Modernized act CHELLCY REITSMA have been around for a short while, but have a style that blends quite the variety. They have released an EP and are hard at work, upon content that will lead to an LP release. More planning of activity is ahead, including shows and of course more music. Discover the chatter of all of this below.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
I started the band in February 2019. So we are quite new. I placed a post in a local Facebook page for auditions for those interested in joining a new band. Our bass player has been with me since the beginning but all the other members changed a few times before we got this committed, solid group formed about 2 years ago. So it was a rocky start but now the members all get along well and we have great music writing chemistry together. Alan Degabriele is the bass player who’s been with me the longest. Simon Cutajar is lead guitarist. Edward Mifsud is the rhythm guitarist. Adam Cutajar is the drummer.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
Our band name is my personal name because I started off as a solo artist with my first single release in 2016. We kept my name because it’s too expensive to start over with re-branding and I already had a decent sized and committed fan base started. So the name origin is Dutch American and newly Maltese (recently got Maltese citizenship and all the band members are Maltese). We might have identity issues lol!
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there?
We are based on the tiny (but mighty) island nation of Malta, EU. Affectionately referred to as ‘The Rock’ lol! Despite being a tiny island we actually have a pretty happening music scene. There at least a few bands in almost every genre and pre-covid we had a lot of varied music festivals and live music venues. Some of those are still hanging on through the pandemic or planning comebacks for 2022 and 2023. We also have some TV programs and radio stations that feature local artists pretty often. We are a tiny country so opportunities are a bit limited compared to larger countries, but still there are ample opportunities here. There is of course a lot of competition for the small slice of pie we have here.
Are there any local bands you could recommend? Yes! I really enjoy Red Electrick (pop rock) and did some work for them a while back. They also helped with producing my single Cross The Line (https://youtu.be/ypSUTYNd0WQ). I also really like Wayne Camillieri (rock), Kersten Graham (blues rock), and ManaTapu (ska).
4. How would you describe your style?
Our style is a bit eclectic because we write the music to fit the song with out concern for genres. Our fusion style is a bit poetic and retro, smooth and mellow but still fresh from alternative rock to blues rock, from Americana to adult contemporary.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
So far we have released one 4 track concept EP titled ‘Black Water’ (https://open.spotify.com/album/4dErtA5tN1wSeAFAPKdVSs?si=twzPVEtcRg-rhon2EV_Rvg) which included 4 videos as well and tells a story. Black Water music video (https://youtu.be/qbHoQFCni6k). Then we released a total of 10 singles. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/14omswT9KLjd6CxqPJSjTN?si=K20bKOt6T3m-0kkp2Rk9Qw or on You Tube: https://youtube.com/c/ChellcyReitsma The latest one called ‘Happy New Year’ with a music video and has been in the Maltese music video chart for 4 weeks so far and climbed to #9. Happy New Year music: https://youtu.be/Ky_bMNb3jWI.
Coming up next on March 4th we’ll be releasing a new alternative rock single called ‘Fleshbot Prison’. An angry rock song with an artistic theory about human existence.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Yes, in addition to ‘Fleshbot Prison’ we are working on a number of new songs in preparation for hopefully producing our first full LP. It will also include some poetry as my Black Water EP did.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
We are hoping to get some bookings started again for Spring and Summer 2022 as soon as the pandemic situation calms down and restrictions ease. Last year we did quite well despite the pandemic and managed to land 2 festivals and headlined a decent sized local concert. We had our last performance in November all our December and January bookings were cancelled due to covid. We also have some TV and radio appearances scheduled for March 2022 for both local and USA stations.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
We are plugging away on our first full album and trying to get into some festivals abroad.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
I have a shop coming soon. It’s a work in progress. You can listen to my music or watch my videos here:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/14omswT9KLjd6CxqPJSjTN?si=OpPNoktZQleMehOzJI2LHw
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/ChellcyReitsma
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/LgGuECQX9ke8Gf2G7
Website: https://chellcyreitsma.com/
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
To relate to and identify with the songs and to feel empowered and not alone. Thank you for the opportunity to be featured Natalie! I appreciate your work.
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