Burgeoning bedroom-pop sensation Chappell Roan stopped by the RS studio for an intimate conversation with Rolling Stone’s Ilana Woldenberg. If you take one thing from this interview, it’s that Chappell pulls no punches when it comes to committing herself mind, body and soul to her fans. Roan discussed the physical challenges of touring, the wonder of her first ever professional voice lesson, and the joy she takes in building her wild and wonderful world of thrift, glitter, and camp.
Roan's long-awaited debut album, “THE RISE AND FALL OF A MIDWEST PRINCESS” will be out on September 22, 2023 via Amusement/ Island Records.
Roan's long-awaited debut album, “THE RISE AND FALL OF A MIDWEST PRINCESS” will be out on September 22, 2023 via Amusement/ Island Records.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00 Hello, we are here with Chapel Rhone.
00:02 How are you today?
00:03 - I'm doing very well, how are you?
00:05 - I'm good.
00:06 How's New York been treating you?
00:07 - I love New York.
00:08 I've had a lot of fun the past few days.
00:11 - Have you been naked in Manhattan?
00:13 - Naked in Manhattan?
00:15 No.
00:16 - Not this time?
00:16 - Not this time.
00:18 - I wanna go back and start with Pink Pony Club
00:21 because I feel like that's how I met you.
00:24 So what was that first like for you
00:26 when you saw the reception and you were like,
00:29 oh my God, this is, it's hitting.
00:32 - It didn't surprise me.
00:33 I was told very young that good art rises
00:37 and it's rising because it's good.
00:40 So I saw it, I was like, finally.
00:42 - Honestly, yes.
00:43 - I don't even care if that makes me look cocky
00:45 'cause like it's not, I just simply think it's good.
00:48 I think it's a really good project.
00:50 I'm like one of like 50 people that works on this project.
00:53 It's a fucking good project.
00:55 So when I see people like, oh my God, this is amazing.
00:58 And I'm like, yeah, welcome to the club, bitch.
01:00 You're like, you know what I mean?
01:02 - Yeah.
01:03 I know you pull like sonically and visually
01:06 from so many references.
01:08 How do you pull those references?
01:10 Also, I know you do themes for your concerts.
01:12 Like, do you have like a Pinterest board?
01:14 - Pinterest is how I run my career.
01:18 Like I use Pinterest for everything.
01:22 Merch, fonts, logos, hair, like everything.
01:28 - How do you find your pieces?
01:29 Because one thing that I envy that you have
01:32 is your freaking wardrobe.
01:33 Like there's this one piece that you have
01:35 that's like kind of gives off like Abigail Breslin,
01:39 Little Miss Sunshine vibes.
01:40 It's like red sparkly.
01:43 Like where do you find that?
01:44 - Thrift.
01:45 Like I don't have an expensive outfit.
01:47 Everything is very like DIY thrifted.
01:52 - And is that the case even for music videos?
01:55 'Cause you go, I mean, really?
01:57 - Literally, yes.
01:58 - A lot of your music videos have these
01:59 like really strong concepts.
02:01 - Yeah.
02:02 - And I feel like they're like linked with the song.
02:03 Not so literally, but then once they match,
02:06 you're like, that makes perfect sense.
02:07 So I wanna talk about "Karma," "Make and Kiss Karma."
02:10 Because I feel like that one is so strongly linked
02:13 with the subject matter.
02:14 - Yes.
02:15 - How did you kind of like develop those scenarios?
02:19 There's like--
02:20 - Oh, it's like, it's very intertwined with what happened.
02:24 Kind of how it was like, oh, it's what happened,
02:26 but it's exaggerated.
02:27 There's lots of messages on there that like are real,
02:31 that happened.
02:32 You know, throwing my shit out on the street.
02:35 Maybe it wasn't thrown on the street,
02:36 but it was thrown on the living room.
02:38 Or like, there's this girl where he's like,
02:40 obviously like cheating on me with a mistress.
02:42 It's like, maybe it wasn't actually cheating,
02:45 maybe it was like emotional cheating.
02:47 You know, there's lots of elements within the songs
02:50 and the videos that are true, but just kind of hyperbole.
02:55 - When you are sitting down to write,
02:57 is it like a manifestation technique to feel better?
03:01 Or does it like really reflect your inner state?
03:03 - It usually reflects my inner state.
03:05 Yeah, it's pretty fucking hard to write a happy,
03:08 fun pop song when you feel bad.
03:10 I mean, "My Kick is Karma," I was pissed
03:13 for like a year straight.
03:14 And that song is like, you could tell, I feel like.
03:19 - And I'm really curious about your vocal technique
03:21 because you have truly such an amazing voice.
03:24 Not me like fangirling, but actually.
03:26 So like, how did you find that?
03:28 'Cause a lot of people talk about like,
03:29 okay, how did you find your sound?
03:31 But how did you find your voice?
03:33 Like your style of singing?
03:35 - When I first started singing,
03:37 I was really just trying to mimic Karen Carpenter.
03:40 And then I was like, well, I really like Stevie Nicks.
03:43 So I tried to mimic her and then I mixed it together.
03:47 And now I just took my very first professional vocal lesson.
03:51 - No way.
03:53 - In like December.
03:54 And I wish I would have had pro vocal lessons
03:58 like when I started 'cause it just would have
04:00 made my life easier.
04:01 I didn't know the breathing techniques
04:03 and the vowel sounds and like these weird straws
04:06 and cups that you breathe through.
04:07 It's so weird, but it is so helpful.
04:11 - But then also like physically, how do you prep for a tour?
04:14 You're going on night after night.
04:15 You're engaging with so many fans.
04:17 I'm sure it's like a lot of adrenaline involved.
04:19 It's like taxing on the body.
04:20 - Oh my God, it's so hard.
04:22 I saw a video of Miley running and singing on her treadmill.
04:27 And I was like, who the fuck is her vocal coach?
04:32 And my friend, one of my best friends
04:33 is her day-to-day manager.
04:35 So I was like, who is this?
04:38 Girl named Mindy.
04:39 And she was like, do jumping jacks
04:43 and sing the show at the same time.
04:45 So what I would do for literally every day, six weeks,
04:50 every single day, run the entire show from top to bottom
04:55 during a high intensity cardio workout.
05:01 So I would be doing burpees, jump squats, jump rope,
05:06 you know, high knees.
05:08 So that's what I'll be doing that for the next 30 shows
05:11 that I'm doing in the fall.
05:13 - That is insane.
05:14 And thank you for doing that.
05:15 Like I think the fans, they probably don't realize
05:18 how much work goes into that.
05:19 And you give so much of yourself to them
05:22 just so that they can have a fucking amazing night.
05:25 - Well, yeah, it's fun.
05:26 - Do you listen to your own music?
05:28 - No, I listened to it when demos,
05:30 like you have to listen to your music
05:33 that hasn't come out yet in different scenarios.
05:35 Like New York, this is a great place.
05:37 I listened to it in France, listened to it in London,
05:39 my hometown.
05:40 'Cause you need to see what everyone else is feeling.
05:43 Feels really good in New York.
05:44 Certain songs feel really good in New York and better.
05:47 Other songs feel better in LA.
05:48 We have a new song coming out
05:49 called "Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl," which is "Cuckoo."
05:53 It feels great in New York.
05:55 - So that song.
05:56 - You know what?
05:57 If you heard it. - I heard it.
05:58 - I didn't realize.
05:59 - The girls, gays, and nays
06:00 are gonna go fucking nuts for this song.
06:01 - I know.
06:02 I wrote that for them.
06:03 I was like, I need a song on the record
06:06 that is undeniably a gay pop anthem.
06:10 The secret to it was Charli XCX's producer, Mike Weiss.
06:15 - Ooh.
06:16 - So I was like, who the fuck knows
06:18 gay club music the best?
06:19 Charli.
06:20 So I was like, oh, who does her stuff?
06:23 So I got her.
06:24 - I just wanna talk about the impact of your music
06:27 because especially for the queer community,
06:29 you make a difference and I know that and I feel that.
06:33 And I wonder if there have been any fan interactions
06:36 on tour or off tour, like on the street,
06:38 where people are like, thank you for doing what you do.
06:41 - Yes, I get come up to a lot.
06:46 For example, it was Pride weekend here in New York
06:48 this weekend and I went to a drag show.
06:50 Just someone grabbed my hand and they were like,
06:52 you don't understand how your music has helped me.
06:57 You will never understand, but you just have to know.
07:02 And they almost started crying in this fucking drag bar
07:05 and there was slap-pop playing.
07:07 - So I wanna ask you as my final question,
07:09 what are we manifesting for this year
07:11 and what are you manifesting for your fans?
07:13 What's the era we're coming into?
07:16 - I think that the fans, this is for queer pop fans.
07:21 I mean, it's for everyone, but really this is for
07:27 the gays, girls and they to have a fucking blast
07:33 and dress up however you want.
07:34 'Cause the tour is themed, I think you said.
07:36 This tour is themed as well.
07:38 I just haven't released the themes.
07:40 - I'm so excited.
07:41 - It's just a fun project.
07:42 This is literally just a fun, silly pop drag project
07:45 that is meant to have a party to on stage and off stage.
07:50 - Fuck yeah, well I'll be there.
07:52 - Yay!
07:52 - If you see me, I'll be in something frilly.
07:55 Okay, well thank you so much, Chappel.
07:57 Literally love you.
07:58 Thank you so much for everything you do.
08:01 You really do give so much of yourself
08:03 and it doesn't go unnoticed.
08:05 And I hope that even more people find you
08:08 and find your music and your light, so thank you.
08:10 - Thank you, it was nice meeting you.
08:11 You too. I've been practicing.
08:14 (whooshing)