Anthology

An Interview with Chante Moore

by: Casey Pukl

Soulful R&B singer, Chante Moore, might not have a man in 2012, but she sure is fired up for her career. Recently off her split with Kenny Lattimore, Chante Moore is feeling energized and ready for a great year. I got the chance to catch up with her this week to talk about her upcoming show at Anthology on Sunday, the new album she’s working on, and what her plans are for the new year.

CP: You’re working on a new album right now, and I’m dying to talk about it! 

CM: (Laughs) I am! I’m going to do a couple of new songs from it on Sunday when I see you all. But the new album is still forming. There are still some more songs that I want to write to get the best of what’s inside of me, but I really am excited. There are things that I cannot talk about that I can sing about. That’s the most important thing to me. There’s so much that could be said that won’t be.

CP: Is this album more gospel, soul, jazz, everything?

CM: I think it’ll be more soulful than gospel for me. If there is anything that sounds gospely about it, it’ll be the lyrical content, but not necessarily the sound if that makes sense. I might write about something. To me, love is God, and God is love. When I have love with a man, it’s rooted in that and that respect and that value. It keeps that respect and value to me even if God gives me the love for the person I’m going to spend a life with.

CP: What inspired you to do this record? I know it’s been a little while since the last one. Did you take a bit of a break?

CM: No, not really. I know it’s been a while since my last record has been out, but I wasn’t really on a break. Sometimes people are like, ‘Chante! You’re back!’ and I’m like, ‘Where’d I go?’ (Laughs). I don’t think I went anywhere, but life happened. Going through a divorce and situations and everyday life sometimes takes away your freedom for creativity, but other than that, I’m still here.

CP: Are you planning on doing any acting this year?

CM: Singing is my priority right now, and it’s always been my passion. It just depends if someone offers the right thing to do, because then I will. I’d really love to play a character some time instead of just being Chante acting like me, talking like me, looking like me, playing that part. I’d love to do some sort of a character like a goofy girl or a Poindexter looking chick or ugly, just something different! Anything that would offer me more of a range of becoming someone else.

CP: So a little more of a challenge?

CM: Yeah. I’d like that!

CP: Going back a little bit, who influenced you as an artist starting out?

CM: My mother and father were both musicians when I was growing up. My father played piano and he wrote and my mother sang. My sister also sang with them. My brother is a drummer and a keyboardist. Music was all around me, but it was all gospel. That was the only music that we could listen to in the house, because my father was also a minister. So we weren’t listening to Stevie Wonder and Chaka, but we were listening to Tramaine Hawkins and the Hawkins Family, Andre Crouch, The Imperials, Lance Allen. There was so much music in my home that I never felt like I was missing anything. I didn’t know what it was I was missing. But I enjoyed my childhood very much. It was a very musical, very warm, and very loving environment.

CP: When did you start writing?

CM: I’ve kept a journal since I was 12. I still have one. My journal started to have poems in it and my feelings, stuff like that. And then the poems became songs, and the songs became my albums!

CP: Was that something that came naturally to you— turning your poems into songs?

CM: Yeah, it really did. It was my desire, and I think people are born to do some things. I always felt that I was born to sing. Although my family is very very talented, and they were supportive of me doing things creatively, I was also the least talented in the family. They really asked me to shut up when it came to singing, (laughs) which is really fun to rub in their faces now (Laughs). They said I wasn’t very good at it, but I loved it! So I didn’t stop singing.

CP: Wow! I’m glad you kept singing!

CM: (Laughs) Me too!

CP: What are you most looking forward to about coming to Anthology?

CM: I used to live in San Diego from about age 12 to 21 or 22. I moved there from San Francisco. Lived in North Park. I spent a lot of time in San Diego, so I should see quite a few familiar faces that I know and haven’t seen in a really long time. That’s the best part— seeing old faces.

CP: Old faces and new material! Sounds like the perfect match!

CM: Yeah, I’m excited! And Anthology— ah! It just sounds so good in there! It’s really really good in there. I’ve been there one other time, and it was just so great.

CP: You can’t beat it. 

Be sure to check out Chante Moore on Spotify at the link below, and don’t miss her San Diego homecoming!

Chante Moore on Spotify

WHAT: Chante Moore
WHEN: Friday & Sunday, February 12, 2012, 7:00 & 9:00pm
TICKETS: $10-$65 Buy Tickets
MORE INFO: Artist Profile