Multifaceted artist CHAII chats to Notion about her latest single "Get It Done", her happy place, and much more.

A performer, writer, producer, audio engineer, and director, there is no end to CHAII’s talents. The Persian-New Zealander artist proved she was one to watch with her 2020 debut EP ‘Lightswitch’ which showcased an alt-electro-pop sound bursting with confidence.

 

CHAII was New Zealand’s first Spotify Radar artist. Her music has been played by some of the world’s hottest brands including Apple, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Fendi. And, if that wasn’t enough, her recent collab with Party Favor, “Oh Nah Yeah”, landed her thousands of streams.

 

“Get It Done” is her latest tasty addition to an impressive tracklist, paving the way for her soon-to-arrive sumptuous ‘Pineapple Pizza’ EP.

 

Notion talked with CHAII about

You’ve just released the new single “Get It Done”. Can you talk us through the meaning behind it?

“Get It Don” is just about all the different stages you go through and during all of it you gotta work hard and push through. I’m a bit of a workaholic so keeping busy is really important for me, this song is just a reminder of that for myself and hopefully anyone else who needs that little extra push to stay motivated.

We spotted a plumbob in the cover art – are you a Sims fan?

My friend Evan Xiao who designed the cover art is a massive fan of Sims.

There’s also a lot of other nostalgic digital references in there, such as an MP3 player and a Windows error message. What influenced this concept and how does it tie into the track itself?

When I hit up Evan about the cover I asked for a collage that has things that don’t quite fit with each other or don’t fit in general on the timeline. In the music video I had a moment where I talk about the shocked look you can get sometimes if you don’t fit in; like you’re imported or that you’re exotic, similar to when you go snorkeling and you notice how the sea life is so interesting and different, another world really, I also referenced this in the song. Evan captured the feeling perfectly with the cover. My favorite was when I noticed the Mac photo booth app but with a Windows critical error msg. So sick!

Your upcoming EP is titled ‘Pineapple Pizza’. It’s quite a controversial topping – are you an advocate for it?

Once the lead single “Pineapple Pizza” from my EP comes out, I think it will become clearer. It’s more of a comparison to something. I personally think it’s definitely a controversial topping, would I eat pineapple on a pizza? Yes. Would I choose to order a pineapple pizza? No. 

You worked with Frank Keys on the production for “Get It Done”. How did you meet? And what made you feel he was the right fit for the track?

I met Frank years ago at a show, we are actually engaged. He’s such a talented musician/producer. We only started collaborating musically a few years into the relationship very organically and he has played a massive part in finding my sound with me. Most of my current and future songs are either produced by Frank or myself. Only recently we’ve started expanding the production bubble. We’re both very excited for the next project in the works.
Give us a window into your writing process – how do you write a song? 

It’s different each time, I like to capture a vibe and feeling more than anything. I always vibe off the music, then I usually freestyle melodies and words sometimes in gibberish then I re-arrange and start to fix or write the lyrics then record the final/demo. If I’m producing the track then I go between the beat and writing to make it really bounce off each other.

You’re a multi-hyphenate for sure: performer, writer, producer, audio engineer and director – but which of those roles feels most natural to you?

They are linked into each other so I naturally fell into it all, I feel like performing has always come the most natural to me. But I feel they are all equal and I love every part of the process. 

How do you balance your time between each of the creative pursuits?

Luckily each creative aspect happens at different times in the timeline of creation. But also, at times I would be creating multiple projects at once which are at different stages. I really rely on my team. I have talented friends in my team that are very passionate and amazing at what they do and they understand my vision/sound and we’ve been working together for a long time. Together we take things to the next level. If I’m focusing on few things at once at least I know my team really carries some of the load with me. No one can do everything by themselves without a team.

Where is your happy place?

The recording studio has always been my happy place. There’s never been a dull moment and it always takes me away and feels the most comfortable. It’s been a constant in most of my life, I know I’d never get sick of it.

Watch the music video for "Get It Done" below: