Georgia Chess Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Georgia Chess has a new single, "Ascot", on the way that you won't want to miss. I was thrilled she wanted to visit with us to discuss the single, her musical goals, and more!

So, let's see what happens when Georgia Chess visits Section 36 Music!

I am really excited about your upcoming single. “Ascot”. What can you tell me about it?

“Ascot” is this really bitter song about unrequited love. I’m not really into writing “sappy” love songs, because music like that makes me feel a little hopeless. So majority of my “sad” songs end up becoming these angry, gritty rock tunes, because that feels more empowering to me in a way. 

This song in particular took me a while to write. I came up with the initial idea for it when I was 15. I had a huge crush on this guy in my friend group. He was the lead singer of this little rock band, and I thought he was super cool. Unfortunately for me, he started dating someone else, so I knew it was never meant to be. That was my inspiration for the first verse and pre-chorus, but I didn’t really know how to finish it. It wasn’t until a few years later when I wrote the guitar riff that I was able to finish the song. The lyrics I had initially written fit perfectly with the vibe of the guitar. Plus, I had lyrics from another song that I was planning to scrap. So I had all these fragments that I was able to piece together into a song, and that’s how “Ascot” came to be.

What was your favorite part of the recording process?

Normally, I record all my songs by myself, just me and my laptop. I would record vocals, guitar, bass, and keys, then send that off to my producer (Django Beaudoin) so they could record drums and put together the final mix. “Ascot” was a bit different, though, because this was my first time recording in studio with a full band. It’s a much different experience with other people in the room. You feed off of each other’s energy, and that’s something you can’t get when recording alone. I’m very lucky that most of the musicians and producers I collab with are my close friends, so it felt like we were just hanging out and recording some cool music.

What do you enjoy most about performing on stage in front of an audience?

As a kid and a young songwriter, I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to perform. And when I did perform my songs for people, it was usually just me and my guitar. Acoustic sets can be fun, but I really wanted to play with a band. I would spend a lot of time watching videos on YouTube of my favorite bands or artists playing live, especially during quarantine. I have this specific memory of watching Arctic Monkeys’ 2013 Glastonbury set, and thinking “That’s it! That’s what I want to do!”. So now when I play with a full band, it’s like I’m finally fulfilling the dream that younger me always had. It’s really gratifying to see. It’s also great to see the songs come to life. The music becomes this real, tangible thing instead of just a melody in my head.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

My first influence was my dad, since he was the person who taught me my first guitar chords. He also was always playing music in the car, so he introduced me to bands like Queen and Led Zeppelin from an early age. My mom, on the other hand, introduced me to artists like Frank Sinatra and Amy Winehouse, so I really got the best of both worlds. As I got older, I became really obsessed with early 2000’s riff-rock - bands like The Strokes, The Black Keys, Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age. I would lock myself up in my room and spends hours learning their songs on the guitar by ear, and that was how I learned to write my own guitar parts and riffs. 

Lyrics are very important to me. I’m very particular about what words or imagery I use, and I believe that’s largely to do with my musical influences. Fiona Apple has a way of saying so, so much while simultaneously being really concise, and she does it all through metaphors. She’s honestly one of the most impressive lyricists I’ve ever seen. Additionally, Alex Turner’s writing opened up a whole new world of lyricism for me. He has this way of writing that is very abstract and layered, and the worlds that he creates through each song are kind of magical. So I’ve adopted that same kind of surrealism and use of metaphors into my own writing.

What is the most challenging part of your music career?

I like to believe that I have become more confident since starting my music career, but I still struggle with putting myself out there. Posting or talking about my music consistently feels like saying, “Hey! Look at me! I’m super important!”, and that can be a real struggle for someone who doesn’t like drawing attention to themself. But the thing I’ve come to realize over the past few years is that there is no lack of space in the music world. There’s enough room for every artist to share the music they’ve created, and I have to remind myself that that includes me too. I also think about all the artists I love, and how much joy and comfort their music has brought me. So if my music could potentially do the same for someone else, then I don’t want my ego to get in the way of making that happen.

What are your immediate music goals?

After “Ascot”, I plan on releasing a few more singles this summer. Plus, I have a bigger project in the works, but I don’t want to reveal all the details just yet! I’ll also be moving back to my hometown of Los Angeles later this year, so I’m excited to continue my music journey there. 

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I can't wait for all these plans to be revealed!

As always, I want to thank Georgia for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview.

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. I would follow her on Instagram, and Spotify to make sure you don't miss a thing. 

Thanks, Georgia, and good luck reaching your goals!