Being the daughter of a banjo player, singer Fine Glindvad grew up travelling around Europe among folk musicians. The guitarist, Simon Kjær Lauridsen, comes from the twisted-minded indie and free jazz environments. And the man behind the synths, Simon Lars Gustav Andersson, is a classically trained pianist. It sounds like an impossible combination, and not as a trio creating some of most captivating Danish pop music here and now.
Nevertheless, this is the case. On their very first single, 'Away From Me', CHINAH underline why they have stirred curiosity both home and abroad. 'Away From Me' is also the track that made the three members realize that together, they could accomplish something special.
- We have all been through a process of moving towards electronic pop and r&b from each our starting points. Being shamelessly melodic is not always well regarded where we come from, but we have been urging to play around with exactly that. So it has been very liberating for us. Still, we cannot avoid having our own edge because of our backgrounds, says Simon Lars Gustav Andersson.
These dynamics clearly shine through in 'Away From Me'. Fine Glindvad’s laidback vocal carries the track while beats and instruments build up to a climax that deliberately never arrives. CHINAH’s sense of economizing chaos finds its inspiration from various sources: Blood Orange’s courage to chase big tunes, Jai Paul’s aesthetic anarchy and James Blake clean vocals.
Every song on the EP CHINAH releases in the fall explores and elaborates this style. Another theme running through tracks like 'Never the Same', 'We Go Back' and 'You Can Walk Away From Me' is Fine Glindvad’s non-romantic poetry smoldering beneath the delicate melodies.
- The lyrics are sung from the perspective naive submission. But it feels liberating because of the light melodies. It is a path towards acceptance: ‘I can lie here and bleed for you, but that is life.’ It is almost a tribute to laying yourself down. I am forever touched by statements of eerily sincerity. That is also why I do not use much imagery. I say it just as it is, says Fine Glindvad.
These themes also hint the fragileness of the band name, CHINAH.
Throughout the spring, CHINAH has toured with acclaimed Danish band Turboweekend and played at the important Danish SPOT Festival. Following SPOT, CHINAH was named among the best new acts by both Danish music magazine Soundvenue and international festival delegates. This autumn another single and an EP will follow.
If You Can Feel This
Chinah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't deny it
I guess this is how my blood runs
I guess this how destructive blood runs
Backwards in the light
I can't deny it
I guess this is how my blood runs
Backwards in the light
I can't deny it
I guess this is how my blood runs
So you can wear me out
You can wear me out
So you can wear me out
You can wear me out
Inside my bedroom we run run run and run.
Around illusions we run run run and run
Backwards in the light
I can't deny it
I guess this is why I can't move
I guess this how I pictured me and
So you can wear me out
You can wear me out
So you can wear me out
You can wear me out
Inside my bedroom we run run run and run
Around illusions we run run run and run
Inside my bedroom we run run run and run
Around illusions we run run run and run
So you can wear me out
You can wear me out
So you can wear me out
You can wear me out
And if you can't feel this
If you can't feel this
If you can't feel this
If you can't feel this
Then you lose your love
If you can't feel this
The lyrics of the song If You Can Feel This by Chinah seem to be about self-destructive tendencies and struggles with mental health. The repeated phrase "backwards in the light" suggests a sense of confusion and feeling lost. The lines "I guess this is how my blood runs" and "I guess this how destructive blood runs" hint at a genetic or inherited component to these struggles with mental health.
The chorus, "So you can wear me out, you can wear me out" is likely directed towards someone who is impacting the singer negatively, possibly a toxic or abusive relationship. The lines "Inside my bedroom we run run run and run, around illusions we run run run and run" express a sense of being trapped or stuck in a cycle of destructive behavior.
The final lines, "And if you can't feel this, then you lose your love" suggest that the ability to feel these difficult emotions and experiences is necessary for a deeper understanding and connection with oneself and with others.
Overall, the lyrics of If You Can Feel This have a haunting quality, conveying a sense of struggle and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
Backwards in the light
Feeling like things are moving in reverse due to confusion or darkness
I can't deny it
Acknowledging the disorientation or negative emotions being experienced
I guess this is how my blood runs
Accepting that these emotions are a part of their nature or identity
I guess this how destructive blood runs
Feeling like these emotions are harmful or damaging
So you can wear me out
Allowing someone or something to exhaust them emotionally
Inside my bedroom we run run run and run.
Escaping reality through distractions that isolate them from the world
Around illusions we run run run and run
Dwelling in fantasies or false perceptions to cope with reality
I guess this is why I can't move
Feeling paralyzed or unable to take action due to emotional turmoil
I guess this how I pictured me and
Realizing that their perception of themselves is influenced by these emotions
And if you can't feel this
Challenging someone to understand or empathize with their emotional state
Then you lose your love
Implying that without understanding, they will lose the love and connection they share
Contributed by Emma N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.