Rochelle Jordan has been raising the bar for pop stars since 2011. Incorporating a massive range of genres and styles from around the world including R&B, dance, soul, house, garage, and pop, Rochelle has created consistently solid bodies of work. Her latest, Through The Wall, continues to experiment with her eclectic sound while still staying contemporary and perfect for the club. My friend–and massive Rochelle Jordan fan–Ife and I had the honor of interviewing Rochelle for the station. You can watch her perform live March 23 at Paradise Rock Club in Boston!
Fin: So first I’m just wondering, like, how’s it been like prepping for the tour and everything? I know you’ve done some live shows across North America in the past, just like back in November and December, I think around that time.
Rochelle: Yeah, and then we’ve been moving ever since. It’s been honestly just unreal. Like, that’s the only word I could use. Last year, touring this album–’cause basically it’s the Through the Wall Tour–so it’s very focused on the album tracks. And so I was like, “Oh God, how are my fans gonna react? ‘Cause they’re very passionate and they want what they want when they want it.” But yeah, like just surprisingly, what we created and curated for this tour has gone off without a hitch. Everyone’s just partying, having the best time singing so loudly. It’s honestly so incredible. And that’s carried all the way through the Europe tour as well. Yeah, like honestly, I could cry sometimes thinking about it. I’m just like, they’re just my fans are the sweetest! They’re just amazing people that sincerely love music and want to be free. You know, I can feel that in the crowd. So it’s great, it’s amazing.
Fin: That’s so awesome. I know we’re both excited to see you in Boston, on the 23rd.
Rochelle: You guys are coming to Boston! I love Boston. Yeah, that’s sick. Can’t wait to see you guys.
Ife: What are you most excited about showing to your fans at the show?
Rochelle: Hmm. I think the evolution of the show. You know, there’s a huge difference from what I was working with, with Play With The Changes, where it was just me and CHRYSALIS essentially throughout the whole tour, depending on different venues and their staff and people that don’t know me–don’t know our style–and what it is that I’m trying to reflect on stage to now having just the, wonderful lighting team, the engineers that are here with me now, and just to pull off the best show possible. So, I think like just the evolution–the growth, and having fans that have seen me before to now, and whatever the future may hold, that’s the best part. Like, we all feel like we’re growing together, honestly, which is really sickening. But yeah, I think just like the music live, it’s a different vibe when it’s live to what you’re hearing on the album, you know?
Fin: Mhm, yeah.
Rochelle: So just them being inside the portal of Through The Wall for a second is really cool, really dope.
Fin: That’s so sick, yeah. I’m wondering with Through The Wall, are there any artists that you would love to collaborate on a remix with? I know with Play With The Changes, there was a remix record. I don’t know if there’s anything in the works that you can’t discuss or anything like that, but in an ideal world…
Rochelle: In an ideal world, my goodness. Yeah, there’s so many. Obviously the legends that I grew up listening to, the ones that are still alive, I’m just like, yes, like, “Can y’all get on my track?!” That’s like my childhood wish. And then there’s a lot of my peers that are just absolutely smashing it out here, just so many beautiful Black pop girls that are coming, you know, kind of out of nowhere seemingly, but have such lore as well that I would love to work with. I mean, PinkPantheress is one to say the least, you know. Gosh, PinkPantheress’s to the Beyonce’s to the Ravyn Lenae’s, you know, like there’s such a big list of the girls. And some of the guys too, like The Weeknd, I’ve always wanted to work with him. I think he’s a very prominent figure as a Black pop artist. He’s done so much for the culture as far as sound is concerned. And so, yeah, there’s quite a lot. So, it’s always hard to put names together because it’s like, I want all of them! How about that?
Fin: Yeah, totally.
Ife: I bet you’re not, like, looking for feedback, but my dream is you and Tinashe. I just want to put that up there!
Rochelle: Oh, my gosh. Yeah, Tinashe. Yeah, that would be dope.
Fin: That’d be crazy. She performed at our big spring concert event [Spring Fling], was it last year?
Ife: Last year, yeah.
Rochelle: Oh, that’s very dope. I know that was fun!
Fin: Yeah!
Ife: Yeah. I wanted to know what inspires you in this day and age to keep experimenting with your sound?
Rochelle: For me, it’s the constant search for something new, something enticing, something that makes me feel excited again. Every time I make music, it’s very easy to get kind of caught up in what’s going on around you as far as sound is concerned and trying to keep up with certain things and pressures of what maybe your fan base is expecting of you. So for me, it’s very important that I continue on the journey that I’ve always been on since I was very young, which is to discover something new. So, it’s like, yes, I’m doing R&B, but: How do I approach this in a way that I feel hasn’t been heard like this before? What are some of the new melody lines that I could find that I haven’t heard before? What are the chord progressions that KLSH can play that I haven’t heard? So that mentality is something that has followed me all the way up until now. And even if we’re on the nose about some things, the intention to define it was very much there, you know. To make it a moment within the soundscape that it was. So yeah, it’s discovery. It’s the adventure of music that I’m interested in. And in the adventures where you find just things that maybe not so much haven’t been heard before, but like just danced in a different way. The lines danced along in a different way, if that makes sense. I hope that makes sense!
Fin: Mhm. The authenticity into like finding that I feel like is very apparent in your work. So, it’s heard! I was wondering because I’ve asked this with previous artists that I’ve interviewed, and I always love to hear the different responses: what would be in the bag or like purse of someone who was listening to this [album], like of a of a Through The Wall girl. Like, what would they have?
Rochelle: Oh, my God, a Through The Wall girl. Okay, so they definitely gonna have their glasses on because they just ain’t got time for it. So they’ll put their glasses on here and there. You’re gonna have your phone, not so much to talk, but for voice notes that you might send to yourself, melodies that might pop up in your mind here and there. You’re just gonna throw it in there. Probably a book, like a little notebook with a pen that you can journal to yourself, some affirmations in there, just to remind yourself that you that bitch. And remind the universe too, to send you things that remind you that you that bitch. Maybe a towel because the sweat that takes place on the dance floor with Through The Wall… It gets intense. So you have that. And yeah, like a bottle of water. And your Fenty lip gloss. Absolutely.
Fin: I remember when I asked–you know Yeule?
Rochelle: Yeah!
Fin: I asked them that and then I remember very anal about like only having the blue flavor of gummy bears.
Rochelle: I’m screaming.
Fin: I was like, “Yeah! You know what, yeah!”
Rochelle: Fair enough!
Ife: What is your favorite Mariah Carey album or song?
Rochelle: Oh my god. Damn. I would say the Butterfly album for sure is the one that touched me. My favorite song of hers is “Honey.”
Ife: I really like “Fourth of July.”
Rochelle: Oh my God, unbelievable. “Fourth of July,” “The Roof.” Unbelievable tracks. The writing, crazy.
Fin: I’ve DJ’d your stuff a few times, at like smaller little things that we’ve done on campus. Like I did it–[Ife and I] work together at the student cafe on campus and we did like a fun party and I was like DJing some of your stuff. And I was wondering like, when you hear like another mix or a remix of your song, what are some things that you look for? Like when it’s kind of reversion of it? If that question makes sense.
Rochelle: Like yeah like in the in between your mixing of like one track to another you utilizing my track like what’s something that I would I something I would like, kind of fawn over I guess is what you’re asking?
Fin: Yeah, and also when other people remix [your work]. Like with Play With The Changes (Remixed), what are things as well that you like to see when people “play with the changes” I guess of your music–to be very on the nose.
Rochelle: Literally no but you’re on the nose because, that was the idea with Play With The Changes. The only reason why we did a remix album where every single song was remixed by a new producer/DJ was because the theme of it was “play with the changes,” so why not play with the change of each track? And again, what I look for is just like that authentic, individual spin and twist on the sound of what they heard and what they were inspired by versus, like, what comes out of them after being inspired by the song in and of itself. So, yeah, just honestly, I’m always looking for just, like, individuality. I’m looking for a high taste, too, you know? Like, just not being so, like, generic and typical. Like, what could you throw in there that could be like, “Oh, my God! I didn’t think that that could, like, make sense, but that makes complete and total sense!” Just at the end of the day, it’s just like everyone’s vibe and taste in music is subjective. So that’s always in mind, like this is their identity and feeling on my song. So, I don’t judge very harshly at all. I’m open to a lot of new ideas. But yeah, just your own take, your own twist. Whatever it is, I like it!.
Fin: Awesome.
Rochelle: Thank you guys so much.
Fin: Thank you so much! It’s been so lovely to be able to talk to you and be able to have this experience. I know we’ve both been listening for like years, and it’s just like always very surreal to be able to see an artist live, but so much more to be able to like talk with an artist.
Rochelle: Yeah, yeah. No, I hear you. You know, if you guys ever want me to come down to the can to the campus and perform, let my team know we can make something like that happen.
Ife: What?! Whaattt!
Fin: We need to figure that out! *[@TUSC]*
Rochelle: Well, you let me know.
Fin: Will do, of course.
Rochelle: All right, you guys.
Fin: Thank you so much.
Ife: Thank you!
Rochelle: Have a great day, take care!