Award-winning pop production and songwriting duo Chapters is consistently pumping out playlist-worthy tunes. Comprised of Simon Jay and Luke Shrestha, Chapters is quickly reaching a level of critical acclaim that isn't going unnoticed.
The duo has amassed 607 million all-time streams across platforms and 33 million TikTok views and are constantly adding some spice and zest to the modern pop music scene.
They've been involved in the music for events like The Grammy's, The Emmy's, and The Kennedy Center Honors, not to mention working with artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Madonna, and Ai Bendr.
Chapters are highly sought after for their musicality and expertise. They've brought that forward in their recent tunes with talented artists like Jenna Rose, Tayler Holder, and Ai Bendr.
In "Checkmate" by Jena Rose, Chapters offers a thick slice of pop pie in this post-breakup anthem packed with thrills and chills. The track recently landed on MTV Music's top 20, and it's no wonder why. This hearty earworm of a single carries all the character and soul that we adore about Chapters.
Similarly, "I Hope" by Tayler Holder is another perfect example of Chapters' influential musical mark. This emotional and powerhouse track slowly builds up to this cathartic and jam-packed second half that feels like screaming your woes from the mountain tops. It's the most recent release from Chapters and perhaps the most emotive too.
In "Checkmate" by Jena Rose, Chapters offers a thick slice of pop pie in this post-breakup anthem packed with thrills and chills. The track recently landed on MTV Music's Top 20, and it's no wonder why. This hearty earworm of a single carries all the character and soul that we adore about Chapters.
It's safe to say that Chapters has done all of these artists justice. If the duo has made anything clear, it's that they've got a story to tell, and that story is quickly taking them from acclaimed artists to icons.
Experience the duo's leading singles like "Love Me Low" by Ai Bendr, "I Hope" by Tayler Holder, and "Checkmate" by Jena Rose on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Chapters. We're genuinely impressed with the level of success you've reached within the modern pop scene. When did your duo start out, and what has your journey been like from there?
Thanks so much for having us, and thank you for taking the time to talk about Chapters. Our individual journeys started when we were about four years old. Our parents put us in piano lessons, orchestra, band, and basically any other type of musical ensemble you could think of. By the time we met in 2013, we’d both been making music our entire lives, so it’s something we both share together. I think we both see music in a very unique way. Since we were learning music at the same time we were learning a language, it is very much a part of who we are and how we communicate with others.
Could you take us through the collaborative experience with your duo? How do you manage to execute an artist's ideas and visions?
For us, the artist always comes first. We love sitting down with the artist, learning about them, and asking them a ton of questions, like: “what kind of music did you listen to growing up?” Or “what kind of message do you want to send to your audience? What are you going to give to people who listen to your project?” There always has to be a strong ‘why’ at the center of every artist. Every artist got into music for a specific reason, so I think between getting to the bedrock of that question and figuring out what music inspired them growing up, we have enough to really get to know what the artist is striving for creatively. After that, every tool in our toolbox is on the table to help fulfill the song. We love live strings, live instrumentation, really lush vocal production, and working with other immensely talented musicians to bring the record to its full potential. We also love nature sounds, so if you listen carefully to our productions, you can hear wind noises or rain in the background.
Is there a particular song or project that you're most proud of? What was the most rewarding piece you've created or co-created?
Most recently, we co-wrote and produced the song “I Hope” by Tayler Holder. It was a really personal journey for him, so figuring out how to really fuse his experiences into the sonics of the record was really tricky but also really fulfilling. We also had a song on the Euphoria S1 Soundtrack. We co-wrote and produced the song “Love Me Low” by Ai Bendr. The story behind that song is a really crazy story, actually. We met her a few years ago, and we really felt like we could elevate her project; and after about 8-10 songs, a few labels reached out. She ultimately signed with Interscope Records. The universe really works in mysterious ways because that same week, Interscope had secured the soundtrack rights to Euphoria, and the music supervisor (the amazing Jen Malone), showed our song to Hunter Schafer. The episode our song appears in was the one that Hunter Schafer wrote, and she said the song really inspired her for the last scene where she is talking to Rue. It’s really changed the way we look at music to picture and really made us realize how many stars had to align for this to happen. We’re so grateful for everyone over at Interscope Records and the entire production team and cast over at HBO and Euphoria. Another project coming out later this year is an EP with the Canadian artist Vi. She is one of the most talented artists we’ve ever worked with, and as far as writing, production, mixing, and everything else in between, we believe it to be the pinnacle of our work so far.
Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for other producers wanting to reach a level of acclaim similar to yours? What is your recipe for success?
Yes! A big thing we both have been working on recently is getting to know ourselves better. We both meditate a ton. We really want to discover who we are, focus on why we do what we do, and dedicate ourselves to becoming better producers, artists, and people. It may seem really tedious at first, but trust me, after a while, it pays off. It’s also allowed us to tap into the core of who we are, which I think has led to us making some of the most authentically ‘us’ records we’ve ever made before.
What's next for you?
We just got back from a retreat in Michigan with one of our artists Faime. We rented a cabin on the lake and locked ourselves away for a week to write his fall EP. It was really nice to shut out the whole world for a week and really dive into these songs. I think we’ve come up with some of the best records for his project yet. We keep setting the bar so high for this project, and it can definitely get stressful, but it was nice to unplug and really make music from the heart. That’s been a big component of our workflow recently, is really thinking things through carefully and making the best intentional decisions possible for the project. We’re excited for all his fans to hear this since it's definitely Faime’s most personal work yet.
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