Interview: Chanel Yates

Chanel Yates: “Don’t overthink things, and be yourself”

Carving her own path in a genre that isn’t traditionally associated with British artists, proving that country knows no borders

Chanel Yates is a British artist who may have started her music career in pop, but found her true voice in country music. Inspired by the likes of Kacey Musgraves and Kelsea Ballerini, she has mastered the art of country-pop songwriting, with catchy melodies and fun, yet genuine, lyrics. Latest single, Big Girl Boots gives fans a track that was designed to sound like a “big sister” pep talk. 

Yates’ journey into country music might not have been conventional. However, after working with producers in Canada and expanding her reach to the US, she leaned fully into the genre, releasing music that she says feels more authentic to her than ever. Now, ahead of a two-week songwriting trip to Nashville and fresh off the release of Big Girl Boots, Yates is embracing her unique sound and growing international audience.

We caught up with her to talk about her songwriting process, dream collaborations, and her relationship with social media as an independent artist…

5 minutes with… Kelsea Ballerini

First of all, can you tell me about how you got started in music?

“My voice was my first instrument because my dad basically said, ‘You need to learn a language or an instrument,’ and I think I just chose my instrument.  From there, I started trying to find my sound and figure out where I fit and where my songwriting really resonated with people. It wasn’t until I found country music – and country music found me – that I was able to express exactly how I feel and write the more relatable songs that people love, such as Friend From Work.”

How did you get into country music, especially being in the UK? 

“It was from my experiences and what’s going on in my life and my friends’ lives. I used to be on the bus or taking a train somewhere, listening to conversations, writing notes in my phone, all these different things. So, I thought, ‘Oh, where does my sound fall? Probably pop, right?’ So I released some fun pop songs, and they were for me, but I felt like I was making music for other people rather than something that truly felt natural and authentic to myself. I did some really cool songs, like Summer Of 16 and Rewind The Credits. Then I ended up working with the producers Ruff and dreamr. in Canada and that expanded my audience a little bit to the American side of things.

“I went through a breakup, as we all do, and I found inspiration within that. I stripped everything back and said, ‘I want this next era of music to feel truly like me. What do I love?’ And it’s country music. I’ve always listened to country music: Kacey Musgraves and Kelsea Ballerini. There are just so many iconic country women.

“I’ve always dressed really boho and fun. I love the beach and I guess that’s all part of my obsession with America. I think it found me at a time when I needed it. It was like, ‘You can actually make this even though you’re from the UK. You can make country music.’ And it has been the best decision ever because I’m making the music that I truly resonate with and love the most at this time. It’s super exciting and I feel like I’ve found my little audience.”

What can you tell me about your songwriting process for Big Girl Boots? 

“Big Girl Boots is one of my favourite songs I’ve written. I have so many songs I’ve written that haven’t been released yet, but Big Girl Boots came at such a random time. I joined the Platoon Sessions. Basically, I released Studio Apartment and contacted Platoon because a couple of my friends there had recommended I reach out. Turns out they were doing country sessions for UK artists, and I was like, ‘Yeah, count me in, let’s do it!’

“So, we all went into a room together – there were sessions over a couple of weeks, loads of different songwriters in loads of different rooms. There were probably five of us at one time, which gets chaotic as everyone’s like, ‘I have an idea! I have an idea! And you’re like, ‘Wait – whose idea are we gonna choose?’

“I ended up in a writing room with Mikey Gormley and he is an incredible songwriter. There were more of us, but then we broke off into two little groups, and I was like, ‘Mikey, come with me, let’s go.’ So we went into the room and something I said in the room was, ‘Let’s go put on our big boy pants and go.’ And Mikey looked at me and went, ‘Wait a minute… what if it’s Big Girl Boots? Hear me out.’ It was goosebumps. I was like, ‘This is the song. We have to write this now. Then we got on the guitar and just started ripping into it. A part of me thought this could be a breakup song. But then I thought it doesn’t have to be.’

How do you hope people feel when listening to it?

“During the process we were so hyped. It was more like, ‘Let’s put on our big girl boots and do that really scary thing.’ You want to start a new job? Put on your big girl boots and do it. You don’t have to put on your big boy pants, no. We’re the girlies and we want to put on our big girl boots. And it was how do I keep this pop and country and a whole mix of everything that people will want to sing it at a show or in the comments section? Let’s just make it a safe and an exciting space.

“This is my hype anthem. I never had a big sister; I have little sisters. So, I was always the one people looked up to traditionally, but I wanted someone to tell me, ‘You got this.’ So, Big Girl Boots is my big sister for people to go ‘Yeah, I can do this.’

Chanel Yates: “My thought process is not, ‘This might go crazy on socials,’ it’s more like, ‘I want a song that people resonate with’”

Does managing your social media impact your songwriting? Do you think about making something catchy or viral?  

“My job heavily revolves around social media and creating hype around the song. My thought process is not, ‘This might go crazy on socials,’ it’s more like, ‘I want a song that people resonate with.’ If they resonate with it and if they love it, it will have a place on social media.

“At the end of the day, if TikTok or Instagram went down, I want to create something transitional that is not just quick. I want people to really love this music, love it as much as I do, and have it help them through different stages of life. That’s where I feel like it fits and not just about a two-second TikTok hook. Of course, social media is important and you want that viral moment to make people care about it, but I think, ultimately, people will care if it’s a fun song and relatable. I try to keep it as authentic as possible and I only write about things I’ve been through and I can relate to. I find it difficult to write about things that I know nothing about.”

Do you ever find it hard to write personal songs and put them out for the world to hear?  

“It’s vulnerable for sure. Studio Apartment was the most vulnerable song and the funny thing about that was I wrote the chorus of it while I was in the relationship. I wrote, ‘She gets the roses,’ because I was already like, ‘I’m done.’ It was actually probably a terrible thing for that to happen while I was in it, but sometimes inspiration hits when you don’t even know it.”

Is there any dream collaboration, whether it be an artist or a songwriter, that you would love to have happen one day? 

“I would really love to write with the songwriter Jessie Jo Dillon. She’s amazing and she’s so cool and talented in terms of lyrics. It would be an honour to write with her. I’ve also always wanted to write with Jon Bellion; it’s not super country, but I think we could make a country banger. And a duet with Riley Green, why not? It would be so fun. Honestly, there are loads of songwriters and artists in Nashville I would love to write with.”

Do you have any upcoming plans to go to Nashville? 

“I do, in May for two weeks. It’s a writing trip, and hopefully I can get some little shows.”

What’s the biggest lesson you learned in songwriting? 

“My biggest lesson is just to be myself. Being now in a place where I’m super happy with what I’m creating, I think I stressed about it for too long. When I stripped it all back, I got to country music. Don’t overthink things, and be yourself. As soon as I started doing that, people related to it more. People can see bullshit from a mile away.”

Big Girl Boots by Chanel Yates is out now. To find out more, head to chanelyates.com

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