Q: We can’t get enough of your R&B inspired harmonies on “Shelter”. Walk us through your writing and production process in making this track.
DEREK (of Chain Of Islands): It started with a voice memo on Nick’s phone and grew from there. We had experimented with a couple of different aesthetics for the song and ended up on this kind of retro film/TV vibe that we were pretty stoked on. From there we took it to our friend Chris Piquette at No Boundaries Studios in RI who enhanced our vision and made the song what you hear now.
Q: Where do you draw inspiration from when creating music and what’s your favorite part about the process?
DEREK (of Chain Of Islands): When creating we both pull inspiration from our past or present experiences, whether it was something to grow from or be inspired by, and try to create a relatable experience/piece of music for the listener that’s still true to the message of the song.
Q: How did the two of you meet and end up forming Chain of Islands? What inspired the name?
DEREK (of Chain Of Islands): The two of us had played in separate/heavier bands in the past. Nick had asked me to fill in for a tour for his band at the time and we kept in touch after. Chain Of Islands was an idea/project I started and ended up shelving around 10 years ago and when I decided to revisit the idea I approached Nick about being apart of it.
The band name randomly came to me at 3 am when I was watching an infomercial on some food cooker. I don’t remember what I heard that triggered the thought “Chain Of Islands” but that’s the story.
Ultimately the idea behind the name Chain Of Islands is building positive change with strength in numbers. Us as individuals (Islands) coming together to create a bigger and/or better place for the people within our communities (the chain)
Q: Describe your sound in 3 words
DEREK (of Chain Of Islands): The three words we choose to describe our sound is “We don’t know.”
Q: What musicians would you absolutely love to work with in the future?
DEREK (of Chain Of Islands): Sza, The Neighborhood, Frank Ocean, Isaiah Rashad, Blink 182, Fall Out Boy.
Q: What projects are currently in the works for you?
DEREK (of Chain Of Islands): We’re about to shoot a video for Shelter and after that we have a few poppier/upbeat songs in the works.
Interviewed by Brynn Hinnant
