Each Measure Feature: Kristy Chmura

FEATURE

Wake up.

​Kristy Chmura’s new single is a swirl of new-age pop that somehow, through the nostalgic immersive sound, delivers a tender ballad of reflection and a call to change. The song kicks in strong, hitting all the buttons at once with a steady beat, blipping bassline, and frizzling synth swells. It’s a wave of sound that immediately drew me in. But the strong confidence is played with a beautiful contrast when Chmura’s voice enters the scene, hypnotic smooth vocals piercing through with a calm and hopeful story to tell. 

​Little can be learned about Chmura. On all platforms, she presents her musical journey first and foremost. What’s clear is her closeness to music as a mode of expressing her thoughts, fears, and hopes for the world around her. Together with her collaborators Christian Eigner, Niko Stoessl, and Damien Musto, she builds anthems that bare all. Chmura’s honesty is refreshing when talking about her musical inspiration. She recalls a particular wake-up call when witnessing and breathing in the aftereffects of a forest fire. That moment of realization moved her to turn towards a past song to find a new life. 

​I found the difference in recordings incredibly striking. In the process of renewal and re-recording, the production of “Wake-up” reinforces the message it delivers. The lyrics convey a sense of hurt, loss, ache, and the rousing energy to keep being active and attentive to healing the world around us. The first version has a considerably slower vibe, an acoustic melancholy drawn out in a minor pulse that transforms into a hopeful major chorus. The difference between the two is drastic and compelling. This new version pushes the same message with a renewed urgency in the louder, stronger style that moves the narrative from contemplative to radiant. I view that journey as another reinforcement of fighting the climate crisis at hand, a time to move forward from a space of loss towards a space of actions and insistence on the mission. 

​Chmura herself seems to be able to walk the walk as well as talk the talk (sing the song?). Her new accompanying music video was released on Earth Day of this year, and I only hope her empathetic and honest songwriting continues with the same gusto. Her strong voice and passion for music and connection promise a hopeful future…

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