Pop-Culturalist.com

Lorine Chia is a quadruple threat making a name for herself in the industry. She grew up surrounded by the craft, as her father was an aspiring musician. While he may not have been able to fulfill his dreams. Lorine is more than happy to do it for the both of them. She’s also showing fellow independent artists that it’s possible to have a career in music that prospers. In September, she dropped Sweet Noise, one of the best and most honest albums of 2019. Pop Culturalist caught up with Lorine to chat about Sweet Noise and her career.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Lorine: I discovered my passion for music around the age of fifteen. My dad is a musician. I’ve always looked up to him and how dope he is. He had guitars all over the house. He was always at work, so he couldn’t really teach me. One day, I decided I was going to pick it up and try it out. I had to do a performance at my high school, and I was bragging like, “Yeah, I can play guitar.” My teacher put me to the test and was like, “How about you come play something for a poetry slam?” I literally taught myself a song in a week. That’s when I realized that I loved this. Then I decided to write my own songs, and by nineteen, I released my first album.

PC: You write, sing, produce, and rap. Is there one that you gravitate towards?
Lorine: Singing and writing are my first loves. Those two go hand in hand. I just love to tell stories, and it’s the best way for me to express myself because I’m such an introvert, and sometimes I don’t know the right things to say. But when I can write some stuff down and sing it, it’s perfect.

PC: Who or what would you say has had the biggest influence on your career?
Lorine: I would definitely say my father. He always wanted to be a musician, but he had to pay the bills, had to work. And coming from an African household, everyone’s like, “You need to be in the health field, you need to be in the medical field, you need to do pharmacy”—all that stuff. So he went ahead and took the traditional route and became a pharmacist. I told him, “How about I be the musician, since you couldn’t?” He’s super proud and happy with everything that I’m doing, and I’m grateful for having a father like that in my life.

PC: How challenging was the move to L.A.?
Lorine: Los Angeles is crazy. You have to find a place to live, but every place is so freaking expensive. I’m super grateful for the friends that I do have because my homegirl, she let me stay on her couch until I got everything together. She was my rock. It was really amazing to have a great support system when I moved to California, but the challenges were finding a job, finding a way to meet new artists, creating music, finding studios, getting money to create your music, and then finding your own place, where you can call your safe haven. I was able to accomplish all those things in three years, which I’m super grateful for.

PC: When you look back at those three years, is there a particular moment that sticks out?
Lorine: Yes, yes, yes, yes! I remember this one night I went to the studio, and this was the first time I got my first major feature on my own record. The song was “Two Blunts” with The Game and Wiz Khalifa. That night, I remember I took my homegirl to the studio because The Game hit me up and he was like, “Do you want to come into the studio?” I was like, “Yes, of course.” It was the day before 420 as well, and I’m like, let’s see if I can get him on this record. I went and asked, “Can I play you this record?” He was like, “Oh, yeah! I’m getting on it right now.” He went in and laid a verse. He sent it to Wiz, and Wiz laid a verse at night. We were able to put it out the next day. It was all over the radio, and I was like, “Wow! Dreams do come true, literally overnight.” [laughs]

PC: That’s awesome! You just released your new album, Sweet Noise. What inspired that collection of songs?
Lorine: My whole upbringing, my life, and the fact that I’m so independent today. I wanted to put a collective for independent artists to see that you can make good music and it can prosper. You can do it the way you want to do it without everyone’s input. It took me three years to go ahead and put together that album as a whole because it has a lot to do with all my experiences from being homeless and learning how to love myself. I found self-love in those three years. I figured out who I was in those three years. Even through my loneliness, I learned how to maneuver and move forward with my life in the most positive way. I wanted to reflect that through my music to relate to people and show people that you don’t have to be negative, you don’t have to be in a negative state, don’t have to be depressed all the time, you don’t have to be down all the time. You too can make everything you wanted come true. You are a star.

PC: If you had to pick one song off Sweet Noise that best encompasses you as an artist, what would it be and why?
Lorine: That’s hard! I would say “You’re a Star.” I feel like my vocals were top tier that day. Everything was great melody-wise. The production really shows who I am. It has that hip hop flair to it. It has the soulful keys in it. It has my jazzy, raspy voice on it. I’m literally just being positive and telling the world, “You’re a star!” That’s my whole entire message. That’s what Sweet Noise is about.

PC: What does the rest of the year hold for you as we look ahead to the end of 2019 into 2020?
Lorine: I’m taking lots and lots of vacation! [laughs] That’s for sure. I’m going to use this peaceful time to rest and then create music from that. I think after telling the world all my struggles and how to overcome them, I also want to show people to relax, how to calm down, and the importance of self-care.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Lorine: Scary Kids Scaring Kids

PC: First album you bought?
Lorine: It was definitely a Kirk Franklin CD. I grew up listening to gospel. My parents wouldn’t let us listen to anything else. But outside of gospel, I think Late Registration was the first album that I bought because Kanye is the man. He had a great influence on my music career. It was Kanye, Coldplay, Santigold, M.I.A., John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae, and N.E.R.D.

PC: First concert you attended?
Lorine: It was a school concert, but the first concert that I was really lively about was Coldplay. I think it was a year ago in California.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Lorine: Seeing Sounds by N.E.R.D. It’s such a positive album. I feel like they embodied everything that I was feeling at the moment. I think I was fifteen or sixteen when it came out. They didn’t just use beats, they produced records with instrumentals. They had keys, drums, guitar—everything.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Lorine: The Rose Bowl

PC: A must-have on the road?
Lorine: Water!

PC: Someone you’d like to collaborate with?
Lorine: Coldplay

To keep up with Lorine, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Pick up or stream Sweet Noise on Amazon Music, iTunes, or Spotify.