Johannesburg, South African alternative rock artist Chenél No.1 has released her latest single, “Save Me”. The track is an alternative rock song with driving guitars and emotive riffs that give it an edge of pain merged with a fierce vulnerability.
We had a chance to Chat with Chenél No.1 as part of our Refrain Interview Series.
Refrain Music Blog: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. You have a new single out now. Tell us about it?
Chenél: My new alternative rock song is called Save Me and I’m so excited that it is out.
RMB: What’s the single about?
Chenél: Save Me is about a woman thankful that someone loves her enough to accept her with all her flaws, understands the darkness she dwells in, and is willing to pull her out.
RMB: What’s the story on how it was recorded?
Chenél: I originally wrote Save Me during the 2020 lockdown period. I think being separated from extended family and friends was subconsciously wearing me down.
Usually, I plan my releases months in advance and this song was not originally planned during the studio session. I was playing through some of my songs before the session and my producer’s interest immediately peaked when he heard it. He was so excited about it that we changed our original planned song to record Save Me.
The original guitar riff I wrote for the song was much simpler and my session guitarist expanded on my idea and made it awesome.
RMB: Is it going to be part of a larger album?
Chenél: No, I focus mostly on singles at this stage as I feel most of my songs don’t form a full body of work that can be themed together. I do try to release one EP a year that encompasses the core elements of an album.
Perhaps in the future, I will work towards including Save me in an epic rock album.
RMB: How does this single differ from your previous work?
Chenél: I started out this year with an acoustic EP called Turquoise Tears and have built up the releases to a more rock sound. Save Me is musically the hardest rock song I’ve done to date.
One thing I like to do is to surprise my listeners. I can’t be placed in a box due to my love of writing in different genres and covering a variety of lyrical topics.
RMB: Tell us a little bit about yourself. When did you start pursuing music?
Chenél: I never considered pursuing music. It was mid 2019 when I decided to enter a South African song writing completion. I was a complete novice, but have been learning the guitar for a while. Long story short, I came 15th place and thought, perhaps I should give this a shot.
Since then, I’ve never looked back with 32 releases under my belt and having reached a million streams on Spotify recently.
RMB: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Chenél: I’m inspired by artists such as P!nk, Brandi Carlile, Dolly Parton, Amy Macdonald, Tom Grennan & The Killers.
I think what all these artists have in common is that their songs delve deeper, is rooted in story telling and that really appeals to me.
Although I cannot pinpoint my sound to one specific musical influence, I do know that I gain inspiration from them both musically and lyrically.
RMB: What’s the one thing you are most proud of in your career so far?
Chenél: In the music industry I still consider myself a newbie, with lots still to learn. As an independent artist, I have put in the hours, releasing new songs regularly, writing new material, creating content, being active on socials, and reaching small milestones.
Currently, I can say I’m most proud of being awarded the Best Newcomer Songwriter for the Afri-Indie independent Artist Music Awards 2022 & also being nominated for the Best Alternative Single and Best Newcomer categories.
This award just validated my initial decision to become a songwriter.
RMB: If you had to pitch your music to a potential fan in less than 10 seconds, what would you say?
Chenél: From folk to rock I’m your gal and I strive not to bore you with long intros, but getting to your favourite part. The chorus!
RMB: Your bio mentions that you are a mother of three. Where do you get the time to pursue your music?
Chenél: I purposefully make time for it. I’m married with 3 children; I work full-time as operations manager.
As an independent artist I create my own artwork, videos, and visuals, taking the concept of DIY as far as I can. So, in general, my days are always full and I have fun having total creative control over my musical path.
RMB: What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that you think everyone needs to hear or that has meant the most to you?
Chenél: Release that song! Whether you think it’s good enough or not. Taking that initial risk and pushing past the fear is the hardest part.
RMB: If you could go back in time, what’s a piece of advice you would give to a younger you?
Chenél: That’s an easy one to answer. If I had known what I know now, I would have started much sooner in my life pursuing music. I’m now 40 and have started on the back foot, but I won’t be lifting my foot of the gas anytime soon. I have still too many songs in me to stop!
RMB: What’s coming up next for your musical project?
Chenél: My next release will be in my native language, Afrikaans. This song is called Boer se Vrou (Farmer’s Wife) and deals with the challenges, struggles and fear South African farmers and their wives have to face. Brutal farm attacks being the most pressing. My idea is to create more awareness about this pressing issue.
I also have another EP planned for early 2023 and leaning more towards acoustic releases thereafter.
RMB: Anyhing else that you want to talk about? Now is the time!
Chenél: I would like to say thank you for each and every one who has supported me and I hope that my music will continue to be a joy to listen to.
If you haven’t heard any of my songs yet and are curious, please reach out on socials and I’d be happy to suggest a couple of my personal favorites to you.
Thanks Refrain Music Blog for this interview and having me talk about my new release, Save Me.
Connect With Chenél No.1 :
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