Coming in from Toronto, Canada, the R&B/Pop Artist and Singer/Songwriter Chris Chand releases a sweet and jazzy single with, "Shine." While striving to rejuvenate a classic sound, the multi-instrumentalist has only shown us a sliver of what he's capable of. Chris Chand, the 21-year-old creator, is ready to make waves within the industry through his bend-the-boundaries approach and dynamic instrumental soundscapes. Known as an artist who never sleeps, Chris Chand is always seeking opportunities when they don't seem to knock.
With his latest single, "Shine," Chris Chand takes us through an incredibly blissful and serene space with each soulful element of this sweet R&B tune. We adore the vocal filters that Chris Chand uses to give his vocals this ethereal and heavenly tone that sends us into the song's sultry and dreamy atmosphere.
Listening to Chris Chand's single, "Shine," the track opens with a female vocalist offering her dreamy melisma overtop of samples of the city's hustle and bustle. As Chris Chand begins serenading us with his delicate and melodic vocal stylings, we're able to feel the tenderness and emotion he's placed into the song with each lyric and melody.
The song offers this highly nostalgic sense of soul through the instrumentals and their portrayal of uplifting brass tones, groovy electric guitar, a pulsating bassline, and droning synths that soak the atmosphere in psychedelic elements. We also feel a slight ode to jazz's timeless genre, as Chris Chand ends the track with the utmost soul and shimmer.
Offering a slice of serenity with his recent single, "Shine," Chris Chand brightens our days with help from the song's bright instrumentation and soulful tones. Don't miss out on this unique and dreamy piece.
Hello Chris, and welcome to BuzzMusic. We love the grooves and soul you've placed into your single "Shine." What inspired you to create such a light and mellow piece like this? The inspiration behind Shine came to me when I was ironically in a dark place in my life. I remember thinking as if I’d never been able to get out of it and that music was the only way for me to let it out and cope with that shitty feeling. One day I came home from work and I was super bummed out and now when I look back, I can’t even remember why I was sad but I remember I picked up my guitar and started messing around with random 7th and 9th chords I wasn’t too familiar with. I'd keep messing around and exploring the fretboard until I eventually found an arrangement that got me excited and honestly, once I heard it, I knew I had to do something with it. Although the lyrics of the song were from a sad experience I had, I wanted the music to sound very chill and mellow, and as if I was making the best out of a bad situation. What sort of lyrical concept did you want to get across with your single "Shine?" What themes drove your lyricism? For the lyrical concept, I wanted to paint a picture of a relationship that’s actually about to come to an end. Both of them are really into each other and they probably shouldn’t be together but, they keep trying just to see if they can prove other people wrong. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out for the both of them and they eventually drift apart but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be a bad thing. Sometimes it’s good to learn and shine on your own. I feel like love and mental health played a big part in the overall theme that drove my lyricism. Sometimes we love someone or something too much and it can hurt us without us even knowing. I feel like taking a break from whatever it is you love so much can be healthy for you. I see it as signs of progress towards you growing on your own and loving yourself first. Could you elaborate on your recording and creative process for the soulful, R&B, and jazzy instrumentals within "Shine?" What sound and feel were you initially going for? At the beginning of 2020, the city was just starting its first lockdown so the recording and creative process for Shine was a bit different than I had originally intended. Instead of getting everyone together and meeting up at a studio and recording everything live, we started to rent out equipment and work + record from our homes. Before I reached out to the other musicians, I made a little demo that had some light production on it, nothing too crazy but just an idea so I could get my point across. I remember thinking I wanted the song to sound really groovy and like something out of the 70s but with a modern, psychedelic feel. Almost like Marvin Gaye meets The Internet. While Bubby Lewis (bass), Kevin Ekofo (add. guitar) and Josh Qua (percussion + sax) were getting their parts recorded and finalized, I started reaching out to other vocalists that I thought could fit well within the vocal arrangement and that could bring that old school meets new school R&B/Soul vibe I was looking for. It didn't take me too long to decide that I was gonna go with Elyssa Plaza, Amaka Queenette + SAAKB for the additional vocals. As soon as I heard their individual ideas for the song, I was instantly sold and ready to get this song mixed/mastered and into its final form. How can listeners get to know you and your brand better through singles like "Shine?" What should we take away from pieces like this? I feel like listeners will first start to get to know me through the music that I put out and then I feel like the more music I release and the more they understand me, my background, and where I’m coming from, the better they’ll be able to get to know my brand and even me as an artist. The main thing I want people to take away is that it’s okay to feel lost or like you don’t know what you’re doing. Believe me, I don’t think anybody knows what the hell they’re doing. Another thing I want them to take away is that when they're experiencing some kind of misery, try and keep in mind that happiness is around the corner. What has been keeping you inspired in the last year to keep creating music? To be honest, a lot of things have been keeping me inspired to create music. Going to school for music definitely keeps me wanting to learn more, I’m genuinely curious when it comes to anything music or arts-related so trying to find new things to pick up is something that keeps me going. Not only that, seeing my own progress throughout the last 2-3 years has been pretty motivating for me. I’m very interested and curious to see where it can take me + I’m curious to see where I’ll be in the next 2-3 years. If I keep working hard and working towards the end goal, who knows what can happen. Besides those 2, having a supportive family and a supportive group of friends keeps me going. It’s definitely not easy being in this industry but having this kind of good faith and good energy around me keeps me motivated and inspired to do something. I don’t know what it is but I know I’m here for a reason.
