Chela (born Chelsea Wheatley) is a Filipino-Australian singer and songwriter who has released a number of singles.[1]
Chela | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Chelsea Wheatley |
| Also known as | Chela |
| Born | Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia |
| Genres | Electropop, alternative |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, songwriter, record producer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, bass guitar, keyboard |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Labels | Kitsuné 2014-2017 Independent 2017-present |
| Website | https://www.chelaetc.com/ |
Biography
editOriginally from Fremantle, Western Australia, she relocated to Melbourne, Victoria with her family at the age of 15,[2] and currently resides in Los Angeles.[3]
Chela began producing music at age 12 on Logic software, and played bass guitar in punk bands throughout her teenage years.[4] She directs her own music videos, and writes and produces most of her own songs, as well as writes for other artists. In 2014 she teamed up with Styalz Fuego to write "Closure" for Owl Eyes, the first single off her debut album "Nightswim", which reached No. 28 in the Australian Albums Chart.
In 2015 Chela was formally recognised by Spotify via their Spotlight Artists.[5] Pulse Radio listed her as one of ten electronic crossover acts "to watch out for" in 2015,[6] and Bit Candy described her as recording "seriously catchy, stand-out music that sets her apart from the sea of electro-pop acts that have been popping up this year".[7]
Chela first gained international attention releasing singles "Romanticise" (featured in the trailer to Sleeping With Other People) and "Zero" on French taste-maker label Kitsuné. It was followed by the single "Plastic Gun".[8] She has also collaborated with several music groups, including Goldroom on his summer-anthem "Fifteen", Clubfeet on their highly-rotated single "Heartbreak",[2] and queer pop-punk cult hero Seth Bogart[9] on his debut self-titled solo album alongside Kathleen Hanna and Tavi Gevinson.[10]
On September 14, 2017, Chela returned with a new single "Bad Habit" by premiering the self-directed video on NPR.[11]
Chela collaborated with Gus Dapperton on the track "My Say So" from his 2020 album Orca. The only song on Dapperton's Orca which features another artist, Chela performs solos during the bridge and "guides the background vocals."[12]
References
edit- ^ "Chela | Beat Magazine". www.beat.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ a b Hanna, J. Electro Pop Singer Chela Takes Spotlight, The Sunday Times, 12 October 2013
- ^ "Learn to Dance Like Chela Right Now – Noisey". Noisey. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ "Punk to Pop: An Interview with Chela". wAsTe. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ Spotlight on 2015 – AU and NZ https://open.spotify.com/user/spotlight_au_nz/playlist/0LgaUJf6oQAphGFME7eX5D
- ^ "10 electronic crossover acts we are rating in 2015". pulseradio.net. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ Crider, E. http://www.bitcandy.com/music/new-artists-chela Bit Candy, 10 July 2014
- ^ "LACANVAS: LA's Cultural Authority: 21 QUESTIONS: MELBOURNE-BRED SINGER CHELA". lacanvas.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ Mcgarry, Kevin (7 March 2016). "A Queer Pop-Punk Cult Hero Strikes Out on His Own". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ "Seth Bogart: Seth Bogart | Album Reviews | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ "Chela - Bad Habit (Official Music Video)". youtube.com. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- ^ Staff, Ethan Waters | Senior (28 September 2020). "Gus Dapperton opens up on 'Orca'". The Daily Californian. Retrieved 27 March 2021.