Ones2Watch Home

South London-born Loren Chanel has spent the past few years navigating the highs and lows of her artistry, finding her true voice through vulnerability and self-reflection. First emerging in 2022 with a series of confident alt-R&B hits like "Playlist" and "Rollin'," Loren quickly gained support from BBC 1Xtra, Vice, and Clash, while BBC Radio 1 named her Future Wave Artist of the Month. By 2023, she had earned a nomination at the ARIA Awards and toured with notable acts like Masego and Sudan Archives, yet it was the time spent in the studio working on her EP BETWEEN2WORLDS that truly marked her growth as both an artist and a person.

_________________________________________________________________________ 

Ones To Watch: What made you want to pursue music?

I've always wanted to do music as a kid and I think what made me pursue it was that I realised this was the only form of art that I liked to push myself in. I wanted to be a dancer, but then realised that was physically too hard, then I wanted to be an actor but then I was that emotionally draining. I like to push myself creatively through music. 

Do you usually feel fulfilled with music?

It’s very fulfilling. It also challenges me in ways I don't think it would challenge me, especially with songwriting, because you have to be vulnerable and I don't really like being vulnerable. Putting yourself out there for people to judge you, it’s a sense of personal growth. It shows me a lot of things that I'm scared of. 

That’s interesting! Usually people write about their personal experiences, is that what you intend to do in yours?

I write about my personal experiences. I think that's the most authentic way. Whenever I try to do something else, it just never sticks. Even though it's the best way, it's the hardest way. 

Yeah, not a lot of nice people out there, especially people that feel like they know what music is. It's. There’s so many rules as well. You have to try and make it commercial enough so you can eat off your music, but then you don't want to sell out. There's this dance you have to play with, staying true to yourself, but also knowing you have to compromise a little bit. 

How do you overcome that?

I think my best way of creating is when it subconsciously comes to me. It's a bit hard because you can't be waiting on a blue moon 24/7 and so sometimes it's also just being in the studio, even if you don't want to go to the studio and like making something because I realise that's what kind of creates the ripple effect. Also working with people that can bring out certain parts of you. I feel like there's some songs I've written that I don't think I would have written by myself, so it's just all about trusting people who see what you don't see and then also trusting yourself. 

You were born in London. How does that multicultural background influence your upbringing?

It really influenced me, but it also hindered me. I know that if I still stayed in London, I still would be doing music, but would I be making the music I'm making today? Probably not.

I do feel like I needed to be out of that world to see myself as an observer and be around different cultures and different people. I do feel like when I first moved to Australia, EDM music was really popular and because most producers were making EDM music. I had to compromise that, but then I realised I liked mixing those sounds with R&B. I do feel like it was the time, the place and the environment I was in, which made me realise that I don't have to fit a certain box that I thought I had to be in because I grew up in London.

When you’re songwriting, do you look more at your vision or the energy?

I'm very energetic and sometimes I think that's the hardest because if the energy isn't there then I can't create. Sometimes I wish I could do vision, but when I think about the vision, I’m overthinking, and so sometimes it's just like I have to be in a meditative state where I'm not really thinking about how I'm feeling and it just happens. I might be reflecting on something. I will interpret what energy I think it's telling me and then I write towards that. I'm very artsy. I didn't realise how artistic I was. The mood has to be right and the aroma has to smell good and like the lighting has to be good, or sometimes I'll be just walking down the street and I can come up with an idea. 

I do write songs in the shadows too. I just have to be distracted. That's still another thing I might come up with an idea of. Figure out what the energy is, and then I actually have to distract myself to create. I'm very introverted. I have to be by myself. So I mainly write in my bedroom by myself. I don't really like the studio. That sounds so cliche, but I don't like it.