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.
Young
Chinah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So now you know what I need, lover
Turn off the lights
Turn off the lights
So now you know what I want
You say your free your so young, lover
Turn off the lights
Turn off the lights
If you wanna run away
Every ...
If you wanna run away
The lyrics to Chinah's song "Young" touch upon themes of desire and freedom. The opening lines, "So now you know what I want / So now you know what I need, lover," suggest that the singer is addressing a partner who now understands their desires. The repeated refrain, "Turn off the lights," adds a sense of intimacy and suggests that the singer is eager to engage in physical intimacy. Meanwhile, lines like "You say your free your so young, lover" hint at a possible power dynamic between the two individuals—perhaps the singer is older, or more experienced, and therefore more aware of what they want.
However, the final lines of the song complicate this dynamic: "I'm not holding you back / If you wanna run away / Every... / If you wanna run away." Here, the singer suggests that they are not trying to control their partner and will allow them to leave if that is what they want. This turn towards openness and non-attachment subverts the more possessive tone of the earlier verses, and suggests that the singer is aware of the need for freedom and autonomy in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
So now you know what I want
I have communicated my desires to you clearly and expect you to understand them
So now you know what I need, lover
I have expressed my needs to you and expect you to fulfill them as my lover
Turn off the lights
I desire a more intimate setting and want to create a romantic atmosphere by turning off the lights
Turn off the lights
I emphasize the importance of creating a romantic ambiance by repeating my desire to turn off the lights
So now you know what I want
I want to ensure that my desires are understood and not ignored by repeating my initial statement
You say your free your so young, lover
You claim to be free and young, but I still expect you to fulfill my desires and needs as my lover
Turn off the lights
I reiterate my desire to create a romantic atmosphere by emphasizing the importance of turning off the lights
Turn off the lights
I stress the importance of the romantic ambiance by repeating my desire to turn off the lights
I'm not holding you back
I am not preventing you from leaving if you choose to do so
If you wanna run away
I acknowledge that you may want to leave and I will not stop you
Contributed by Parker N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lovely8663
I stumbled across you when I was in a restaurant. I Shazam the song! Now I’m stuck on your music! Where have you guys been! So good !!!!!