Michelle Chamuel sat down for an exclusive edition of “A Conversation.” (Photo courtesy of The End Records)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
It is a true pleasure and honor to welcome singer-songwriter Michelle Chamuel to Jake’s Take.
Many hardcore music aficionados might recognize her from her time fronting the seven-piece Michigan rock band, Ella Riot. After spending nearly a decade touring the United States, the band dissolved and Michelle reinvented herself as a solo artist and released tracks under the moniker: The Reverb Junkie.
Once, she felt rejuvenated…Michelle took a chance and auditioned for the fourth season of a certain NBC hit show called The Voice. After impressing megastars Adam Levine, Shakira and Usher with cover of “I Kissed A Girl,” she chose the “U Got It Bad” singer as her coach and her journey took her to the season finale, where she placed second!
Now, Michelle has released a new single and is hard at work making final preparations for the release of her latest solo full-length studio album, Face the Fire, which will debut early in 2015! She will also start a fall tour, which will have stops in Detroit, New York City, Philadelphia, Nashville and San Francisco.
For this edition of A Conversation, Michelle talked about her time on The Voice, her songwriting and the upcoming Turn It Up Tour.
Jacob Elyachar: How have you grown as an artist since your time on “The Voice”?
Michelle Chamuel: I have found that new experiences will challenge each artist differently. For me, being on The Voice and the time since then has helped me establish my own sound as a solo artist and learn how to communicate my vision while working with other people. Secondly, by having my personality be publicly broadcast, it has given me the opportunity to incorporate that more into my art and connect in a new way with the wonderful people who listen to my music.
JE: What were some of your favorite memories from your time on the show?
MC: Man! I have so many good memories. Some of my favorites were not even on camera – like those really late night (or right before the live show) rehearsals where the music magically came together in the nick of time. Hanging out with cast and crew and just joking around.
Michelle Chamuel still implements a lot of the lessons her coach, Usher, taught her during her time on “The Voice,” (Photo property of NBC)
JE: What were the lessons that Usher taught you that you are implementing in the next chapter of your career?
MC: As far as what I learned from Usher, he really reinforced the importance of being true to myself. And though we do not get to see each other much with all of these crazy schedules, Usher and his team are long-term friends of mine who I am very grateful to know.
JE: If “The Voice” considers doing an All-Star season (a la “Survivor” & “Dancing with the Stars”), would you be interested in returning? Why or why not?
MC: Absolutely! That sounds like so much fun! It is like an extended family over there, and I would love to work with them again.
JE: Could you please share your songwriting process with my readers?
MC: This might take a while! Seriously though, it is a complex process that changes with each song. Some songs, I have woken up with the hook melody in my head and then fleshed out a song around it. Other songs start with my collaborators and we work together to finish the song with just ourselves and a guitar or piano. Though one of my most favorite ways to write is to have an instrumental track first – either written by someone else, or me – and then to figuratively pull the song out of it by listening to the story in the music. Writing like that can come together for me very quickly.
JE: Early next year, you will be releasing your latest studio album: “Face the Fire.” What were some of the challenges that you faced while recording this album? How did you overcome them?
MC: One of the major challenges for the album was getting through a couple of the songs that lost their way. One track that was particularly difficult was “Lottery” – it had a rock core with an electro chorus, euro-pop bridge, and an expansive orchestral sounding finish. And emotionally it was in a bunch of different places. The verses were too dark for the easy chorus, and though each section felt true, as a whole, it did not feel like an authentic statement.
My collaborators, Theo Katzman and Tyler Duncan, and I put in so many hours and kept feeling like we were running into a wall. I didn’t want to give up, but we had to give that song a rest. Looking back on it, perhaps the hardest part wasn’t finishing the song, but learning when to let go and come back to it later. I think this theme represents the biggest challenge for me both as an artist and as a person, for the album and beyond. It’s a great thing to practice though! And I am really proud of how “Lottery” and the album turned out.
Michelle Chamuel will kick off her “Turn It Up” tour in Detroit on November 10. (Photo property of Andrew Taylor)
JE: Next month, you will embark on the “Turn It Up” Tour! What can your fans expect from your shows?
MC: The unexpected, of course!!! Though to actually answer your question – they can expect a musical and fun experience. It is crazy to think that the fans have not heard the album yet, so I am really taking this in mind, and this tour will be really unique for me in that I’m introducing the audience to new music via live performance, rather than bringing a recording to life for a crowd that knows the recordings. It really makes this tour very special for me. Also, I may be playing the electric guitar…
JE: How has social media helped you connect with your fans?
MC: It has allowed me to update them in a real-time way about what’s happening, and allows in a way the same for them. I have learned more about my fans and frans (friend + fan) than I would have otherwise! The thing about social media though, is that when one person has many followers, the relationship is a bit off kilter. So you have thousands of followers and I am one of them, you can tell me that you are eating a burrito and I am likely to see this. At the same time, it would be harder for me to make sure you know I am eating a burrito. In that way, it is not fully balanced.
As someone who feels most comfortable when an exchange is equal, I try to keep this in mind, because though social media can help bring everyone together, it can shape the way people interact and obscure each other. Social media is such an incredible and powerful tool that I want to use consciously. I am still learning!
JE: If you had the chance to meet with aspiring singer-songwriters who want to enter the music industry, what advice would you share with them?
MC: That depends on what they wanted to accomplish! Though I think universally, it is important to learn how to take care of yourself and establish a healthy practice of being happy right now. I think it is really easy for people, especially in a competitive and goal oriented industry, to say: “I am unhappy now, but I will be happy and live healthy when… (I win a Grammy, I play my first sold out show at my favorite venue, I get a record deal, I make a million dollars, I get X number of fans, I buy a fancy car etc).” I think it is really important to practice living well now. Because the truth is, when you get things you wanted that you think will make you happy, you may have forgotten how to actually BE happy. Practice being happy and good to yourself! It may be easier said than done, but you cannot go wrong practicing that!
To learn more about Michelle, her new music and tour, visit her website: http://www.michellechamuel.com/main/
You can also connect with Michelle on her Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.
