Photo: Sal Pavia
“My favorite childhood memory? To be honest, I remember being a little girl and my mom was dancing with me to The Bodyguard soundtrack in the basement of our apartment on 15th Avenue.”
With moments like that, how could Brooklyn’s Chetti not grow up to be an artist?
“My mom has influenced me in such a big way. She was a singer and she just flooded my ears with the greats. It was such a blessing to have her be such a big influence on who I am today as an artist.”
Chetti’s latest single, “Home,” is a heartfelt homage to that special time and place in life that forever defines and grounds us. Her gentle melody evokes pleasant memories of that childhood haven where everything is and will always be alright. The hypnotic track swirls softly behind her elegant vocals and Chetti makes you feel something deep, personal, unfathomably powerful, and real. It’s that feeling you get when someone slips through your defenses and touches your heart.
Photo: Lester Platt
“My goal for this song was for it to come back to this place of comfort and nostalgia,” she told Entertaining Options. “For me, that meant being quiet and taking a moment to really appreciate what’s around you. I really wanted to reflect on that and tell my parents I love them, tell my family I love them, and tell my friends I love them so much all the time. This song is about taking a step out of where I am and taking a look at the things that have made me who I am.”
When Chetti makes a friend, it’s for life. She’s still close to the people she grew up with in Brooklyn.
“All of my most beautiful memories are from there. Everyone knew who you were, everyone knew who your parents were, and everyone was so ready to just give you a hug and a kiss… Or to feed you! There was just that sense of community that made me so warm and happy.”
Photo: Sal Pavia
The inspiration for “Home” came when Chetti was working in LA — about as far from Brooklyn as she could possibly get without leaving the country.
“I was in California and I had been working like crazy, writing with different people, and I really started to miss my family,” she recalled. “I love my family and I love my friends so much and I am so very lucky because I have them with me all the time, whether I’m just around the corner or I’m a million miles away. But for some reason, I was just really missing everyone. Don’t get me wrong, I love LA for all the opportunities that it has presented me, for the people I have worked with — and the weather is amazing — but I am and will always be a New York girl at heart.”
Photo: Kane Ngyuen
Initially, the lyrics were very specific, but Chetti crafted the song in a way that allowed each person to be able to connect with the sentiment in their own unique way. Whether it is a person, a place, a feeling, a memory, or something else, whatever home is for you, Chetti found a way to express that eloquently in her song.
“When I wrote ‘Home,’ I was missing the people who made me feel whole,” she concluded. “Life is going to throw you major curveballs. You are going to have amazing times and you are going to have times when you are you at your lowest. But, you know what? At the end of your day, if you have people in your life who are going to pick you up and make you feel special and loved and give you their support, then you are truly the luckiest person in the whole world!”
Chetti will be playing a special all-ages acoustic show at New York’s famed and acclaimed venue, The Bitter End.
Chetti: website • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter
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