[Ja Ja Ja Berlin] An interview with Chinah

In connection to their perfomance at Ja Ja Ja Club Night in Berlin MXD’s reporter, Annett Bonkowski, had a talk with Chinah – i.e. Fine Glindvad (vocals), Simon Kjær (guitar) and Simon Andersson (keys).

Af Annett Bonkowski

Tonight is the third time you are performing at one of the Ja Ja Ja club nights. What has been your overall experience with it like so far?

Fine: It’s fun, but it can also be a bit hard because it is a showcase and of course there are always people from the music industry present who are looking at you in a very observing way.

Simon A.: Then again, the audience was so responsive when we played in London. We didn’t expect them to participate so much. I’m always surprised how many people are showing up to see us playing.

Simon K.: It’s great that music fans mix with business people at these events. It gives it a more relaxed and interesting vibe. People come to the Ja Ja Ja club night because they are interested in new music. It feels like it’s more about the music and not the business which is nice.

You are still at a very early stage in your career. Can you describe the special bond between the three of you?

Simon A.: We disagree quite a lot, but in some weird way the end product is something we can all agree on, although I’m not sure how we get there most of the time. We have three different perceptions of everything.

Simon K.: We usually get the best out of us by disagreeing in the first place I think. Because of that, we go into different directions. It can be tough and a long process, but at the same time we get something special out of it.

Do you feel well-prepared for what is coming up for you post the first blogosphere-buzz?

Simon K.: We just finished our first EP. Right now it’s being mastered. I’m glad we have a full EP coming up, but I don’t know what it’s going to happen afterwards to be honest.

Simon A.: We are not really planning much ahead and we could not possibly have dreamt of the positive response we have gotten so far. At the moment, one thing comes along the way after the next, I guess.

How exactly do you achieve this immediacy in your songs that you have been aiming for since the very beginning?

Fine: We are three people who think a lot. We speak a lot with each other too. We have to put words onto everything. However, when we make music, it is very important for us to be spontaneous in a way. We are very aware of what we think is good. We can hear when something is there. That is how we create immediacy.

Why is Copenhagen a good breeding ground for making the kind of synth-pop you are so devoted to?

Simon K.: We all went to the same art school together in another part of Denmark. At this point, we already knew we wanted to make music as a band so it felt very natural for us to go to Copenhagen. It is the only big city in Denmark that has a real music scene.

Fine: I don’t actually think it is important for us to work in Copenhagen. These days, you can make music anywhere and put it out. I moved there because I wanted to be more serious about music in the first place. It is easier to get jobs there. Now it is just where we are.

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Read also 

[Video-Reportage] Chinah @ Ja Ja Ja Berlin, 2015

[Ja Ja Ja Berlin] – Quotes from the German music industry

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Annett Bonkowski is a musicologist and freelance writer based in Berlin whose work has been published in various print and online media such as Intro, Musikexpress or NBHAP.