Chymes released her debut EP, Hell & Divine, earlier this year and is currently working on her next EP for 2022. She already has over 80K fans on TikTok and with an ever-growing fan base across the globe following a tweet from BTS star Jungkook, Chymes has been streamed over 30 million times across Apple and Spotify. Her previous releases, “Euphoria” and “Sleepless,” have been featured in numerous Spotify editorial playlists, including “New Pop Revolution,” and earlier tracks “Dreaming” and “Wild” were featured on drama series Good Trouble. Her EP, Hell & Divine, was praised by tastemakers like Flaunt, Pilerats, Cool Accidents, Purple Sneakers, Parade, and more. Before touring was halted due to Covid-19, she had supported Winston Surfshirt, The Preatures, Lastlings, Tigertown, Alice Ivy, Bad Pony, Evan Klar, San Mei, Austen, and more.
How did you connect as artists?
Chymes: I discovered Jack on social media and immediately went to his Spotify and nearly died on the spot. I couldn’t believe I had discovered such a gem and I’m SO in love with his music! I had to reach out to see if we could collaborate.
What inspired this track?
Jack: I started the track in Nashville, and I was listening to a lot of pop-country at the time. I was big on “Slow Hands” by Niall Horan and Kacey Musgraves’ album “Golden Hour”. You don’t hear the Nashville inspiration until the second chorus when the electric guitar comes in. The song is so fun. I love that it catches you off guard and still feels welcoming.
Do either of you get inspired by other art forms?
Chymes: I’m definitely inspired by dance. I can’t dance to save my life but I love to do it anyways! I feel so connected and inspired by movement and personally feel music in a very physical way. I also find inspiration in physical art but also movies and shows and poems too.
Any funny anecdotes from the time you were recording or writing this?
Jack: I remember laughing a lot. I was with my co-writers Lauren Larue and Pete Good, and one of them said “Fuck it, I love you” out of nowhere. That phrase sounded so choppy in conversation. I wanted to make the track sound the way the lyrics felt.
What are your favorite places or environments to write?
Chymes: I personally really like to be somewhere comfy and feel safe emotionally. Obviously, most writing happens in a studio but if it’s cozy and relaxed I definitely feel super comfortable to be more experimental. Moody lights always help too! I guess I feel less exposed or safer to express myself in this environment.
Do you have any similar musical inspirations?
Jack: Chymes sounds like all of my favorite pop artists, and lyrically she’s very ballsy. It was the perfect opportunity to work together. We’re both inspired by so many genres. The one outlier might be Country, which is funny since the song was written in Nashville.
Chymes: I think our inspirations definitely overlap. But I feel like my inspirations also come from any genre! I love pop of course, but also singer-songwriter, electronic, rap, r&b, hip hop, kpop, etc. There’s so much to be inspired by and genres are really blending these days.
What excites you about being a musician?
Jack: I get excited about trying new things. It’s important for me to stay inspired and experiment with new sounds. There’s a lot of music out there, so paving your own lane is critical. I want to be remembered for giving people something new that’ll stick with them forever.
What are your views on genres and music styles since you mix a lot of them in your collaboration?
Chymes: I think we are at a place in music where genres aren’t super important. People don’t listen to one genre as strictly anymore and peoples playlists are so mixed, which I think is awesome. I also feel like people are a lot less judgmental on what music you like to listen to so people aren’t afraid to share and celebrate varying artists. Music and its fans are so diverse which should be celebrated! I also don’t think there should be any “rules” because it can be too restrictive and honestly, it’s not that serious lol. I personally love to blend in all sorts of elements in my own music, and I feel “F it ILY” is so beautifully written and pieced together by Jack, the transitions from piano ballad verses into a super bouncy chorus feel so natural.
What does music and art mean to you?
Jack: Music and art mean everything to me. I started making music in my garage for fun at 10, and working professionally all over the world at 16. I’ve seen some terrible things, but music and art make everything worth it. It’s important for me to focus on the music part of the music business.
