Still unknown a few years ago, the Australian singer and multi-instrumentalist Chymes, whose music sways between sweet R&B and a languorous alternative vibe, has been brought to the front of the music scene at lightning speed, all thanks to a simple tweet. But not just any tweet : a tweet of a member of the now internationally renowned K-pop band BTS, which has one of the largest fan club followings of all time. Her single “Dreaming” exploded, going over a million, then two million, and finally three million streams on Spotify alone. Even when her first tracks were being released, they were already getting played and reposted quite often on SoundCloud, but since then, each single has reached six figures in terms of streams on all platforms. An event that is considered a goal for many independent artists.
Chymes is a sweet person with the voice of an angel, a voice that settles on melodies that are sometimes airy and dreamy, sometimes darker and largely inspired by Banks, the queen of alternative R&B… in short, calm and restful music to which a little spice is added from time to time.
Signed on Nettwerk only a few weeks ago, her breakthrough is the proof that success can come from the internet, and will eventually come from there for most artists. Chymes answered a few of our questions, and we got to talk about independence, the evolution of a musical direction as well as the place of social networks in the development of an artistic project. A mini-guide for those who are looking to release a debut single tomorrow !
The beginning – the debut EP “Grow”.
How did you start singing and seeing yourself as an artist ?
I think I started singing around 13 or 14… My older sister was learning guitar and singing and I wanted to be like her ! She taught me a few chords on the guitar and I went on from there. I think when I started to find my own rhythm (which was mostly copying Ed Sheeran from Youtube videos) I was like 😮 I want to do this forever.
I have noticed that you are not composing alone, can you tell us more about the creative person that works with you ?
Chymes is a project I started with my best friend Cameron, who I met through mutual friends at a singing studio I was part of. He was already producing electronic music on his own and I had just started to write my own music. When we began to collaborate our combination of singer-songwriter and electronic felt really special so we formed Chymes.
Chymes used to be a duo, right ? Was it a conscious decision to represent yourself as the « front woman » of the band ?
Yeah. Cameron decided after things got a lot more serious that he really was not enjoying being part of the “face” of Chymes. He is happy to perform on stage with me but no longer really wants to be a part of the image, so we transitioned into Chymes being a “solo female act”.
How did you plan your first release ? Did you get advice from people around you ?
I had a mentor at the time who was giving advice and directing us to find a publicist etc but not really managing us properly. We literally had no idea what we were doing or anything about the industry. We just located a publicist who was really passionate about us and she really did support us so well.
And what was it like to receive feedback on it ? Did you get some from artists ? people ? labels ?
We were really stunned with 10k listens on SoundCloud in the first week, and a short while after we were on the Global 50 Viral Chart of Spotify… I guess we just hit a sweet spot. We didn’t get much support from anyone honestly. I think a lot of people didn’t understand or relate to the music we were making at the time but on streaming sites we had done really well (for a first release, independently).
The breakthrough – from “Dreaming” to “Worship”.
How did you compose « Dreaming » ?
It was like 6pm when we were just playing around with chords, I was a bit of a dictator in how I had envisioned it sounding so I was a “backseat producer” (as I like to call it haha) and directed the sound. I wanted it to feel a lot more sweet and fun than our other stuff.
Did it change anything in your way of communicating, to be tweeted by Jungkook ?
It definitely changed how I communicate online. It suddenly gave this microphone I didn’t have before because no one was really listening. Dreaming was actually a flop, no one liked it, it didn’t really get any playlist adds and our press feedback was literally all negative and “no”’s. So honestly it was so unexpected that someone as huge at JK from BTS would even have liked it in the first place. I feel so lucky to have had our music be given an opportunity to be shown to an audience who would give it a chance.
After “Dreaming and” especially since “GITY”, I feel like your music direction has shifted for a darker, peppier vibe. Can you tell us more about that artistic development ?
It’s definitely shifted. I think since Chymes has moved to “female solo act”. I have had the chance to really write how I want, it’s a lot more personal, rather than storytelling. Writing to me is definitely like creative-writing or storytelling but now I can communicate a lot more personal ideas and experiences. I like to contrast my soft voice with darker production too and I love juxtaposition because I really feel like that’s my personality, a double edged sword.
You are definitely channeling your inner self with the last few tracks you’ve released, which are GITY, Bad and Worship. How do you write your lyrics ?
I usually write starting with a concept or idea that relates to me and build from there. I’ve got a song on my upcoming EP that is written from the perspective of someone who is controlling, rather than writing it about me being controlled. I thought it was a cool way to express my idea and frustration in a new way.
Let’s change subject for a second, as I wanna evoke social media presence with you. Does your social media presence and your interactions with your fan base influence you in any way ?
Hmmm. I know having a social media presence is important and I try my hardest to give back as many exciting things as I can because my fans deserve it. I definitely try to show as much love back to them as I can and I hope it shows. However it does affect my mental state in many ways. I feel a lot of pressure to keep up on every single platform and be interesting in new and exciting ways because that’s how you sustain a career like this, but it does take me away from the core of it all – which is the music. Sometimes I get so caught up in the stress of trying to produce content that I realise I’ve forgotten that the most important thing is the music. There is definitely a balance and I’m still trying to figure it out.
And do you think it is necessary for an artist to interact with its audience ?
Yes! I think it’s sad that some artists don’t interact with their fans. I couldn’t do any of this without them and the love they show me is out of this world, I want them to know just how much I love them back and how thankful I am. There is definitely a pressure to reply to everyone which I know is unrealistic, and I have had one or two people get angry at me because I never replied to them. I just want my interactions to be meaningful and not just reply to someone’s DM with emojis, but I can’t always spend my time having deep conversations with everyone. I hope they can forgive me for that.
What’s next ? Let’s talk future releases and gigs.
Your music has both this amazing dreamy, laidback feeling and a nice kick, which is the perfect formula for live performances in my opinion. Have you considered touring in Asia, now that you’re backed by basically the entire BTS and Jungkook fanclub ?
Thanks! We actually have had to work hard to get our songs sounding good live, they don’t always translate well haha! But yes we have definitely considered going to Asia to tour. We had planned to last year actually but things got in the way, and this year COVID ruined everything hahaha. I don’t think the whole BTS Army are backing us but we have absolutely been left with some of the most loving and supportive fans. As soon as this whole COVID thing cools down in some countries we plan to start doing shows overseas.
And have people approached you for gigs and tours yet ?
Yes actually we have had a few enquiries this year but our live show isn’t up to date yet so we are in the process of getting it put together to begin shows again.
And what’s next ? Are you talking with the label about releasing few more singles before an album ? Or will the future releases only be singles ?
I have an EP coming out early next year and have two more singles beforehand. And I’m currently writing the follow-up EP right now too hahaha. It never ends! This coming EP is like the first step into this new Chymes, and I’m really excited for it to be out and then rapidly move on to the following chapter!! I’m always a step ahead.. I have to try harder to enjoy the current moment haha. <3
Chymes’s works are to be found on all streaming platforms, and you can find “Worship” on our Spotify and SoundCloud accounts.
