Chantitown is a singer-songwriter from North West London who has released her debut EP, Cause and The Cure independently this month. With a body of work of over 300 songs, this is just the beginning for this talented musician.
We caught up with the former Performing Arts student who turns music into poetry. Read below.
Tell us about you, how long have you been producing music? What did inspire you to start?
Gosh, I am so bad at talking about myself! Ok, I am Chantitown, I live in London and started writing songs when I was 13 years old. After studying Performing arts, I never stopped writing and had a body of work (over 300 songs to be specific!) and thought now is my time.
I grew up in a noisy household surrounded by music. In terms of songwriting, I have been a keen student and influenced by all the greats such as Tracy Chapman, Carol King, Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell. It’s taken until now to release my work and I’m excited about the unknown.
The music industry is super competitive these days, was there a moment in your life that you wanted to give up on music? How did you manage to stay focused and achieve what you want?
Yes, its competitive but I think there is a place for everyone. It was not about giving up on music for me, it was about when the hell are you going to start and put your work out there. I was in a crazy unsettling place in my life and I thought how do I make it even crazier! No…I thought now is the time.
How would you describe your creative processes? Who writes the lyrics to the songs? Are the music and lyrics written in conjunction, or separately?
I start writing a song as if I am writing a poem. I was an English Literature student out of love for poetry and I think I subconsciously start the first verse of every song as if I am writing a poem. Through the writing process, it somehow manifests into lyrics. Some people find it a bit strange but I often come up with a hook and melody almost immediately after writing the song. Then covert whatever is in my head by bringing in the chords.
Where the inspiration comes from?
Life! I have a pretty mad one full of twists and turns. Other peoples stories, watching the news, I mean anything that provokes thought or emotion is a starting point.
What’s your favorite track from the upcoming album and what other bands/artists are you listening to right now?
All my track have a special place for me. I can’t say I have a favourite, it depends what mood I’m in, whether I have had coffee before I start listening!
What’s next for you?
I’m doing what I love to do, I have no expectations of where this will lead. I have had so many people reach out to me from all over the world, the music community has been supportive and kind (for now!) so I guess I will keep going as I love what I do and see what the universe has planned for me.
