Cha Wilde is a writer, songstress, painter, theologian, photographer and yoga teacher. Playfulness, freedom, wild creative expression, presence, togetherness, sensuality, and love are core themes in her work. She is currently writing new songs and making a colorful mess in her Seattle art studio. Her paintings are for sale. She has released over 30 songs. She teaches yoga online. You can join her online studio and participate in her daily creative process via OnlyFans.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Cha Wilde and Davey Browne about the latest project, dream collabs, pushing through the bad days and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Tell us a little about what it was like to work together. How is your process different from other solo projects?
Cha: We approach music from different perspectives so our creative process can feel like a crash of personalities but the outcome is consistently sexy. Being strong willed, we both have beautiful visions and skills to contribute so making music together is our opportunity to practice kind communication, humility and trust.
We push ourselves pretty hard, sometimes to the point of exhaustion because we want to grow. We challenge each other so collaborating isn’t easy. Our solo projects are so much easier because we just get to do everything our own way without push back. As a team, we’re polishing each other like sandpaper and in the end our songs are smooth.
We share playfulness, creative curiosity, boldness to put ourselves out there with controversial topics and sensuality. We both want the songs to be sexual, gritty and clever. We both enjoy seduction in life and music so we agree on that for a starting spot and see where the flow takes us.
How do you get in the headspace to create music? Do you have any pre-writing/recording rituals?
Cha: We usually start with the guitar. Davey practices scales with the metronome for a little while to do a warm up and find some flow and rhythm. Then he starts exploring and experimenting with chords and melodies. Meanwhile, I’m sitting nearby or walking around cleaning the house. I keep listening to him until I naturally start humming or words appear in my mind. I mumble potential lyrics, building confidence in my melody. Once I have something catchy I sing louder to share it with him and start writing them down. This is pretty consistent for us. Everyday though these moments arrive at different times; after a long walk, a motorcycle ride to the beach, grocery shopping. We’re hanging out relaxing and one of us will feel the itch to make music and we roll with it. I feel like I’m always warmed up to write lyrics because I write for hours everyday in my journal. I wrote constantly and collect beautiful words that I can draw from at any time. Writing words is the easiest part for me since I basically never put down my own. I write almost as much as I breathe.
How does this project compare with your other release(s)? Was there anything specific you were trying to accomplish?
Cha: Since this was Davey’s first release, his goal was literally to just get his guitar and voice out there and finish a full project. This was my first collaborative album so I was trying to accomplish teamwork. I didn’t have to share much as a kid so I’m learning as an adult to share and take turns. Tough but worth it.
This album emerged from my song everyday project. I wrote a brand new song everyday for 37 days in a row. Each song was completely produced with multiple tracks and mixed within 24hrs. This project demanded all I had to give and on the 37th day I literally collapsed in tears on the threshold of our house as I returned home late at night from the studio. I knew in that moment the project was paused or wrapped because my body was done.
All my other songs were written leisurely over time whenever I was in the mood. All of these songs were squeezed out on a timer regardless of how I felt. I showed up day after day to create and Davey was there by my side each day to make me a cup of tea, give feedback on my singing, contribute some guitar, help craft a drumbeat and hug me. I look up to him for inspiration when I need to push myself hard to my limits. He came up with the idea for this project to help get me out of a winter depression and career slump. He thought a big challenge would help me wake up with more purpose each day. It worked. Out of the 37 songs, about 10 were released as a solo project and 6 of them made this joint album.
What motivates you both to create music? Do you ever go through periods when you find it difficult to create? How do you get out of a creative slump?
Cha: I create for emotional release and healing. I love to play with my voice and hear all the different parts of my personality come out to play and be witnessed. I spent my childhood with headphones on inside my own little world with the perfect soundtrack playing. I took music lessons but I was always too shy to perform. When I was 21, the music bug surfaced and I got curious about guitar and a few years later I was full on itching to write songs and song on stage. I was terrified but something magical was summoning me. It was all those damn festivals that I went to — Sasquatch Music Festival at the Gorge opened my dreams. I started practicing everyday, building confidence in my voice. I just wanted to break out of the cage and blossom. Now I’m out here and I just want to fly around and play with sound, free in my imagination and feelings. When I make music I feel free, I feel like God. I’m the creator of an entire universe for 3.5 minutes and I don’t have to follow rules if I don’t want to. I can literally do whatever I want inside the soundscape. I can transform how I feel through sound. Total freedom and fun. That’s why I’m motivated to make music. Life feels better when I do. I feel lighter and more powerful.
Davey: Everyday is difficult to create and then since we press through we eventually make something. Almost everyday I’m convinced I’m not going to come up with something new but then half an hour later I have something cool. I make music because it’s a beautiful creative endeavor. There’s something unbelievable when two people can connect and make music together. It’s a different type of intimacy that’s playful and joyful. I just love music. It’s interesting that we can just make it.
If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why?
Cha: John Mayer, Florence + the Machine, and Oh Wonder. John because I’ve listened to him since I was girl and that would blow my mind to sit with him and feel music in the same space. His lyrics inspire me to get more creative and intentional, to use more metaphors and double entendres. Im so curious how our voices would sound in duet and I think as writers we would be really particular, editing our lyrics until they were perfect. I love his intention and I’d like to share mine with him.
Florence + the Machine because I’m really attracted to her raw, wild, deep, spirit. She writes sad shit in a way that feels fun and powerful. I look up to her as a powerful woman music leader. I have lot of respect for how she is simultaneously gentle and explosive. I see her freedom on the microphone and I’m curious what mystical imagery we could draw out of one another. I wonder if we would play with magic well together.
Oh Wonder because I love their simplicity and simplicity is challenging. I’m just curious about their creative process and I’m always imagining them in the studio swimming in silky smooth vibes. I’d like to share a moment of discovery with them. I have no idea what it would actually be like but this is all my hopeful imagination. Ha!
Davey: Michael Jackson, Queen or Freddie Mercury. Definitely Freddie because yah, fuck ya. And also Freddie comes back from the dead to play a song?! It’s going to be heard. I’ll say that right now. He has a wild voice so I’m curious what our duet would sound like. His got that spirit and energy. The chance to hear him make another song would be unbelievable and we have new technologies now and I’d like to see what he would do with it. It would be great to get John Mayer and Freddie.
Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?
Instagram @doctorbrowne @chawilde
Website: chawilde.com
I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off?
Davey: I’m really happy Cha did this everyday songwriting project and we got these songs out of it. It was fun being a part of it. It improved me as a musician and showed me what was possible.
Cha: If anyone reads this and wants to write a song everyday, we highly recommend you get crackin’ before 2pm and wrap it up by 8pm or else you will have no balance in life. This project will gobble you up. We’ve started discussing another everyday songwriting project and this time we’re setting clear guidelines to help us ensure we have time for self-care, social life, and other activities like watching the sunset, reading and painting. Without boundaries, big projects and collaborations can run wild and our health and happiness suffers. I keep encouraging myself and other artists to prioritize wellness so we still have energy for love outside of music.
