Singers, solo and acoustic artists in Leicester

Singer of the month August 2010

Chezza

Having seen a lot of hype about Chezza recently, I thought it was time I went to meet the man himself. So I met up with him at the rehearsal studios in Western Road. I found a chatty, self-confident guy who was down to earth and approachable and without some of the swagger and attitude you can sometimes get from up and coming young stars.

Artsin: So, who are you and how did you get involved in the music business?

Chezza: My name's James Cherry but my stage name is Chezza. I was born and bred in Leicestershire and I started writing songs when I was 14 but my first public performance was at the Shed when I was 15.

That was about two and a half years ago. When I started I was doing underground stuff like hip-hop and grime. But then I got into indie rock and I came into my own. I started by following other people and doing indie covers.

Artsin: So what got you into music in the first place?

Chezza: I had a great interest in poetry when I was at school; I wanted to make words flow into the songs. Music was a way of releasing emotion ... of expressing things ... it gets everything out.

Artsin: Do you write the lyrics down, do you memorise them, how do you work it?

Chezza: It works in different ways like ... I could be feeling like, like crap - you know - and then be on the bus on the way into town and something will come into my head and I have to put it on my phone. If I don't get it down it's gone. Then I sit up to like silly o'clock. I sit up to 4 in the morning when it's all quiet and get it all sorted out

Artsin: What do you want to achieve? Whats your ambition?

Chezza: I want to make people happy. I know that sounds cliched but I'm not bothered ... If I get any money from music it will go back into music so I can progress further. It's not about money ... i dunno ...I'm not that bothered, to be honest. If I'm making good music, that makes me happy, that is all that matters to me. If I make a good song and I like it, that's all that matters to me.

Artsin: If you got really big, could you handle it?

Chezza: I think so, yea, I'm level minded. I think I have enough respect for everyone ... to appreciate fame. I am the sort of person that ... if I was rich and famous ... I would get involved in charities, stuff like that. That's more impoprtant than going out and spending £400 ... on a new coat or something.

Artsin: If you were asked to perform at a charity gig for free to raise money, would you do that?

Chezza: Definitely. I've got a performance at the SoundHouse for a charity gig. She offered to pay me but I said "no, all the money can go to charity".

[Chezza is appearing at the Action Aid - Bollocks to Poverty gig at the SoundHouse on Friday 12th November]

Artsin: Which gig are you most looking forward to most over the new few months?

Chezza: Example. Definitely. I have been listening to Example since he started and he has been a big inpsiration to me.

[Chezza is supporting Example at the Strawberry Fields Festival on 28th August.]

Artsin: What message would you most like to give to your fans?

Chezza: Just keep listening, don't stop ... you, me, the music industry - we all need you. Without you [the fans] we can't progress. We need you. We need your support to grow.

You can hear some of Chezza's songs on his MySpace page.

Chezza is supporting Example at the Strawberry Fields Festival on 28th August.

Previous singers of the month: Dan White (Sep), Dave Voss (Oct), Lisa De'Ville (Nov), Joe Morrell, JJ Manning, Paula Driver (july 09). Nick Thornton, Joel Owen, Danny Doney

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