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Interview: @SitheMbuli Aims To Put A Smile On Your Face With His Feel-Good Sound

By @SeptemberEleven on 03/02/2023 in Interview

With sprinkles of Bob Marley and Chance The Rapper vocally, Rudy Chalmers is a breath of fresh air. The Joburg-based artist blends dope rapping with fly melodies over a rich soundscape that uses a lot of live instrumentation alongside electronic elements resulting in a feel-good sound. Rudy plays the guitar and he showcased his colourful sound on his soulful 2021 mixtape ‘Fear & Fantasies’. 

Rudy’s new single, ‘Picture Frame’, takes off where the mixtape left off as he sings about a love interest over a soulful funky beat that sounds rich and makes you want to watch a live performance of his.  

In the interview below, Rudy Chalmers discusses his new single, his unique sound and more. 

How did  your new single, ‘Picture Frame’, come about? 

It began with my guitar chord progression. I took that to a longtime collaborator of mine and bass player in my band, producer Baby Nova. We then tried to lock into the same live feel that we cultivated during our live shows in Cape Town and Johannesburg at the Old Biscuit Mill, Good Morning, Selective Live and Great Dane. Putting the live band feel onto my next project was one of my main goals and I think Lesedi (Baby Nova) achieved that on this record. 

How was your 2021 mixtape, ‘Fears & Fantasies’, received?

I felt my 2021 mixtape was received very well by my initial core group of listeners and the many ears I was able to reach through live performances in Cape Town and Johannesburg. I was also able to connect with many musicians in the industry that had found out about me because of the project which was very encouraging and quite a proud feeling for me.  

You have a unique style which has a lot of melodies and you also play the guitar. Can you break down how you developed your style and your sound? Who/what are your influences? 

I’ve been developing my style for as long as I can remember, and I feel it is still developing everyday, but the main goal is to make it more cohesive. I’m inspired by so many different musicians, but the umbrella of soul music is probably what inspires me the most. Soulful R&B, Soulful Funk, alternative music with soul elements all inspire me hugely. Artists like Quincy Jones during the 70s/80s, The Weeknd, Daft Punk and Tom Misch. Quite a diverse list. 

You mentioned you are going to be doing a lot of singing in your next project which can also be heard on your new single ‘Picture Frame’. Why that direction? 

I think because it scares me more. I feel very secure in my rapping ability and can lean on it to get a song to go where I want it to. I think signing makes me more vulnerable, almost like I’m swimming in the deep end, which I quite like. I think the best thing about making music is being able to push yourself creatively and that’s something I always want to do. I do plan on creating more music that is predominantly rap-based but I wanted to give my singing voice a chance to grow and shine. 

What can you tell us about the upcoming project? 

It’s very soulful and very funky, also some Bossa Nova influence and overall very playful and bright. I feel I will always try and make bright music, music that can put a smile on people’s faces. 

Listen to ‘Picture Frame’ below:

 

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