We are always looking for up and coming talent to showcase on our site. We came across Chelsey Nicole on Reverbnation and we had to reach out to her. Chelsey Nicole has one of the best voices I have heard from a Pittsburgh artist thus far. Her voice is very soothing and you kind of get lost in the music. Chelsey recently released her first single and yes we had to talk to her about this single simply because we like what we heard. Make sure after you read this interview you go check out her social media and check her out in concert.
Why did you select this song as your current single?
We decided on “Take You Anytime” as our single for a few reasons. Number one, this tune is modern with a throwback vibe, which is really what our entire sound resembles. And also it showcases everyone in the band. It’s got beautiful backup vocals, it’s driven by a great drum beat, there’s a tasty guitar lick in the beginning, a solid and catchy rhythm led by the keys and bass, and a funky horn line highlighted by a trumpet solo. We all love playing it and everything kind of just pointed to it as our single.
How does this single relate to the rest of the EP?
Like I said, this song has a modern, neo-soul vibe to it but it’s also old-school in its roots, which is what the EP is as a whole. Also, lyrically, it’s honest and straight-forward, which is how I wrote all of the songs on the record. So although it stands out a bit by being a bit more contemporary, it’s still soul and it still flows naturally with the rest of the tunes.
What was the writing process for the song?
I wrote this, and all of the songs, pretty quickly because I was going through something that I needed to deal with through art. I usually would drink about a half of a bottle of wine, rack my brain and my heart, write down my feelings, and kind of just found a way to turn it all into a song. At the time, I was listening to a lot of Amy Winehouse and Saskwatch, so that’s kind of the direction the melody and instrumentation of the tune naturally took.
What does this song’s lyric mean to you?
Well, I was experiencing something that was testing my patience and my trust. I was trying to balance out my pessimism with hope, and that’s exactly what the song states. It says, “Eh, I’m not so sure this is going to work but I am going to try anyways.” Out of all the songs, it’s probably the only somewhat optimistic one. So I guess, for me, it means, “Don’t be such a Debbie Downer.” Even though, unfortunately, the situation did not end well for me.
What would it be like to see you in person performing this song?
Again, this is pretty much the only song I wrote with a hopeful or bright outlook. I probably appear pretty laidback when I perform this song because it’s catchy and it kind of takes my mind off of the fact that I got hurt in the end. The beat is great, which helps, and I would say I usually have a smile on my face singing it especially when Joe’s trumpet solo takes over.
Could your fans summarize who you are as an artist by this song?
I would say yes, definitely. It combines all of the elements of our style- soulful, honest, modern but old-school. I’d definitely say it sums us up really well. Hence why we chose it as our single!
Is there a video planned and or completed and if so, what was the idea behind the video?
There’s a possibility we are releasing a video of sorts for this song. If we do, it will most likely be footage from the studio. There are shots of us recording it, and there is a lot of footage of us just hanging out in the studio and goofing off. With it being a kind of fun tune, I think that would work well. But nothing is solid as of now.
One last question, what is your motivation behind your music?
There’s a lot behind this music. This EP, in particular, was written very quickly and really only came about because I went through something that was difficult for me to deal with. I felt incredibly heartbroken and I didn’t know what else to do except write and make music. So I would say therapy and recovery are behind this music as well as a true, passionate love for soul music. Not only do I have this love, but everyone in the band does. Everyone understands soul music and has it in their bones, you know? Sometimes there are no words to describe the power soul and blues music has over you, and we all get that. That, really, at the core, is what is behind this music.
Social Media:
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Vimeo
Performance:
EP Release Show @ Howler’s Coyote Cafe
Thursday, December 19
Doors at 9, set at 9:45
$5 cover, 21 and over
Acoustic Set at Tarra Layne’s Going Away Party @ Jergel’s
Doors at 6
Free! All ages!