Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in the music industry?
I was brought up in the little seaside town of Bognor Regis and have been surrounded by music my entire life, I was always inspired by my dads music taste and he introduced me to the music that gave me that outer body experience to want to start singing and make music of my own, which consisted of artists like the Beegees, Barry Manilow and Kate bush. Since the age of 15 I’ve been singing all around West Sussex and trying to make a name for myself, and it’s only in the last three years that I’ve realised my true potential as a songwriter and not just a cover artist, and I’ve been flourishing and growing ever since.
How would you describe your musical style and sound?
My musical style and sound I would say is very inspired by the folk sounds of the past decades, I have always taken a more artistic and underground approach to songwriting like many of my influences, I’ve also always been inspired by mythical beings and fairytale stories and always try to invoke that into my writing, especially recently with the material that I am currently working on which I’m very excited about! I am extremely inspired by the female artists of the 70s and 80s, Stevie Nicks being my musical spiritual surrogate mother.
What inspires you when writing and creating music?
The things that inspire me most when it comes to writing are my memories mostly, I think that your mind is a storybook that you can draw certain phrases and pictures from, I’ve always had a romantic view on life and an ever growing imagination which always helps with my writing, and I have a love for mythical tales and writing about movies which have really moved me.
Can you talk about the challenges you've faced as an indie musician and how you've overcome them?
As an indie musician I’ve faced many challenges and are still facing them, unfortunately the internets algorithm is temperamental so I have real trouble getting any real notoriety for my work, I have a small fan base that is growing, but as an artist at the moment I am very independent which is something I would really like to change and hopefully soon I can get some contacts together to showcase my music to the world.
How has your music evolved over time and what has influenced those changes?
My music has definitely evolved over time, my confidence has grown quite a lot in writing terms in the last three years, and I definitely have a clear image of the kind of music I want to dive into, I think it takes a while to discover who you truly are as an artist, I’m still discovering new things about myself every single day, but that’s just apart of being a songwriter, it’s a grind but the rush is fantastic.
How do you connect with and engage with your fans both online and in person?
I have a small fan base at the moment, my own material has been mixed in with some covers and tribute artist work which gives me more exposure, i play at a lot of open mics but I am hoping that I will be able to do proper live gigs with all my original material and grow a bigger fan base, at the moment I rely on Instagram and Facebook and Tik Tok to bring in followers and views, whilst I rely on that I know that it’s a really hard industry to get into, that’s why I know if I post covers of other songs then people who click on my page will see that I also have original music as well, I guess that’s the way it goes posting online at the moment, but I’m hoping things will look up in that department and I have some exciting events coming up to share with everyone.
Can you talk about any upcoming projects or collaborations that you're excited about?
I have a few projects coming up that I’m mega excited to share! On Friday the 31st of March I am going to be doing a showcase at the little monsters brewery in Chichester of my own material sponsored by Chris Simmons who is an amazing and established artist so I’m super excited about that!
I am also going to be playing in Blackburn restricted Rox beer festival on the 30th of April with UK Fleetwood Mac which I’m super excited about and it’s an opportunity i am greatly appreciative for and something I hope I can do more regularly,
Please stay tuned for my original music updates on my Instagram @hattiechandlermusic and my Facebook page hattie chandler where I post weekly music posts and updates!