CHLSY – Sinner

By starrymag | May 10, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) Our sound is heavily influenced by the music of the 90s.  It’s guitar lead with typically more distorted vocals. We call it “head banging music for today’s youth.”

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Some of my favorite bands and musical influences are The Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, Radiohead, Weezer and Nirvana.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Sinner.”

A) “Sinner” actually came out almost a year ago, but the music video debuted in January. At the time I was writing a lot of songs blaming the men I was in relationships with for the toxicity of the relationship. “Sinner” was about my role in that toxicity and how I also added to the chaos.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) I think the fans connected to the idea of being imperfect.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) The video for the track is so sick. It was done by Josh Bush who is an absolute genius when it comes to cinematography.  He really wanted to tap into the sort of “witch-y” narrative that the story tells. When we were shooting the video, we had all these candles burning and like a star we made with fake blood and the candles actually caught the star on fire and, for a second, we thought the whole place was going to burn down. That was spooky for sure.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) My songwriting process is different for every song. I wrote a lot of poetry so sometimes that influences the lyrics in my songs. It definitely did for our most recent song, “garden.” But typically, I start on guitar or piano and come up with a melody and lyrics. I know a song is going to be good when I feel like I am channeling something greater than me. I often get that feeling when I’m writing, and those songs usually end up being psychic messages about how my future will turn out. Songwriting is and always will be a very spiritual experience for me. Like I am just holding the pen, a vessel for the song to flow through.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) Actually, as a band we produce all of our own music. I record all the parts I play and the other members record their parts. Then, we send it off to get mixed and mastered by someone else. I believe it’s always a good idea to have another set of ears for that portion of production.

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

A) We are actually in the middle of recording our EP called Quantum Entanglement. We also have a full concept album of songs called Karmic Debt that hasn’t been released and includes a novel detailing the story of the concept album, written by me.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) I love playing at Elrays in Iowa City. We’ve made some fantastic friends out there and it’s always fun to go back. I would say my favorite place to perform is in Brownwood, Texas. Sawyer Dodds, our drummer, is originally from there and has cultivated an incredible community of supporters out there that have really motivated us to continue pursuing our dream.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) If I’m being honest, I wrote some of my favorite songs ever with an old friend of mine who unfortunately no longer happens to be in my life. He was a fantastic musician and someday I hope to make amends with him and collaborate again. I would love to hear what our future selves could create.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) I’m currently listening to a band out of Atlanta called Microwave. I’m obsessed with their guitar tones and melodies. They’ve been great inspiration for my own writing.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) While social media is sometimes a black hole that I can disappear to for hours it has also been a great tool to connect with people on a global scale. I have discovered so many fantastic musicians through platforms like TikTok and Instagram and many people have discovered me through it!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I greatly appreciate your support. It is what motivates me to wake up every day and pursue my dream. But apart from that I would love to be your friend and actually connect with you so shoot me a DM and let’s chat!

 

 

 

All Questions Answered By Vocalist/Guitarist Chelsea Gilliland