Chappell Roan

With a sound and style that’s uniquely her own, we recommend having Chappell Roan at the top of all your favorite playlists. We talked to the songstress about her creative process, latest release and more!

words by VANESSA SALLES photo by LISSYELLE LARICCHIA

Tell us about your single “Pink Pony Club” – what’s the story behind the track?

I went to a gay bar called The Abbey in West Hollywood and was completely changed by the entire experience. I was enthralled by the go-go dancers and thought about how amazing it would be to be one, so I wrote a song about it. The pink pony part was inspired by a strip club that was painted hot pink in my hometown.

Any memorable behind-the-scenes moments while writing/recording it?

I co-wrote this song with Dan Nigro and we finished it in two days, which is very rare for me. It usually takes weeks or even months to finish a song. I didn’t want anyone to look at me while I recorded because I was super embarrassed. I had never vocally performed a song like this before and I had to go back to my middle school theater days to perform it like a pink pony girl.

What has the reaction been like so far from listeners?

So far I’ve seen it bring a lot of joy to people in this strange time, which is really all I ever wanted this song to do. I think people are quite surprised that this was my “comeback” because it’s so different from my previous work. I’m overwhelmed with how well the response has been.

What your creative process usually like?

My creative process is like that one kid in dodgeball who takes it way too far and starts injuring people. What I mean by that is that my mind shoots me 24/7 with ideas and I constantly dodge or hide from them because I’m scared to try to flesh them out, or I just think they’re bad ideas. But, every once in awhile, I get the courage to sit down and try to catch an idea and nurture it, and most of the time I really like it.

How would you describe your personal sound/musical evolution so far?

My musical evolution truly grew with me. Before Pink Pony Club, almost everything released was written when I was in high school. It was intense and angry and sad. Now that I moved away to LA and started my life on my own, it feels like the next level. It’s like a new part of myself burst open once I started struggling in such a large city, and started crawling around trying to find out who I am. It’s brought loads of new content.

During these unprecedented times, how are you dealing with staying sane at home?

I was very scared at first. I was having deep anxiety and couldn’t sleep well. Once I stopped obsessively reading the news, I started having a swell time. I like not having the pressure of needing to “get out” and reluctantly agree to “grab coffee sometime”. I miss my family a lot and sometimes I wish I could smell the honeysuckle in Missouri. My dad is kindly sending me some rollerblades so I can go outside AND have fun, so I’m waiting for those. I’ve been reading and working on my demos with my tiny studio in the corner of my living room.

Any special message for fans?

I am so so grateful for all the love I have received from Pink Pony Club. It was terrifying to leap into the unknown with the song, but each one of my listeners caught me, and I can finally feel like myself.