IN CONVERSATION WITH CHINCHILLA
IN CONVERSATION WITH JANA LETONJA
Rising artist CHINCHILLA is releasing new single, ‘Avoidance’ today. Her breakout single ‘Little Girl Gone’ led to her becoming the UK’s first female soloist to top Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart, as well as being named one of TikTok’s Breakthrough Artists of 2023 with the track announced as one of their Top 5 Songs of the Summer. She is currently on her UK tour, which has been sold out.
You’ve been described as “a champion for the oppressed” with a sound that’s both defiant and empowering. How intentional is your messaging when writing?
I don’t know how intentional it is, I guess I just write the lyrics I need to hear maybe. I want to be empowered by music and all my favourite artists are people who I feel that from. I am aware of not liking certain things in lyrics, I generally hate poor-me lyrics. I guess I want to feel the strength in everything, that can come through in vulnerability too.
The name CHINCHILLA is bold and memorable. What’s the story behind it, and how does it reflect your artistic identity?
I knew I wanted another name. I think it’s a permission thing for me to be that part of myself. I don’t resonate with the term ‘alter ego’, because it’s me. It’s just the side of me that doesn’t have to people please, is loud and unapologetically takes up space. Glamorous but scary. I always have long talon nails and chinchilla is in a Beyoncé lyric “My texture is the best fur, chinchilla”. I always loved the sound of it rhythmically. Then one day I was in the back of a cab choosing between final names and and at that moment a Nicki Minaj song came on where she said ‘chinchilla‘ in the lyrics, and so I was christened.
Your previous EP ‘Flytrap’ shows your range, from raw vulnerability on ‘1:5’ to explosive power on ‘Cut You Off’. How do you decide what version of yourself shows up in each track?
Honestly, it’s just totally how I’m feeling that day and what comes up emotionally in the room. I write from a very honest place and it really has to be that for me I think. Sometimes the mood is determined by a sound in the room on the day. I never plan too much.
Your breakout single ‘Little Girl Gone’ became an unexpected female empowerment anthem. Did you ever anticipate that level of impact when you wrote it?
I didn’t. I loved the song obviously, but the reaction it got was incredible. Honestly, I still can’t believe it. Women did that for me. I owe everything to angry women. I love them.
With over 200 million streams and counting, what’s the most surprising fan reaction you’ve had to date?
I think as a whole, the way ‘Little Girl Gone’ resonated with so many abuse victims was something I could never have prepared myself for. It was equally amazing and completely heartbreaking. It was life changing in more ways than one.
You became the UK’s first female soloist to top Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. What did that milestone mean for you personally, and for UK artists?
It was actually the first female soloist in the Emerging Artists chart's six-year history to debut at No. 1, not just in the UK. Wild. I felt quite insane, I just kept crying. The fact I did that campaign all myself was the most empowering thing I’ve ever done. I’ll remember it forever.
With over 2.3 million monthly Spotify listeners, how do you stay grounded and focused amidst the rapid rise?
I think I just genuinely always assume I’m a failure and need to do more.
How has social media impacted your relationship with your audience?
I love it for that. Social media is difficult, but I do think one good thing about it is that direct connection to the people listening to your music. It gets rid of the middle man and can be incredible to be connected so closely to people.
Your new single ‘Avoidance’ is dropping on 5th June. What inspired this track, and what can fans expect from it?
Oh man, it’s really honest and raw. It feels huge for me to release this song. I wrote it in half an hour in the middle of an anxiety attack off the back of receiving a text in ripe heartbreak and honestly, it just completely needed to come out of me in that moment. I haven’t really changed anything about it since then, it just captured that moment. I tried to reproduce it in 100 different ways and re-record it, and to be honest, nothing was better than the demo. So that’s pretty much exactly what I’m putting out. I guess that’s why it feels so raw to me, it’s a proper piece of my heart. I’m really anxious to release it, but I feel like it’s really true to me as an artist and I think these next songs are the best I’ve ever written for that reason.
Your UK tour is sold out. What are you most excited about performing live this time around?
Definitely the new songs. I can’t wait to perform my new single ‘Avoidance’. And I’m also going to perform ‘The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac, which I covered for ‘My Lady Jane’ on Amazon Prime which I’m really excited about doing live. We’ve revamped the whole set, so I honestly can’t wait.
What can fans expect next from CHINCHILLA? Any surprises in store this year?
Lots of music. Lots of live shows. And I think, honestly, the best songs and best creative I’ve ever made. It just all feels like a big step up and I can’t wait to put it all out there.
CREDITS:
photography FRANCES O’SULLIVAN
