Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: Being raised in London, I grew up around various musical influences. As my father was a DJ, and my mother was also a big fan of music, from a young age I listened to a wide range of music. This ranged from 80s Afro-Funk and 90s Soul, to modern afrobeats and Neo-Soul. My music is an eclectic blend of my heritage, the music I was raised on and the music I enjoys listening to. Although I am Nigerian, I do not make afrobeats music at the moment, but after my EP comes out I’m really looking to explore and experiment with some genres outside of R&B and Neo-Soul and blend my sound a bit.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Chidimma”
A: I really want my listening base to grow organically, but I am trying to grow my base by sharing my music on my social media and of course sharing a bit more about myself through amazing publications like Bored City!
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: I would say that someone who really inspires me right now is Cleo Sol, i love her honesty and authenticity! In general, I find inspiration in my daily life and life experiences. Everything I write about is real and comes from real situations that I’ve been through.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “goin thru things.”
A: The message behind my song is that there is hope after heartbreak!
Sometimes you won’t understand what’s gone on, and that’s okay too. Take the time that you need to take, to heal. Heartbreak is really hard, and it’s different for everybody so don’t feel as though your process of going through it has to look like anyone else’s. I would definitely say though, when you’re in that place, if you’re struggling to process what you’re feeling, writing about it really does help. That’s what I did!
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: healing
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “goin thru things”
A: Although the writing process wasn’t too long, because the emotions were fresh, it was challenging because I was still processing as I was writing. The writing process kind of forced me to confront my feelings head-on, but I think that allowed me to be really honest in my lyrics. With this song as well, it was also interesting because I felt like it was more like a letter or a rant, than a song. Here, I was really just getting all my emotions out and trying to make sense of it all.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: For my upcoming EP especially, the message behind it is that life goes on and there is definitely hope after heartbreak! In general though, I would say that I write with hopeful messages, usually around love and heartbreak and tough experiences that I’ve been through in life.
As an artist, my main goal is just to have my music reach people that can relate to it, and who can find solace in it.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: My dream artist to collaborate with right now would be Cleo Sol. I absolutely love her music, her sound and especially her message!
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: My advice for anyone interested in pursuing music would be, make music that you enjoy and let it be your outlet and the way that you express yourself. People will always relate to authenticity, so as long as you keep being you, people will naturally want to listen. I’m still very much a baby in this industry, but one tip I would give would be, try to make friends and network as much as you can. I’m very much an introverted ambivert, so I know how hard it is to put yourself out there, but definitely put yourself out there and make some friends. Music is a lot less scary and a lot more fun when you’re doing it with other people!
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: I would tell my younger self, don’t be scared and don’t worry too much about other people’s opinions. As long as you like it, keep going babe and keep being your authentic self!
