Here we go again, folks! Another week, another Sit In On Friday. We hope you enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster we took you on last week with LIE NING. Well, get ready for the next round, because we have something special lined up for you this Friday: CHU.
CHU, the London-based singer, DJane, and multi-instrumentalist, has been lending her smooth vocals to several artists over the past months, including Pat Lok, Maxe, and Sonny Alven. But now, she’s all focused on her debut EP. Her musical journey began when she was discovered by Atlantic Records NY at the young age of 14, and she has been writing for many international artists ever since.
Born in ’97 to a German mother and a Cameroonian father, CHU discovered her love for music at an early age. She even made the bold decision to drop out of high school to pursue her dreams and perfect her craft. Last November, she signed with Sony RCA for her own artist project, and now it seems like the time has finally come for her to share more of her unique sound. Currently, CHU is busy producing and writing new material that she can’t wait to share with the world.
Now, let’s dive into an interview with CHU and learn more about her thoughts on True Identity, her creative endeavors, and the impact of Berlin on her individual sound.
TITLE: First of all, tell us, what does True Identity mean to you?
CHU: True Identity, to me, means being authentic and genuine, not just when no one is looking, but also in the presence of others. It’s easy to get caught up in pursuing things that seem important because everyone else is doing them, even if they don’t make us feel alive. True Identity is about reflecting, listening to your intuition, and telling your own authentic story. It’s about being true to yourself because, in the end, that’s all we really have.
TITLE: You’re involved in various creative pursuits, from being a DJane to writing songs and singing. What would you consider your main job or what do you enjoy doing the most?
CHU: Without a doubt, my main job is being a musician. Music is my greatest passion, and it’s what I know best. However, I believe we are all capable of so much more than just one creative expression. Learning new things and exploring unknown territories will always be a part of my personality. So, I can’t really pick one thing that I enjoy doing the most because it’s the combination of all these creative endeavors that makes it so exciting.
TITLE: What inspires you the most about Berlin, and how has the city influenced your individual sound?
CHU: What I love about Berlin is the slower pace of life, especially compared to London. The abundance of cafes, parks, and the chilled hippie vibe all contribute to an inspiring atmosphere. Sound-wise, Berlin’s dark techno scene has definitely had an impact on me and some of my music, adding an intriguing element to my sound.
TITLE: We’ve all experienced isolation since the middle of March. How has the quarantine treated you so far?
CHU: To be honest, the initial phase of isolation was incredibly difficult. I’m someone who is always active and keeps a busy schedule, so it was challenging to put the brakes on. However, once I accepted the situation, I started to appreciate the isolation. It felt like a return to my roots and a chance to reevaluate my life. I’m currently learning to simply exist and find joy in that.
TITLE: How does the current situation influence your creative process?
CHU: For the first time in a long while, I’ve started writing solely for myself. I’ve let go of thinking about what people might want to hear or the pressures of creating “successful” music. This process has been healing for me because writing had almost become a duty. Now, I write when I feel like it, without any expectations for the outcome. Ironically, I’ve fallen in love with what I’ve written so far.
TITLE: What are your musical or creative goals for the next few years?
CHU: My main goal is to create authentic music that I’m genuinely proud of. To me, staying true to myself is paramount. Of course, I hope to gain true fans along the way, perform sold-out shows, travel the world for my music, and collaborate with artists I admire. However, all of that means nothing if the songs I sing don’t come from a real place within me. True success, for me, lies in that authenticity.
TITLE: Has there been a musical experience, concert, or performance that deeply touched your soul?
CHU: There have been many, but one that stands out is seeing Nai Palm from Hiatus Kayote play a two-hour show with just her electric guitar. She had everyone in the venue under her spell, without needing a fancy stage show or a complex band arrangement. It was incredibly inspiring to witness such raw talent and connection.
TITLE: So, what are you planning to do on your first Friday after quarantine?
CHU: That’s a good question… If the weather is good, I’ll probably head to a lake with my friends or maybe even take a spontaneous trip somewhere. Alternatively, I might just sit in a bar until the sun comes up and soak in the freedom and joy of being out again.
TITLE: Let’s delve a bit deeper: Do you believe that one can ever fully grasp their True Identity, or is self-development an ongoing, fluid process?
CHU: Self-development is definitely a fluid process, and we never stop learning and growing. However, I believe that being aware of your inner workings and staying in tune with your intuition throughout your life makes this process much smoother. It’s challenging not to lose sight of our truth in a world that moves so fast, but taking time to reflect is essential. It can be painful at times because it means admitting when what you’re doing, who you’re with, or what you thought you wanted doesn’t align with your true self. But it’s always worth it and brings you closer to your authentic identity.
TITLE: First of all, of course, we want to know from you what True Identity means to you ?
CHU: True Identity to me means being who you are when no one is looking and living your truth even with people around. We get so caught up in chasing things we believe to be important cause everyone else is doing them – when oftentimes they don’t make us feel alive one bit. True Identity is reflecting and listening to your intuition over everything else and telling your own authentic story. Because its the only thing you have, really.
TITLE: You are an all-round creative. You’re a DJane, write songs and sing to name just a few things. What would you define as your main job or what would you like to do most ?
CHU: My main job is being a musician most definitely, its what I know best and music is my biggest passion. But I believe we are all so much more than just one creative expression and learning new things and diving into unknown territory will forever be part of my personality. So there’s not a thing I like to do most, because its about the mixture of it all that makes it so exciting.
TITLE: What inspires you most about Berlin? And what did the city add to your individual sound ?
CHU: I love how slow everything is moving in Berlin, at least compared to London. I like the many cafes and parks and this chilled hippie type of vibe. Sound wise Berlins dark techno scene has definitely had an impact on me and some of my music.
TITLE: We have all been isolated since the middle of March. How has the quarantine treated you so far ?
CHU: At first it was incredibly difficult to be honest. I am very active and always have a busy schedule and I feel stressed out and lazy if I don’t do a thousand things a day. Being forced to put the brakes on was hard but once I accepted it, I started to really enjoy isolation. It almost feels like returning to my roots and reassessing my scheme of life. Im currently learning to simply exist.
TITLE: And how does the current situation influence your creative process ?
CHU: For the first time in a long time I started writing only for myself. Without thinking about what people might want to hear and the pressures of my music being ‘successful’. This is a healing process for me, as writing had almost become a duty. So now I just do it when I feel like it and without any expectations to the outcome at all. And ironically so far Im in love with what Ive written!
TITLE: What are your musical or creative goals for the next few years ?
CHU: I want to make authentic music, that I am proud of. Thats probably the main goal. To stay true to myself. Of course I hope to gain true fans along the way and play sold out shows, travel the world for my music and work with some of the people I admire. But all of that means nothing if the songs I’m singing don’t come from a real place within me. That to me is real success.
TITLE: Was there a musical experience, a concert or a performance that touched your soul ?
CHU: There have been many to be honest. But one of the more recent ones was seeing Nai Palm from Hiatus Kayote play a 2 hour show with only her electric guitar was definitely one of them. Everyone in the venue was under her spell – she didn’t need a fancy stage show or a complex band arrangement to touch me. I found that incredibly inspiring.
TITLE: What are you doing on your first Friday after quarantine ?
CHU: Good question… if the weather is good probably go to a lake with my friends or spontaneously fly somewhere… or just sit in a bar til the sun comes up…
TITLE: Let’s dig a bit deeper: do you think that you can ever be aware of your True Identity or that self-development is a fluid process that doesn’t really stop ?
CHU: Self development is definitely a fluid process and you’re never done learning and growing. But I think being aware of your inner workings and in tune with your intuition at all times during your life will make this process a lot easier. Its hard to not lose sight of our truth in a world that is moving so freaking fast but you need to give yourself time to reflect. And it can be a very painful thing from time to time, because admitting to oneself that what you’re doing, who you’re with or what you thought you want doesn’t actually feel right, is very scary. But its always worth it and will bring you closer to your true identity.
