Chain Of Islands is a pop duo originally formed in Boston, MA and currently split between Orange County, CA and Providence, RI. Nick and Derek both met through playing in heavier rock acts (Lions Lions and Que Sera) from the MA/RI area.
After years of heavily touring the rock/hardcore scene, both members decided to collaborate and pursue new creative avenues leading to the birth of Chain Of Islands.
The duo just released their latest single, “Shelter,” on all major streaming platforms today. The pop duo – made up of Nick Goins and Derek Vautrinot – have intricately crafted something special with “Shelter.” The ballad features R&B style vocals and soft, velvet pop production with a commercial appeal.
“Shelter is a song about someone caring for you so much that they attempt to protect you from anything that may hurt you. In this intense desire to protect you from harm, they actually stifle your ability to grow and flourish, to look after yourself in the face of adversity. It reflects on past injuries and failures but is ultimately a song of healing and having faith in one’s own strength.” – Chain of Islands
“Shelter” is a sultry follow up to the band’s latest release, “Foreign.” Stream “Shelter” across DSPs today here: fanlink.to/ShelterCOI
Let’s start with your all time musical heroes
Derek & Nick: Frank Ocean, SZA, Blink 182, Fall Out Boy.
How do you split the creative process between the two of you? Who does what?
Derek & Nick: It can vary quite a bit. Sometimes Nick has a loop, lyrics or melody he’s been working with, sometimes Derek has a mess of lyrics, lines or a melody he comes to me (Nick) with. Then there’s other occasions such as the writing process of Pink Hotell where that entire song was made on the spot with both of us in the room. There’s no strict guideline or process that we follow.
What inspires your lyrics?
Derek: When creating we both pull inspiration from our past or present experiences, whether it was something to grow from or be inspired by, and try to create a relatable experience/piece of music for the listener that’s still true to the message of the song.
Do you draw inspiration from other forms of art?
Derek & Nick: 100% yes for both of us. Sometimes an image or even a split second of a sound that was not from a piece of music can trigger a million different ideas for the two of us that inspires the creation of a new song.
Ok let’s talk about your latest release ‘Shelter’
Derek: It started with a voice memo on Nick’s phone and grew from there. We had experimented with a couple of different aesthetics for the song and ended up on this kind of retro film/TV vibe that we were pretty stoked on. From there we took it to our friend Chris Piquette at No Boundaries Studios in RI who enhanced our vision and made the song what you hear now.
What fashion trend of aesthetic vibe influences your looks the most?
Derek & Nick: Well, we both grew up playing punk and metal music but have also always loved pop/mainstream music and style. Whether that be streetwear, designer brands or just super old/vintage band shirts or whatever we have an appreciation for, and are inspired by it all.
How are you gearing up to perform live again?
Derek & Nick: As far as preparing for live shows again, well we have not actually performed as a duo live yet. We’re still writing new songs and building the live show behind the scenes for now.
What’s in store for you guys in the near future?
Derek & Nick: We’re looking forward to building a name for ourselves and creating a great live show when it’s safe to perform and tour again.
