Atlanta indie pop-rock duo, Chapel, has been staying busy during quarantine. They’ve not only released a new single but are giving us a quarantine filmed music video to go along with it. Singer Carter Hardin describes the single as “a song that celebrates the honeymoon phase of a new relationship. A time where logic is out the window and emotions take control”. We sat down with Chapel’s Kortney Grinwis to talk about how she got into music with Carter, their musical influences, and how filming the music video for “Mushy Gushy” went.
Check out the interview below!
BTS: Can you tell us how you got started with making music together?
Kortney: We became friends through both of our previous bands. After my band broke up I started putting out drum covers on YouTube in hopes to find another project. Carter hit me up in the fall of 2015 and asked if I’d be interested in writing/recording drums for his new projects’ EP. He sent me a demo and I was immediately sold. I flew down to Atlanta a couple weeks later and we wrote our first song together, “Caught Up.”
BTS: How would you describe your music for someone who hasn’t heard it before?
Kortney: It’s hard to put into one single genre but I’d say it’s pretty upbeat, feel good alternative-pop music. Take some dreamy synth’s from the 80’s and mix it with some current indie-rock.
BTS: Who are some of your influences, musically and non-musically?
Kortney: Growing up I listened to a lot of bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Green Day, and Motion City Soundtrack. In high school I started listening to heavier bands like Have Heart and August Burns Red, which is where a lot of my drumming influence comes from. Currently, we’ve both been listening to a lot of The Killers, Bad Suns, and a lot of classics from the 70’s. Non-musically, with all of the dark sad shit going on in the world, especially right now, if we can brighten someone’s day just a little with our music or our dumb ass faces on TikTok, that’s what motivates us for sure.
BTS: What’s one fun fact about yourselves for our readers?
Kortney: I have a hard time not speaking in a British accent some…most times. I’m aware that it’s annoying but I truly can’t help it. I also played Violin for 9 years. I was actually great, and most definitely regret stopping.
BTS: What is the song writing process like working collaboratively together?
Kortney: Carter is the computer guy, so he’s usually the one to start with a skeleton idea. I like to let him get in his zone and create what he’s originally hearing in his head. I’ll then come in and throw in my input of how I’m hearing it. He’s a great song writer/producer and I’m a fine details type of gal with a very sensitive ear so I think we work very well together in that way.
BTS: What was it like filming your music video for “Mushy Gushy” during quarantine?
Kortney: It was actually a blast! Carter and I were fortunate enough to be quarantined together with a cool place and camera gear to film. Peter was a great director to work with and gave Carter and I all of the freedom to shoot however we wanted.
BTS: What else are y’all doing to get through this quarantine?
Kortney: I’ve been trying to take this time to focus a lot on my health and fitness. Listening to a lot of podcasts, trying to watch documentaries instead of binging brainless sitcoms. We’ve also been writing a lot of new music that we’re very excited about. Wine also has helped, a lot.
BTS: What can we expect from y’all next?
Kortney: We have an album coming out this fall that we’re beyond excited to finally release. As soon as we’re able to tour again, definitely lots of those, along with more consistent releases of new music.
“Mushy Gushy” is available on all streaming platforms here
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Photo by Nolan Knight
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