Chandra is a bold up-and-comer who has been releasing uplifting and intimate music since 2020. The Bristol-based artist champions self-belief and confidence building, as well as struggles with mental health in his from the heart songwriting style. First influenced by his parents taste in music, the artist went on to dive into the likes of Suede, Blur, Oasis and Radiohead, with the last bit of inspiration coming from REM’s 1995 Monster Tour at Milton Keynes Bowl. The artist adds that “from then on I knew that all I wanted to do was perform my own songs live to thousands of people.”
His latest single is ‘Pretty’ a feel-good anthem that is rooted in all the things Chandra’s music stands for. A punky grit is laced onto a self-love ballad, with dynamic distorted guitar and electrifying drums adding boundless energy to the track. Vocally, Chandra shows off a deep connection with the track, with a singing style that will have you chanting alongside him. Lyrically, the song is inspirational, invoking you to be proud of yourself, the way you look, your goals and your achievements.
Chandra shares, “We should all strive to create a world where we can simply be ourselves without prejudice. For me this stems all the way back to being a mixed race kid in school, being called racist slurs on a daily basis, through to being a teenager in a band, wearing eyeliner and having colour in my spiky hair (I felt like Camden Town was the only place in the country I didn’t get stared at in disgust). Certainly my particular experience shows that we’ve progressed but we’ve still got a very long way to go. It’s not about accepting any one particular ‘thing’ (be that spiky hair, a disability or how you identify); it’s about challenging yourself to be more accepting of anything at all that you don’t find ‘pretty’ and that you deem to be ‘different’… even if you find it uncomfortable. Otherwise we’ll never grow as a society.”
