We recently connected with Chandra Delano and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Chandra, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Currently, I am working on the most important project of my musical career thus far. My mother was just 17 years old when she was exposed to hard drugs for the first time. Little did she know that this is where her battle with addiction would start. Two years later, after coming out of jail, she was on probation and was clean for almost a year. She was then presented with an opportunity to do drugs again. At first, she abstained, but ultimately decided to give in. During this relapse, she had her guitar with her, and ended up taking it to a park to write a song.
Fast forward to when I was growing up, there was one song that my mom always used to sing at her performances or at the campfire. I never truly understood what this song was about, but I could feel the overflowing passion and hear the pain in her voice. The song walks you through the relationship between a drug and its user, but as a personified relationship. My mother knew that everyone who heard this song would be able to relate to it. Everyone at some point has had a toxic relationship with something in their life that has held them back. Whether that thing is drugs, social media, gambling, video games, a relationship, everyone can picture something.
My mother decided to give me this song, so that it can finally be brought to life and shared with the world. Because I grew up observing the recovery scene through my mothers journey, it is a topic I am so passionate about speaking about. Addiction and recovery both are surrounded by stigma which is why it remains such a large problem. Through this song, I hope to create a space where people can feel heard and feel free to have open dialogue regarding addiction. I am so excited to share this and honor my mothers journey through this project so stay tuned for its release!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
The main industries that I am engaged with are in music, modeling, and social media and I’m thrilled to share my journey with those who might be discovering me for the first time.
As a musician, I am a singer and songwriter. I cannot define myself with just one genre, as I use elements and take influence from many genres. These primarily include RnB, Hip-Hop, Alternative, and Soul. Growing up, I found and developed my passion through the adults around me. I used music as an outlet to say the things I wanted to say when I felt words did not do enough justice. During this time, I learned how to play the guitar and trumpet, and enjoyed playing around with the piano and drums that we had. I also did musical theater my whole life which definitely aided in my confidence as a singer and performing on stage. I really enjoy the aspects of life performance and truly connecting with the energy of the audience. The creation and consumption of music has always brought me the most joy and I am so excited that I have the privileges to record and release music out into the world.
Modeling is also a huge part of my identity. One of the hobbies that I picked up during the pandemic was self-portrait photography as I would direct photoshoots with myself. During this tough time, I found a creative outlet that made me feel good and grew my confidence. As I built my portfolio, photographers started reaching out asking for collaborations and this is where my journey truly started. Since then, I have explored the worlds of print modeling to runway modeling.
There have been a few moments where I have felt that this industry was not meant for me and almost quit. In a space where I was selected for how I looked and my walk, I still experienced body shaming. As someone who has had many body image issues as well as suffered from an eating disorder in the past, I felt belittled and extremely devastated. In recent years, the modeling industry has definitely changed for the better, moving away from the “stereotypical model look” and expanding to include diverse representation, but there is still a long way to go. During this exact time, I had other designers celebrate my body. They emphasized that the parts of me that were previously criticized, were beautiful and exactly what they were looking for. It was after these conversations that I realized that I could not quit. I will fight for my and everyone else’s spot in this industry because there should be no boundaries nor expectations for what a model is and the culture has to change.
On social media I always push the message that anyone can model, and I truly believe it. Each designer and brand looks for different features and qualities in the models that they select. No matter your shape, size, height, race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, ableness, there is someone who sees and wants you to represent their brand. I am so thankful that my platform allows me to share my modeling journey and help others who want to model themselves.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Ever since high school, my primary aspiration was to become a doctor, and I diligently followed the path towards that goal. I dedicated myself wholeheartedly, immersing myself in rigorous academic studies and securing a summer internship in Dermatology at one of the top medical centers in the United States. Fueled by my innate desire to help others, I chose to study Psychology on the pre-med track upon my arrival to college. Upon relocating to Los Angeles and enrolling at the University of Southern California, I unexpectedly found myself additionally presented with opportunities in music.
I had been a songwriter my whole life, but never had the facilities nor knowledge to record and release my music. It was only until I discovered a student run club called Songwriters’ Forum, that I was able to collaborate with others and start releasing music. I truly thought about my life’s purpose and I realized that working in medicine was not the only way to help people. Reflecting on how music had been my lifeline during my darkest and brightest moments, I recognized its transformative power. Music possesses the ability to reshape one’s reality, intensify emotions, and offer diverse perspectives on the world, oneself, and others.
It then dawned on me that my calling was to create music, a medium that had saved me and held the potential to do the same for others. Whether through conveying profound messages or simply providing a catchy beat to brighten someone’s day, music has the unparalleled capacity to influence and inspire. Witnessing the impact of my debut song, “Good Without You” with Mackenzie Jaimes, on social media has been profoundly gratifying.
Individuals have taken to platforms like TikTok to share motivational and empowering content, using my song to convey the message that they are better off without toxic influences in their lives. Observing others incorporate my music into their personal narratives has become the most rewarding aspect of my artistic journey. The realization that my creations can contribute positively to someone else’s life is a source of immense motivation and fulfillment in my pursuit of a career in music.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I have been a content creator since 2019, and the way that it started is so funny. When the app Musical.ly changed to TikTok, I was amongst the first wave of people on the app while everyone was making fun of it. I made some funny videos here and there, but never took it too seriously. One day I ended up making a post about some funny and relatable things about living in Connecticut. The video ended up doing really well, and people loved the content. I thought it was cool, but just went back to making normal random content. Then, I randomly decided to make another TikTok about Connecticut which ended up doing just as well. Ever since then, I realized that was the kind of content that people were liking, so I kept creating more and more Connecticut content. Because there were not a lot of creators who talked about Connecticut, people really liked that my channel was a platform where they could relate to specific niche topics. I was able to grow a strong community of people and found myself being named “The Connecticut Girl.” After getting my first couple brand deals, I even ended up having my own sponsored meet-and-greet.
Since moving to LA and pursuing my creative endeavors, such as music and modeling, I have been changing my content to reflect what I most enjoy creating. My biggest advice if you are trying to start social media is to figure out what your goals are, and think about what you want to promote. Find something that you are passionate about, keeping longevity in mind, and create content about it. Although it can feel restrictive to stay in one niche, it really is the way to be successful. And even though it is annoying to hear again and again, consistency really is key. Find a schedule that works for you in regards to conceptualizing, filming, editing, and posting. Even if that’s once every two weeks or three times a day, be consistent! Just make sure not to overcommit yourself because this will often lead to burnout if you cannot keep up with your schedule. Start slow but steady. If you are creating content that you really enjoy, you will have a lot of fun doing it, and it is one of the biggest ways to get yourself or your product seen by the world.
My most important piece of advice is to be creative. On TikTok alone, there are about 34 million videos uploaded every day. Social platforms are so oversaturated, so make original and high-quality content. I have found that successful content gives something of value to its audience. Whether it’s a laugh, advice, motivation, or a sense of community, find something that provides viewers with something. Do not steal others’ content, but find inspiration from other creators. Take note of what’s trending, and try to apply it to your niche. In short, conceptualize a goal, create a schedule, make quality content, study the algorithm, find out what works, be consistent, and watch your numbers grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chandradelano.komi.io
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chandra.bby/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chandra.bby
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandra-delano-280126236/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/chandrabby
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chandradelano
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Martin Balsam, Vivian Zhang, Morgan Brown, Ricky Morgan, Imbvisuals, Goldenhourpv