alison was skeptical about Noah joining as a bassist because she “knew him as a drummer.” However, during his bass audition, she realized he was the perfect fit. He’s been part of the band ever since.

For Circling Girl, Noah not only plays but also manages the band’s day-to-day operations. He serves as their booking agent and promotions director as well. Outside the group, Noah has worked with several other artists, including DeVotchKa, where he mixes monitors and works as a front-of-house engineer.

According to Noah, the most important thing a band needs to start playing shows is simple: “music.” Back in the day, he explained, the best way for a band to get noticed was to attend an open jam. The bands would get up and play three songs—maybe two covers and one original. Sometimes, the first opportunity might come from a small gig at a brewery. He explained the best way to get yourself out there is to look for opportunities.

Building connections, Noah emphasized, is a key part of succeeding in the music industry. Reaching out to local venues is a great way to start playing live shows, though it requires balance.

“Unfortunately, a lot of venues are going to book people who can sell tickets,” he said.

While selling tickets is an important factor in getting booked, Noah added that smaller bands can also benefit from reaching out to larger acts and pitching themselves as potential openers. Another strategy is to contact venues directly and ask to be added to their list of potential openers—giving them a chance to be considered when touring acts come through town.

Noah is currently in the process of booking Circling Girl.

“I want exposure to the people who don’t know us.”

Noah is reaching out to venues and talent buyers to book a few headlines shows for the year.

“It sucks to wait, but it might happen. Who knows?”

You can find Circling Girl on Instagram @circlinggirl

Stream “Only My Veins Know” on all platforms.

photo credit to Chlo Barkley

(If you or a band you know would like to be featured in a blog post, reach out through the contact information at the bottom of this page.)