Meet Chandra: Honoring the classics, shaping her singular sound

I sat down with Chandra at The Hungarian Pastry Shop, a Morningside Heights institution, on a Friday afternoon. I first heard about (and heard) Chandra when she opened for AG Club and JID at Bacchanal, a yearly spring concert organized for the Columbia University community. Her performance captivated me. Since then, she’s continued to evolve as a songwriter, releasing her debut single, The Sun, in January of this year. Her neo-soul vocals are buttery smooth, and her music is both catchy and enveloping, bringing her unique background to a classic genre while creating a beautifully cohesive sound. In chatting with her, I quickly realized that Chandra is as poised in person as her music is. We spoke about the past, present, and future of her music.

You’re from the suburbs of Chicago. How has moving to New York affected your music, and your life as an artist?

Coming to New York has meant that I have been able to meet people from so many different walks of life that express themselves so freely, which has really encouraged me to explore who I am and find my unique sound. It’s definitely been an important factor in my development as an artist.

You describe your music as rooted in your spiritual practice, classical Indian training, and reverence for neo-soul. What do each of these mean to you?

My spiritual practice is really about focusing on alignment of yourself with your environment and the space around you. I don’t wanna say practicing gratitude because that has such cheap connotations these days but on a deep level, really maintaining gratitude for who you are and where you are, celebrating time and place. I started classical Indian singing when I was 4, and its culture really informed how I view music. I really see singing as a meditative practice, a ritual, as really honing on your craft, which is why I really value working on your art every day. I also realized that the melodic richness of Indian classical singing inherently inspires how I write as well. Neo-soul just has such a rich history, and to want to join such a storied genre requires a lot of reverence for all of the artists that came before you, so really studying black music, and just paying your respects to that history I think is very important.

The age-old question: What is your composition process like? Do you normally write lyrics or music first?

I keep a running journal. I’ll normally sit down and try to work with some chords that inspire me. From then, things start to come together. I kind of see it as molding clay when I’m building a song from scratch.

Who are your biggest influences?

This is such a hard question. Minnie Ripperton for her voice, definitely, and her nuance is insane. I’ve been listening to her a lot lately. Erykah Badu obviously. Ganavya is one of my favorites as well, she brings me to tears. I really like Annahstasia too.

You just put out a new release, what’s next for you?

I have an EP coming out in the next few months! Probably in May or June. The Sun was the first part of that project, so I’m definitely looking forward to getting the rest of it out into the world.

What was your recording process like?

I worked with a producer named Jacob Pappas. He recorded all of the instruments live in LA, and I recorded vocals at Tucker Bickell’s spot in Brooklyn. He engineered my vocals, and then we had Ingmar Carlson, super talented, mix everything, so it was a little all over the place and took a minute but so fun to work with everyone.

You performed last year at Bacchanal. Can you talk a little bit about that experience and how you find the Columbia community to be when it comes to music in general?

It was a great experience overall. Before I went on stage I was so worried about really silly things, like even just being cold and not being able to perform without my coat on. But once I got on stage it felt so special to see my friends singing along right at the front. I’ve found a really good community of friends who support my music, and a community of artists here as well. Columbia can definitely be isolating, though. I think that most of the music scene here is centered around jazz and classical music, or even indie folk. That’s part of why I wanted to release my music, so that I could find more of my people in R&B.

You were in a band before. What was that like and how is it different being a solo artist?

I loved being in a band. It was a really fun start to making my own music. I learned a lot from my bandmates. They were all such incredible musicians, and we had such fun gigs. But becoming a solo artist definitely leads to a lot more introspection, I would say. I’m really able to focus on my own sound and find myself and what I value through writing and performing my own music.

How has the experience of performing been for you? What has been your favorite performance? What are you looking forward to?

Performing reminds me of community because of all of the work that goes into putting together a good show or a good performance. My dance teacher taught me so much about stage presence, and the discipline that it takes to deliver a successful performance. And there’s also an important relationship you have to cultivate with the audience when you’re on stage. It’s all about community.

How and when did music come into your life? How did it shape you?

My mom also learned classical Indian singing growing up, and I grew up as a very musical child, playing violin and learning Indian classical dance since I was young. Dance is truly the embodiment of music and so growing up practicing a style of dance in which I am embodying rhythm in the lower body through footwork and grace in the upper body informed a lot of my music taste as well, which I think is part of why I love R&B and neo soul so much.

What are your long term artistic goals for yourself?

I just hope to always be making music, and surrounding myself with people that inspire me. That can take a lot of different forms, but it’s really what’s most important to me, being surrounded by good people and good music.