Johannesburg, South African alternative rock artist Chenél No.1 has released her latest single, “Save Me”. The track is an alternative rock song with driving guitars and emotive riffs that give it an edge of pain merged with a fierce vulnerability.
Thematically, “Save Me” is a song about breaking through the darkness, having a hand reaching out, and being saved. “Save Me is about a woman thankful that someone loves her enough to accept her with all her flaws, understands the darkness she dwells in, and is willing to pull her out,” explains Chenél. “I feel many people will relate to the emotions of the song as we all deal with frustration, pressure, and disappointment daily. It is a small comfort to know that when you are surrounded by those who love you, you can deal with all the obstacles that stand in your way.”
Although the theme of the song is dark, there is a hopefulness that lurks just beyond the shadows, wanting to draw you into the light. “Save Me was originally written just for myself as a creative outlet,” says Chenél No.1. “As a songwriter, I sometimes pour my heart into my lyrics and a reflection of what I’m feeling at that specific time. With Save Me I wanted to embrace the darkness I was feeling but also include the grateful aspect of having someone supporting me in what I’m experiencing.”
Along with the single, Chenél No.1 has also dropped a video for “Save Me”. The music video was approached in a completely DIY manner with one of Chenél’s friends recording the footage on her phone. “As independent artists, we’re always told not to let your lack of budget stand in the way of creativity and putting content out into the world. So I have embraced the fact that I cannot complete with high budget productions and make do with what I have available. I’m proud of what we created with the very limited resources available.“
“Save Me” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Chenél No.1 grew up on the sounds of Credence Clearwater Revival and The Shadows and has a great love for music. During the day she works as an operations manager, she’s married with three kids and pursues her music after hours. Starting her journey in late 2019, she released her first song and has since continued to share her signature sound through a number of well-received single releases such as She’s a Flamingo (2020), Master of Disguise (2021), Turquoise Tears and Shoot for the Stars (2022).
Chenél is pushing more towards the alternative rock genre lately while fusing a mix of folk and modern country sounds that are big on emotion with catchy melodies underpinned by great guitar riffs. 2022 saw her long-awaited acoustic EP, Turquoise Tears, released to widespread coverage on social media and internet radio play in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, and the US, as well as receiving placement on a leading South African Spotify curated playlist, SAlt.
The Turquoise Tears EP was followed up by two rock singles and a song in her mother tongue, Afrikaans, showcasing her flexibility as an artist. She was recently nominated in three categories of the Afri-Indie Independent Artists Music Awards 2022, winning the Best Newcomer Songwriter category. A new EP is taking shape in the studio, scheduled for a 2023 release.
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