CHAMELEON LIME WHOOPIE PIE is a unique solo act led by Chi-, known for her vibrant orange hair, and who is joined by her two other close companions, Whoopies No.1 and Whoopies No.2.
In 2021 the group was selected as one of the featured artists in “RADAR: Early Noise 2021” and since then, after releasing several tracks, they have gained an enthusiastic fan base, which extends not only within Japan but also across international borders.
The creativity of CHAMELEON LIME WHOOPIEPIE knows no limits. Their mix of eclectic sounds puts them at the forefront of the next generation of pop artists, pushing the boundaries of musical expression.
In this interview, they tell us about their new single “Chair”, its evolution, and future plans.
First off, please tell us what motivated Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie to start making music.
I (Chi-) wanted to do what I loved most for the remainder of my life, which was to make music. I created an original track and uploaded it online.
And how did Chi- meet the Whoopies and decide on forming Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie?
Two months after I started making music, Whoopies No.1 & Whoopies No.2 listened to my uploaded track and invited me to write with them. We got along immediately and started creating together. That’s when the career of Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie kicked off.
What is the story behind your band name “Chameleon Lime Woopiepie”?
Whoopies No.1 brought an American snack called “Choco Lime Whoopiepie” to our attention and said, “Isn’t the name cute?”. I then replaced “Choco” with “Chameleon”, since I love their way of living, and used this name. After a while, I tried looking up the snack and saw that it doesn’t exist… Is it even real?
Let’s talk about your new song, “Chair”. What was your inspiration and theme for this song?
I wanted to write a song like Zui Quan (Drunken Kung Fu). This song shows my idea of staying true to what I love, how I think, and where my heart belongs wherever I’m at, and whatever situation I’m in.
Can you please explain this one line in the lyrics, “Gateway for the slow and the unreasonable” (“noroma tada kikiwake warui yatsu no Gateway”)?
I tend to overthink too many things at once which ends up slowing my progress down. So this is my introduction. I, the unreasonable and the slow, will start my song now. This is the opening of the track.
In the song, you talk about wanting exposure to new things and making detours. Please give us more details on your emotions and experience regarding this.
Although we live in a time where we can easily look things up on the internet, I believe it is still important to not only gather information but to put yourself out there and experience it first-hand.
So for me, I went out and performed on the streets of Ginza in Tokyo where it’s not known for that, I sometimes rebel and sometimes follow the opinions I would get about my music, I just really think that experience is important so I wrote this thinking about living true to yourself and that it’s okay to make detours.
What is the meaning behind “Chair” being the symbol of this song?
It represents the importance of where my heart belongs, my thoughts and ideas, and my favorite things.
How do you think your process of making music evolved over the years since your first release “Dear Idiot” in 2019?
I started off writing music more for myself since I thought no one was listening, which then gradually changed into making it for the audience, but now I’m back to writing for myself.
The process of the three of us writing together hasn’t changed from the start, but what did evolve is how I now directly write lyrics to Whoopies No.1’s off-tune singing demos rather than having Whoopies No.2 retouch it before it gets sent to me.
Any musical influences or inspirations you have used in your music?
The three of us love the Beastie Boys. We like their geeky-cool looks and sound and get influenced by their vibes.
What messages and emotions would you like to tell the listeners and fans with “Chair”?
We live in a world surrounded by a variety of opinions and information, but it’s important to stay true to your own ideas, favorite things, and where your heart belongs. This is what I’ve been telling myself a lot lately.
CONNECT WITH CLWP:
