'Motormouth' dropped into the airwaves on Friday 15 November
We hate to go back to THAT time, but here we go. Lockdown has us encased in our homes for months on end, a dry fabric rectangle hangs from our ears masking our face, the enemy is the closest person to you in the supermarket as the invisible virus spreads across the globe.
Here to stay all of these years later, our attitudes towards the catching of Covid have dramatically changed, but as we reset to the new normal ditching the masks and returning to work, one prominent feature of the lockdown period has remained for some – the social anxiety.
This reigns true for Melbourne-based, Bellarine Peninsula-raised music maker Chitra.
Keep up with the latest music news, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
“It was after lockdown and I was feeling so much social anxiety. It was something I’ve always felt but naturally it got progressively worse after lockdown. It got to the point where I was casually telling my friends I’d get so anxious I would sit in my car for 30 + minutes before going into the supermarket to kind of build myself up to do it. And their reaction made me think , ‘Okay, it’s bad’.”
Unpacking the tight confines of these anxious ropes, Chitra did what every good musician does and filtered it into lyrics, building her first single of 2024 from the experience.
Titled ‘Motormouth’, the tune covers the confronting feelings but packages it into a silky, soulful anthem with pastel pop swirls and driving drum drama. Taking cues from Stella Donnelly, Joy Crookes, and Cate LeBon, Chitra’s diaristic storytelling drags you into her dilemma willingly.
Not just pertaining to lockdown, the single encompasses the overbearing weight that social anxiety put on its victims, whether its standing at a house party and not knowing what to say or do, or before the fact with trying to rev yourself to leave the house. The honest account speaks to the overall experience of suffering from the tight binds of the anxious mind.
‘Motormouth’ is cowritten by Lewis Coleman (Cactus Channel) and set to feature on her upcoming debut album, with production carried by John Castle. Together the contributions capture the body bobbing along with the sonic ebbs and flows, symbolic of the cortisol and adrenaline that comes with an anxiety response.
‘Motormouth’ is set to become a standout in her live shows, with Chitra joining the Let It Rip fundraiser fun next month for Ocean Mind. Chitra has previously won over crowds at Queenscliff Music Festival, supported Lisa Mitchell, Vacations and Jaguar Jones, and built a dedicated local following. With the new album underway, Chitra is yet again ready to latch onto listeners. The forthcoming album sees her dive further into the personal yet relatable trials and tribulations of life. John Castle (Cub Sport, Hatchie, Angie McMahon) is also driving the production of the album.
‘Motormouth’ is out now and available to stream. You can give it a listen here, and keep up to date with all things Chitra here.
