A Chat with Chay Snowdon (16.01.19)
Dealing with his upcoming releases, Chay Snowdon has little time for us mere mortals; however, he took time to answer some of our questions! Sitting down with Nicole, the charming young man spoke about the band’s new double-track release (out on Friday), their gigs, and what we can find in his refrigerator.
OSR: Hi, Chay, and thanks for speaking with us. It’s been almost a year since our last chat, and since then the band has been kept quite busy playing sold-out tours, festivals, gaining airplay. What are your thoughts on the growth from 2018?
CS: Thanks for having us! We are all so pleased with how well 2018 has gone. As you mentioned, being able to go out on a tour and sell out some of the shows is amazing. It’s something we’ve always dreamed of!
OSR: Was there any part of 2018 that you found particularly exciting, like a specific gig?
CS: I think our Christmas show in Plymouth always stands out. It was a complete
OSR: Coming forward to this year, you are releasing new music on the 25th of January – two singles called ‘Mon Cheri’ and ‘Sha La La’. What can you tell us about each of the tracks?
CS: ‘Mon Cheri’ is about admiring someone who just goes off
OSR: The two tracks are quite different with ‘Mon Cheri’ being a faster and heavier indie track as compared to the softer ‘Sha La La’. Which did you prefer recording?
CS: I think we preferred recording ‘Mon Cheri’ as fast-paced songs are what we are used to, so the process went a lot faster. We also had a stronger idea of what elements we wanted to add during the recording of it.
OSR: Did you experience any problems when writing or recording the tracks?
CS: We didn’t have any problems particularly. ‘Mon Cheri’ was a fairly quick process from writing it and then going into the studio. ‘Sha La La’ was written a few years before its release; I’m not sure why it’s taken me that long to record it, but this time felt right.
OSR: What was the inspiration for these tracks?
CS: They both have slightly different inspirations. ‘Mon Cheri’ is heavily influenced by modern indie pop/ indie rock tunes, especially from artists like Catfish and the Bottlemen, and Kings of Leon. ‘Sha La La’ is a song with a multitude of musical influence, but the biggest influence is witnessing how some couples act on a night out.
OSR: I’m a fan of ‘Sha La La’, but which of the two do you prefer overall and why?
CS: Thanks very much! Hmm, that’s a tricky one. I think I’d have to say ‘Sha La La’ as we’ve never released a slower balladesque song before. It’s really refreshing for us, and we love playing it live!
OSR: In our previous interview you said, and I quote, the band ‘enjoy sinking your teeth into on track until you can’t wait to show it to everyone’. But come on Chay, when can we expect that full-length album?
CS: Haha, that’s definitely still true! There aren’t plans for an album just yet, I’m afraid. This is the most music we’ve ever put out in one go, and it’s only two tracks! But I can assure you, at some point in the future, there will be an album.
OSR: Now for some random questions. If I had to take a look in your refrigerator right now, what would I find?
CS: I know it’s technically kept in the freezer, but definitely chocolate ice-cream! None of that fancy ice-cream
OSR: Would you rather be able to copy and paste in real life or undo in real life?
CS: I think to copy and paste in real life. We’d never learn anything if we could delete our mistakes.
OSR: Do you recycle?
CS: Definitely!!!
OSR: Have you ever cried at a movie?
CS: Hmm, I don’t think so. I came pretty close while watching Titanic, I’m still
OSR: I’ve seen on your Twitter you’ll be playing the Lechlade Festival in May. Are you excited about that?
CS: Very! We’ve never played before, we are buzzing to get up there and do our thing.
OSR: Are there plans for any other gigs at the moment?
CS: There definitely is for later on in the year! We can’t wait to get stuck into a solid year of gigging in 2019.
OSR: So, other than the above events, what does 2019 hold for Chay Snowdon?
CS: We are aiming to have a busy festival season, we already have a few booked up and we can’t wait! It’s only early in the year too, so maybe there will be some more music in 2019.
We thank Chay for chatting with us and wish the guys all the best with their endeavours. If you want to engage with Chay and discover more about them, check out Chay Snowdon’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
