INTRO BY KAT VISTI
INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY
PHOTO BY CAMI LIBERTY
Chappell Roan is a 19-year-old singer from Springfield, Missouri. Chappell's music is all about loss, love and heartbreak while she puts her piano skills on display for the world to see. She has the mystique of Sia and the vocals of Lana Del Rey. Chappell recently toured as support for Vance Joy and we did an interview with her to learn more about her debut single Good Hurt and her EP entitled School Nights.
For those who don’t know you yet, what would you tell them about yourself and your music as a bit of an introduction?
CHAPPELL: “I would say, well, my name is Chappell Roan. I’m 19. I’m from Springfield, Missouri and I still live there. And… I would say my music is pop, but it’s got like a darker twist to it and more of a haunting type deal. I don’t know, it’s so hard to explain it ‘cause it’s a lot of different things.”
Recently you released your first single Good Hurt. As a first impression do you personally think the song represents you really well as an artist?
CHAPPELL: “I think it represents a part of me. I don’t think it represents… everything about me. It was a co-write, so… and I don’t really co-write much, so that right there kind of takes half away, since I wrote it with another– with a girl, like her perspective as well. I think it is obviously about my personal problems and like my life and stuff, but I think there are other songs on the EP that better represent me.”
When the video for Good Hurt was released, Troye Sivan posted about it. How did it feel getting so much attention for your first music video?
CHAPPELL: “I mean, Troye Sivan is so sweet. He’s such an amazing person and he’s very inspiring. I really look up to him. He’s helped me out more than once with, like, posting stuff about me. He’s just really, really kind to do that. And it made me feel really good ‘cause his fans are very supportive and loving.”
Your EP School Nights was also released recently. How would you describe the overall vibe of it?
CHAPPELL: “I would say the vibe is… like the beginning and a first glimpse of a story that is yet to come. Like the EP is just the very beginning and a little glimpse of what the album is about.”
What song would you say was the hardest to create on the EP? Or did they all come easily?
CHAPPELL: “I don’t like writing. Like I really don’t like writing music. It’s just very emotional and like ridiculously hard for me. So they were all equally hard. I mean, I think the hardest one emotionally was Meantime because it’s just… you know, like at the time we didn’t know like who I was at all, and I was in this relationship and I felt like I couldn’t give everything to them. So I was basically saying, ‘Can I love you in the meantime while I figure myself out?’ And also, I just like… did not like Good Hurt when we wrote it. I just was like, ‘I don’t think this is good at all.’ And then over time, like it grew on me and obviously I like it now.”
How long did it take you to create your stage name? Was it hard?
CHAPPELL: “Honestly, picking my name was the hardest out of everything because it’s like… you’re stuck with it once you pick it. We went through – I’m not kidding – thousands of names, and I always kept coming back to Chappell because it’s a family name. And I found out I couldn’t just be ‘Chappell,’ ‘cause that’s what I originally had wanted, so I picked Chappell Roan.”
You’re currently on tour as support for Vance Joy. Is this your first tour?
CHAPPELL: “This is my first tour! It’s a whirlwind. It’s crazy, but Vance Joy’s the sweetest person ever, so he makes it seem fun.”
Is it hard to get used to all the traveling?
CHAPPELL: “Yes. I am constantly tired. It’s like gearing up for a family vacation and you’re like so excited, so you pack and everything and you’re so prepared… It’s like that every day. It’s like so tiring, but it’s so fun.”
PHOTO BY CAMI LIBERTY
What’s it like performing for the crowds every night?
CHAPPELL: “It’s incredible. Vance Joy and Amy Shark’s fan bases… they are just so loving and open to my music. You know, ‘cause they didn’t come to see me, they came to see Vance, and they’re so accepting of me and it just makes me feel really loved. So I feel amazing, and after my shows I go out and sign posters for people and that’s my favorite part. Everybody’s just super sweet.”
Once the tour is wrapped up, is there anything that we can expect from you?
CHAPPELL: “So once the tour is done I’m going back to LA to finish up the rest of the album. And we haven’t really decided if we’re releasing a single next or if we’re releasing another EP, if we’re releasing an entire album, so… nothing is like decided, but definitely music will come out soon. Early next year!”