Q&A: TECHNICLR
Auckland trio TECHNICLR are coming in hot with their smooth, silky vocals on their brand new debut single “Take It Or Leave It”.
The three ladies, Molly, Chelsea & Jess, tell us about the inspiration and concept of the track, their top inspirations in music, and the biggest lessons they’ve learnt over the process of writing & recording their own music.
How did you ladies meet and when did you start making music together?
We all attended Westlake Girls High School and were brought together by the music department! Westlake was a pretty interesting experience and was different for all of us, so being able to come together to jam, sing and have fun was a total blessing. We started singing covers and mashups together in senior school, for our music assessments and competed in Westlake’s Got Talent (yeehaw but only came second).
Where did the name TECHNICLR COME FROM?
TECHNICLR symbolises a celebration of diversity, art and love. Having similar values and a mutual love for music has brought us together despite our differing backgrounds. <3
Congrats on your new debut single “Take It Or Leave It” which we’ve got on repeat! Can you tell us a little bit about how this track was born and what inspired the concept of it?
Thank you! The song was originally written by Jess and vocally arranged by all of us. The song is about reaching that difficult spot in a relationship. Take it or leave it! :’( We had been performing it for about a year or so until we decided it was time to get in the studio. EDY is such a great producer to work with, he is so talented and made the process very fun. EDY helped us transform the song into something quite different which is the slappin’ track you’ve been listening to!
We’re in love with the chill pop/R&B vibe of the track! Will the upcoming tracks be a similar sound?
We are so glad you like it! Actually our next track will be quite different and much more acoustic. We are really looking forward to getting this next one out there. The three of us love a wide range of music and look forward to playing around with different vibes!
Can’t wait to hear it! Tell us a little bit about your writing process - do you have the same process for each song or is it different every time?
Our process changes from song to song! Sometimes one of us will bring forward some chords and a hook and we’ll write the rest together as a group. Other times one of us could have written an entire song and we just reharm it to suit everyone. Working with producers is always a different experience as well so sometimes it’s fun to go into a studio session with no ideas at all and see what magic happens.
Who are your biggest inspirations in music?
Erykah Badu is a huge inspiration for us. Her lyrics, her melodies, her percussion is always so well crafted and blended. It just makes you feel good, ya know? Along with artists such as Hiatus Kaiyote, Emily King, Allen Stone and Bruno Major, we really admire their ability to tell stories.
Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now? Are there any songs in particular that you love or connect with?
There are so many crazy talented artists in New Zealand right now, it's definitely an exciting time for the industry. Our favourite artists atm would have to be Paige, Diggy Dupé, Bailey Wiley, imugi 이무기, Matthew Young, Church & AP, alayna - and so many more! Atm we have all been bumping Paige’s new EP on repeat, she is such a storyteller its a true pleasure to sit and listen to her music.
What do you love most about living in New Zealand? Do you have any favourite places to travel to or local spots to visit?
It’s got to be the nature. It’s so easy to find inspiration when you're surrounded by such amazing scenery and it’s definitely something that grounds you. West Coast’s beaches are always great if you're looking for some headspace, otherwise you’ll find us wandering along Karangahape Road 90% of the time.
How was the lockdown for you? Were you all together, and what’s one of the biggest lessons you learnt during that time?
We spent lockdown apart, unfortunately. But we were all working on our songwriting during that period, so there’s lots to share! One of the biggest lessons we had learnt during lockdown was to check in on your loved ones as often as you can. It was an extremely unsettling situation for everyone (and hopefully it’s not kicking off again!) so it’s important to be able to be a pillar of support for each other. We take so much for granted and being in lockdown was a huge wake up call for us.
What are some of the main things you’ve learnt over the process of writing & recording your own music, and what advice do you have for new artists out there?
The biggest thing to remember when it comes to music is that it’s going to take time. From the writing process to getting it to that studio level - it takes time. You might sit on ideas for weeks, months even, before you find that you’re happy with what you’ve written. And that’s okay! You just gotta be patient with yourself. Another thing we’d stress is that it’s okay to feel anxious about your music. It’s such a personal expression and it can be pretty scary sharing something you’ve put so much effort into! But trust your talents and your skills. There’s so many people to learn from and so much room to grow. Being a musician is so powerful and inspiring. You got this!
What’s next for TECHNICLR?
Releasing more music and (fingers crossed) we get back to playing live gigs for you guys soon! Y’all gotta keep watching this space to find out!
We will be! Keep up with TECHNICLR on Instagram (@techniclr_), Facebook, Spotify & Apple Music!
