LATEST NEWS: First Outing For New Line-Up
Exciting news today! You may have read via social or the newsletter that 'Chandra' is no longer an 'I'... it's a 'we'.
It's taken a long time to find the right people for the job but I'm happy to announce that we now have Chris on bass and Joe on Lead Guitar. They are both mega talented, and awesome people to boot, and it now means that I find myself to be the least talented musician in the room! Guess I'll have to get used to that.
Last night we headed out for the first time as a threesome (!!!) and tried out a few songs on the audience at The Oxford, Bristol. Thanks you so much to everyone who came to support us but also all the complete strangers who sang along, cheers and clapped. Here's a little clip of the acoustic version of Smile (No Fox Gibbon). More clips coming soon!
By the way, Chris is barely in this video... I think he fell down a hole but if you'd like to see what he looks like, he's the guy playing bass and getting a pie to the face in the Pretty music video!
Click here to see that
It's taken a long time to find the right people for the job but I'm happy to announce that we now have Chris on bass and Joe on Lead Guitar. They are both mega talented, and awesome people to boot, and it now means that I find myself to be the least talented musician in the room! Guess I'll have to get used to that.
Last night we headed out for the first time as a threesome (!!!) and tried out a few songs on the audience at The Oxford, Bristol. Thanks you so much to everyone who came to support us but also all the complete strangers who sang along, cheers and clapped. Here's a little clip of the acoustic version of Smile (No Fox Gibbon). More clips coming soon!
By the way, Chris is barely in this video... I think he fell down a hole but if you'd like to see what he looks like, he's the guy playing bass and getting a pie to the face in the Pretty music video!
Click here to see that
LATEST NEWS: Smile (No Fox Gibbon) Out 27th Oct
Chandra's latest single ‘Smile (No Fox Gibbon)’, is out now across all digital streaming platforms. It is the the follow-up single to August’s critically acclaimed ‘Pretty’. An uplifting, confidence-building, cheeky pop-rock smash, ‘Smile (No Fox Gibbon)’ challenges us all to put aside our fears of what other people think and simply smile and laugh as if nobody was watching.
True to form, Chandra once again writes from his own personal experience and battles:
“We all have moments in our day when we unashamedly beam or uncontrollably snigger at something we’ve seen, remembered or heard. If we’re in public then that joyous moment is quickly curbed as the self-conscious part of our brain realises we’re on a bus, in the office, in a queue for a coffee or walking down a street. I am the worst for it and it’s gone on for so long that I now find the self-tempering of joy is an autonomic reaction. I wrote this song because it’s something I actively want and need to improve on. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all gave a little bit less of a damn who is watching and really enjoyed those amazing moments in our day? Let’s all let go and smile like there are absolutely no f**ks given.”
The music video is out now and is an absolute riot of fun and laughter, designed to make you beam from ear to ear!
True to form, Chandra once again writes from his own personal experience and battles:
“We all have moments in our day when we unashamedly beam or uncontrollably snigger at something we’ve seen, remembered or heard. If we’re in public then that joyous moment is quickly curbed as the self-conscious part of our brain realises we’re on a bus, in the office, in a queue for a coffee or walking down a street. I am the worst for it and it’s gone on for so long that I now find the self-tempering of joy is an autonomic reaction. I wrote this song because it’s something I actively want and need to improve on. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all gave a little bit less of a damn who is watching and really enjoyed those amazing moments in our day? Let’s all let go and smile like there are absolutely no f**ks given.”
The music video is out now and is an absolute riot of fun and laughter, designed to make you beam from ear to ear!
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SEPTEMBER UPDATE: PRETTY Is Out Now!
The brand new single is available now across all major streaming platforms PLUS you can download it for free from the Freebies page.
The awesome Wonderland Magazine cite it as being "a must listen track" and that it "exudes emotion from start to finish". We has an awesome day shooting the music video on Friday 4th August. The music video is coming soon but in the meantime you can see what happened behind the scenes across Facebook, Instgram and TikTok (use the tabs at the top of the page). And last but by no means least, here are some quick links to the most popular streaming sites (Spotify player is below). If in doubt search for 'Chandra Pretty'
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JULY UPDATE: PRETTY Music Video & More!
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When life gives you lemons... suck 'em up and smile! We already announced that the next single 'Pretty' is out on 4th August. The plan was to launch the music video that same weekend but unfortunately the RMT announced London Underground tube strikes on the very same days that we were planning to film. This means that none of the cast can get to the film location so we've had to move the shoot day for the music video back by a week and it will now launch a week later than planned. It's all good though; I promise it will be worth the wait.
We put out a casting call across social media a few weeks ago in order to find people who identify with Pretty's message and who wanted to represent a specific minority in the video itself. We got an amazing response and now have a diverse cast of people lined-up to do their thing on 4th August in London. Yes, that's right, the video shoot will be on the same day as the single launch, so on launch day we'll be streaming live from London, showing you all sorts of behind the scenes clips from the shoot. And lastly but by no means leastly... here's a little clip of the new single (either on the right or below). I'm SO excited for you to hear it!!!! Advanced press previews went out this week and the press feedback has been phenomenal. Not long now; you'll start seeing all the coverage from 4th August. Don't forget, if you're a Spotify user you can pre-save 'Pretty' by clicking the link below. This just means that as soon as the single launches it will be served up to you on Spotify instead of you having to go and find it. It also tells Spotify that people are interested in the new song, therefore stroking their tiny algorhithmic slaves into submission. PRE-SAVE PRETTY HERE 
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JUNE UPDATE: Next single PRETTY is out 4th August!
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On 4th August 2023 Bristol (UK)-based pop-rock singer-songwriter Chandra releases ‘Pretty’, the follow-up single to April’s critically acclaimed ‘Lighters To The Sky’. A soaring, sing-along pop-rock belter, ‘Pretty’ drives a message of equality and tolerance, encouraging us all to find the courage to simply be ourselves but also challenge ourselves to re-evaluate what we find ‘pretty’.
Pretty is a euphoric protest song; a rally cry to every single person on the planet who feels a pang of insecurity because they aren’t pretty, or normal or acceptable... so much so that they hide a side of themselves away. We're all subjected to the pressures of the world from the moment we wake and experience a constant barrage of subliminal conditioning that creates a perception of what is ‘pretty’ and ‘normal’, whether that’s looks, identity, interests or opinions. Chandra has his own experiences of not fitting in: “We should all strive to create a world where we can simply be ourselves without prejudice. For me this stems all the way back to being a mixed race kid in school, being called a Paki on a daily basis, through to being a teenager in a band, wearing eyeliner and having colour in my spiky hair (I felt like Camden Town was the only place in the country I didn't get stared at in disgust). Certainly my particular experience shows that we've progressed but we've still got a very long way to go. It's not about accepting any one particular 'thing' (be that spiky hair, a disability or how you identify); it's about challenging yourself to be more accepting of anything at all that you don't find 'pretty' and that you deem to be 'different'... even if you find it uncomfortable. Otherwise we'll never grow as a society.” |
'Pretty' launches on Friday 4th August. Pre-Save now on Spotify
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MAY UPDATE: LIGHTERS TO THE SKY is out now; music video below!
Lighters To The Sky is out now across all major music download platforms! Plus, you can watch the music video right here, right now.
Lighters To The Sky is one of those songs that's just absolutely clicked for me; the meaning, the message, the energy, the vibe. I hope it makes you dance around but also makes you think about how you are in your everyday life; both towards yourself and others.
This song is all about the struggles of trying to achieve your dreams and goals. We're all hammered down at every step of the way... even as early on as the dreaming phase we're told not to dream big... and then every step of the way it's a battle and you have to summon so much energy and inner strength just to stay on course. It's human nature to to ere on the side of caution, of course, and we're almost hard-wired to act this way. So this is basically a love song to all the people who have a dream but are struggling... who know deep down inside what they want to do but can't find the support they need to follow it through.
And that's a really important part of this message; the support element. It's as much about people recognising that they can help someone in spades just by being a little bit supportive. We all understand what it feels like to come together at a gig and hold our lighters or phones up to the sky... imagine if you could give someone that kind of support... how much of a lasting boost that might give someone. A little lift goes a long way.
This song is all about the struggles of trying to achieve your dreams and goals. We're all hammered down at every step of the way... even as early on as the dreaming phase we're told not to dream big... and then every step of the way it's a battle and you have to summon so much energy and inner strength just to stay on course. It's human nature to to ere on the side of caution, of course, and we're almost hard-wired to act this way. So this is basically a love song to all the people who have a dream but are struggling... who know deep down inside what they want to do but can't find the support they need to follow it through.
And that's a really important part of this message; the support element. It's as much about people recognising that they can help someone in spades just by being a little bit supportive. We all understand what it feels like to come together at a gig and hold our lighters or phones up to the sky... imagine if you could give someone that kind of support... how much of a lasting boost that might give someone. A little lift goes a long way.
APRIL UPDATE: NEW MUSIC VIDEO IS FINISHED!
I'm buzzing at the moment because the music video for 'Lighters To The Sky' is finished!
It tells two emotional stories of people striving to achieve their dreams. It follows the stories of two protagonists; a young dancer who is desperately trying to pursue her dream to be a professional dancer, and a mum of 2 who is trying to get her well-being back on track by taking on a tough fitness challenge of running to a local monument.
It's been written, storyboarded, shot and edited by me, so as you might imagine it's a very emotional project for me personally.
You can see a sneak peak below showing the two protagonists. The full-length video launches on the same day as the single (Friday 28th April).
It tells two emotional stories of people striving to achieve their dreams. It follows the stories of two protagonists; a young dancer who is desperately trying to pursue her dream to be a professional dancer, and a mum of 2 who is trying to get her well-being back on track by taking on a tough fitness challenge of running to a local monument.
It's been written, storyboarded, shot and edited by me, so as you might imagine it's a very emotional project for me personally.
You can see a sneak peak below showing the two protagonists. The full-length video launches on the same day as the single (Friday 28th April).
FEBUARY UPDATE 1: NEW SONG 'LIGHTERS TO THE SKY'
Really happy to be able to share the final demo version of 'Lighters To The Sky'.
It's one of those songs that's just absolutely clicked for me; the meaning, the message, the energy, the vibe. I hope it makes you dance around but also makes you think about how you are in your everyday life; both towards yourself and others. This song is all about the struggles of trying to achieve your dreams and goals. We're all hammered down at every step of the way... even as early on as the dreaming phase we're told not to dream big... and then every step of the way it's a battle and you have to summon so much energy and inner strength just to stay on course. It's human nature to to ere on the side of caution, of course, and we're almost hard-wired to act this way.
So this is basically a love song to all the people who have a dream but are struggling... who know deep down inside what they want to do but can't find the support they need to follow it through. And that's a really important part of this message; the support element. It's as much about people recognising that they can help someone in spades just by being a little bit supportive. We all understand what it feels like to come together at a gig and hold our lighters or phones up to the sky... imagine if you could give someone that kind of support... how much of a lasting boost that might give someone.
A little lift goes a long way.
It's one of those songs that's just absolutely clicked for me; the meaning, the message, the energy, the vibe. I hope it makes you dance around but also makes you think about how you are in your everyday life; both towards yourself and others. This song is all about the struggles of trying to achieve your dreams and goals. We're all hammered down at every step of the way... even as early on as the dreaming phase we're told not to dream big... and then every step of the way it's a battle and you have to summon so much energy and inner strength just to stay on course. It's human nature to to ere on the side of caution, of course, and we're almost hard-wired to act this way.
So this is basically a love song to all the people who have a dream but are struggling... who know deep down inside what they want to do but can't find the support they need to follow it through. And that's a really important part of this message; the support element. It's as much about people recognising that they can help someone in spades just by being a little bit supportive. We all understand what it feels like to come together at a gig and hold our lighters or phones up to the sky... imagine if you could give someone that kind of support... how much of a lasting boost that might give someone.
A little lift goes a long way.
JANUARY UPDATE: NEW SONG 'PRETTY'
I'm really happy to be able to share with you the demo version of 'Pretty'. I've created a lyrics video, too. It was all done in one take and is just me having a bit of fun in order to put out something that's a bit more interesting than a standard lyrics video!
Pretty is about how we're all subjected to the pressures of the world from the moment we wake, and how we should all strive to create a world where we can simply be ourselves without prejudice. For me this stems all the way back to when I was a teenager in a band, wearing eyeliner and having colour in my spiky hair (I felt like Camden Town was the only place in the country I didn't get stared at in disgust), all the way through to the continued issues surrounding individual perception and gender identity vs cultural and social definitions in the modern day.
Certainly my particular experience shows that we've progressed but we've still got a very long way to go. It's not about accepting any one particular 'thing' (be that spiky hair, a disability or how you identify); it's about challenging yourself to be more accepting of anything at all that you don't find 'pretty' and that you deem to be 'different'... even if you find it uncomfortable. Otherwise we'll never grow as a society.
'Bar Stewards' is a phrase I used to use as a teenager, with my mates, in place of the obvious swear word. No offence intended to real bar stewards (I worked behind a bar for nearly a decade!!!); just a bit of fun. :)
This now means that I'm working on the final song for the demo EP, which will be used to speak to festivals, labels and potential band members!
Pretty is about how we're all subjected to the pressures of the world from the moment we wake, and how we should all strive to create a world where we can simply be ourselves without prejudice. For me this stems all the way back to when I was a teenager in a band, wearing eyeliner and having colour in my spiky hair (I felt like Camden Town was the only place in the country I didn't get stared at in disgust), all the way through to the continued issues surrounding individual perception and gender identity vs cultural and social definitions in the modern day.
Certainly my particular experience shows that we've progressed but we've still got a very long way to go. It's not about accepting any one particular 'thing' (be that spiky hair, a disability or how you identify); it's about challenging yourself to be more accepting of anything at all that you don't find 'pretty' and that you deem to be 'different'... even if you find it uncomfortable. Otherwise we'll never grow as a society.
'Bar Stewards' is a phrase I used to use as a teenager, with my mates, in place of the obvious swear word. No offence intended to real bar stewards (I worked behind a bar for nearly a decade!!!); just a bit of fun. :)
This now means that I'm working on the final song for the demo EP, which will be used to speak to festivals, labels and potential band members!
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023!
Welcome to 2023 everyone; it’s the Chinese year of the rabbit and very apt it is too as I’ll be bounding around pastures new launching new music on a regular basis. Here's what's been happening over the past few weeks and as always, if you'd like to join the mailing list click the link below:
JOIN THE MAILING LIST
Big hugs,
Chandra
JOIN THE MAILING LIST
Big hugs,
Chandra
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INTRODUCING THE BAND
I’ve nearly finished writing and recording the tracks for the new ‘demo’ EP so now it’s time to find a motley crew of musicians crazy enough to join me on this rock-tastic adventure. It's really hard to find the right people, and even when you find those people they are quite often in demand due to thier awesome skills. Watch this space to find out who jumps on board the good ship Chandra-geddon. If you know any guitarists, bassists or drummers who you think might fit the bill then please send them this link: Band Recruitment Page |
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OVERLOAD ON LOVE
‘Overload’ is set to be the EP’s closing song. It’s all about maintaining your moral compass despite all the greed, cruelty and instability that surrounds us. If you take one message from the new EP, then it’s this. You can hear the song right here! |
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BOOM SHAKE THE ROOM
At the opposite end of the EP is ‘Boom!’, which is the EP opener. It’s all about love (isn’t everything?); but the raw energy of love’s formation and what it feels like when two people come together from opposite worlds. You can watch the lyrics video or just listen to the song below: |