Interview Rachel Chinouriri: “I hope listeners feel a weight lifted off their shoulders”

Excavating trauma through the medium of indie-pop earworms, the London singer’s debut is set to be a multi-faceted, star-making turn.

Words: Hannah Mylrea
Photos: Lauren Harris
23rd February 2024

”There’s a therapeutic aspect to when I write songs,” says Rachel Chinouriri. “I feel like when this finally comes out, I’ll be able to let go of a lot of stuff personally.” The collection in question is the London singer-songwriter’s increasingly-anticipated debut album ‘What A Devastating Turn of Events’ - due out in May. A powerful and personal record, it lands as an honest examination of trauma and its lasting impacts, spun over a soundtrack of indie, alternative and pop.

The album is split in two, with the lighter tracks front-loaded. Chinouriri explains she intentionally built the tracklisting to “replicate what I felt when I was growing up as a kid”. “Life could be super normal, but you’re always anticipating something major to happen,” she continues, “whether it was traumatic, whether it was a fight, whether it was an argument. I was raised in an all-white neighbourhood, so whether it was a racism thing. I was always looking over my shoulder, anticipating something could happen, but it would always happen when I least expected it.” Chinouriri wants the album to convey “this false sense of security”, with listeners passing through the songs “then suddenly - boom. You’ve been hit with a very deep and dark song and then everything changes… That’s what I wanted to replicate with the sound.”

Involved in the production throughout, Chinouriri was joined by indie producer Rich Turvey (The Courteeners, Blossoms) who helped build “strong foundations” to each track. Other creative foils included recent IDLES collaborator Kenny Beats, who she worked with during a particularly testing trip to LA. “I remember walking into his studio, and he was like, ‘So, how are you finding LA?’ and I burst into tears. I was like, ‘I don’t want to be here’, and that’s probably one of the worst things you can say to Kenny Beats,” she recounts. “It’s not that I didn’t want to be with him, I was just having a tough time. But he was like, ‘No it’s OK’, and gave me all this great advice, which was so lovely.” Their session eventually led to the creation of ‘Dumb Bitch Juice’, a track about the “dumb decisions” made while dating.

Rachel Chinouriri talks her anticipated debut album 'What A Devastating Turn of Events'

“I feel like when this finally comes out, I’ll be able to let go of a lot of stuff personally.”

Throughout, Chinouriri’s distinct songwriting and lyricism shine, with lush sonics accompanying across the record. Recent single ‘Never Need Me’ - a track “about the moment you let someone you love go so you can both grow” - is an indie-pop earworm. Meanwhile, the beautiful ‘Robbed’ - a hugely moving track that tells the story of a family member who passed away when they were young - evokes early Bon Iver or Coldplay, the ebb and flow of the song’s dynamics effortlessly supporting her vocals.

Ultimately, ‘What A Devastating Turn of Events’ is a powerhouse of a debut; one that demonstrates Chinouriri’s impressive songwriting and is sure to elevate her rapidly-increasing star even further. Her hope, she explains, is for listeners “to feel a weight lifted off their shoulders, or feel like they understand me more as a person”. Which would actually be a very life-affirming turn of events, after all.

'What A Devastating Turn Of Events' is out on 3rd May via Parlophone Records.

Tags: Rachel Chinouriri, From The Magazine, Features, Interviews