'getting better' with KHAOS EMRLD

Congratulations on the release of your DEBUT single ‘getting better’! Can you tell me a bit about the song and the story behind it?

Thank you! Yes, it came about midway through last year. It was the emotional climax and outpour of the pivotal point where I realised that I’d spent months on end not doing anything to get out of a prolonged slump that I had sunken into. Worse, I was expecting other people to pull me out and help me when I couldn’t even help myself. I just felt so bored and unlovable and kept pitying myself all the time. This song was my attempt to prove to myself that I can still channel these feelings through my music and I wanted to keep it angsty and gritty, with some sprinkles of bubble-gum electronic influences to remind myself that the good can mix in with the bad, much like genres can crossover, people can always change and life is never linear.

You discuss coming back into the industry as a solo artist to ‘nurture and highlight the peculiarity that binds people together’ - did something happen to influence this?

I’ve always had a devoted admiration for weirdness – the kind that makes people unique and stand out, the kind that makes people real and loved. That’s something I’ll always choose over perfection or admiration. As humans, we’re always such curious creatures, whether we show it or not. It’s in our DNA. We’re drawn to things that aren’t exactly “normal” or confirmative. At least that’s how I feel about things. And especially with a new younger generation coming through who are already rather innovative and challenging the blueprint of this whole music thing, I wanted to join the party and show that I can produce an arrangement of eccentricity in my music.

You have decided to name yourself KHAOS EMRLD, why was this?

We can thank my silly childlike love for Sonic The Hedgehog for that. I suppose it encapsulates the elements of what I want to create, music that’s cartoonish, a little bit comedic, and rather hyperactive. The kid within me is still alive and kicking.

I’ve noticed that the visuals/music video for ‘getting better’ are all filmed on iPhone, was this an intentional thing? And were there challenges?

Yep, all intentional. I wanted a DIY aesthetic for this clip, and after seeing that multiple artists out there have also filmed entire music videos on iPhones, I thought I need to give this a go. My partner Gabs and best friend Sarah were so helpful and patient with me through the process and got some great content as I made myself look silly in public. And Max from BESTIES crushed the edit. The only challenges were combatting my silly anxiety of being in front of a camera again, and the stupidly hot morning where Sarah and I filmed; my chest was dripping in sweat three takes in.

You have been a vital player in other artists' work like Down For Tomorrow and Yours Truly, but what inspired the change to solo work? Was it always a goal of yours or just happened naturally?

It was always a goal of mine at some point in life to go solo. However, I’m a strong believer in the saying “Sometimes you get what you want, but not in the way you’d expected.” If you’d asked me pre-2022 if I would consider becoming a hyper-pop artist, I’d have asked you “What even is that genre”? It’s nice to have complete freedom of creative control and call all the shots for this project. There are some aspects I miss about being in a band – mainly playing live – but this is fun for now.

Do you have plans for the future of KHAOS EMRLD or are you just happy to see where it goes for now?

I’ve got more music in the tank, penciling some live plans for the year, and working with some great songwriters and producers on the next round of singles. I didn’t spend this much money to be done after one song!

You can listen to ‘getting better’ by KHAOS EMRLD and watch the video here!

‘getting better’ with KHAOS EMRLD a Q+A

Q+A with Hetticee

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