Wavelengths of serenity and sophisticated jazz ambiances wash over you when you press play on Chameleonize new track "Spoiler." Then enters the voice of a soulful, bathed in blues and confident female. This isn't your typical breakup song. Never has one come across so cavalier and smooth in this melodic post break up mortuary. Lyrics like "I'm smarter without you," "one day I'll meet a man that will make me whole," give the listener a solid grasp on the fact this femme has long moved on. "Spoiler" is delivered with such swag. The 'be-bopin' of notes coupled with an exciting blend of drums and cymbals marries the harmony and rhymes perfectly.
The track combines elements of different genres; jazz, blues, electro-funk, and new wave. When the lead singer isn't laying it down, the guitars continue the story, with a deep plucking base and jazzed electric guitar, every outlet of sound is finely tuned. Their evident talent and ease at creating music come naturally to this five-piece band from Oneonta New York. Their spontaneity and relaxed songwriting approach enable the group to carefully arrange their pieces, sampling different elements from various music genres. "Spoiler" is the first release off their upcoming debut EP, set to release later this year.
Stream “Spoiler” here.
HI Chameleonize, and welcome to BuzzMusic. You have laid down such a vibe with your new release “Spoiler.” How does it feel to have it out in the music community?
Refreshing is the word. Spoiler is the first we released in 2020 and the first song we released of the decade for that matter! It’s also the final single before our EP. It felt good to have something to promote and put out there just before everything shut down and we couldn’t get together anymore.
What exactly does a songwriting journey entail for you? Could you share how the group works creatively, and how your songwriting process develops?
Most of the time, a new song starts with an idea that one of us came up with on our own, and then we develop it all together at band practice. That gives us a good idea of what the song will sound like, instrumentally. Then, once lyrics are written, they determine the final structure for the tune and the hills and valleys that need to happen in order for the song to flow. To be honest though, most of our songs, even when they feel complete, are not really done until we’ve played them live a couple of times. We always end up changing a few things once we get the sense of an audience’s reaction and overall effect the song has.
With such a diverse sound, where do you draw musical inspiration from? Have you been inspired by any artist?
We all have unique tastes and come from different musical upbringings. The musical ideas we each bring to the table and the layering that is done causes everyone’s voice to be heard, but in a way that is cohesive. We check our egos and remind each other that the songs are the most important thing. They need to tell a story, so if an idea isn’t working for one tune, we save it for another. It’s like a puzzle.
Some of our influences include Snarky Puppy, Hiatus Kaiyote, The Aristocrats, Erykah Badu, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and so on.
Before he joined the band, our drummer described us as a mix between Maroon 5 and Chon. We thought it was strangely accurate.
What can we expect to hear on the rest of your upcoming EP?
Three new songs, aside from the four singles we put out. The EP is that blend of soul and prog music that seems to make its way in everything we write. The three new songs follow that but in different ratios. One is more rock, one more contemporary soul, and the last more very progressive, but they all fit together.
What will you be working on next, Chameleonize? Thank you for joining us, and congratulations on "Spoiler."
We’re currently working on incorporating the newest member of our band, Jake, into the songwriting process. He’s been playing live shows with us for several months now and writing as well, but we’re really looking forward to diving deep into the new material with him, which we believe will have a nice impact on our sound and growth. We will be finishing up our EP with Mikey, our bass player, as our engineer. As stay-at-home mandates loosen, we can hopefully begin recording one or two of us at a time to finish these songs. Either way, we’re being patient, staying safe, and doing what we can right now!
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