Chitra takes us through her debut self-titled EP

Rising Melbourne singer-songwriter CHITRA has today shared her debut, self-titled EP. Taking influence from country, indie-rock and pop, there's a certain buzz around Chitra at the moment and it's easy to see why.

Driving guitars mix with folk-tinged vocals to make for an arresting listen from start to finish on Chitra. A personal account of her life so far across seven tracks, Chitra opens herself up for listeners and invites them in to look around. It's intimate and vulnerable, and every song is a richly detailed story that envelopes you, from the romantic waltz of 'Better Than Before' to the stark simplicity of 'Keep Up', the rolling thunder of the drums on 'A Kind' or the stunning final moments of the record on 'Weak', Chitra's broad influences all combine with her masterful songwriting to make her debut release one that stays with you long after its finished.

To dive into her EP a bit deeper, Chitra has taken us through each track to unveil a bit more about each. Check it all out below, and read on for her national tour dates kicking off this weekend.

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Better Than Before

Better Than Before is about accepting your flaws and choosing to grow from them. Choosing to accept that not everyone will do the same and learning to be okay with that in the end. The song also explores the idea of changing yourself to fit another but soon finding out it shouldn’t work like that. And wanting to be better for yourself alone. 

Tired Lies

This song is about battling with lies and truths and dealing with the frustration of not knowing what’s what. It expresses the feeling of wanting something that you can’t and shouldn’t have. One of those situations that don’t necessarily have a conclusion. 

Hold Yourself

Hold yourself is story about picking yourself up and highlighting the importance of it only being you who can do that (to an extent). I wrote this song as kind of a lullaby style to still make it feel warm and comforting, like a gentle reminder. It’s a song about being depressed and not wanting to follow in a footstep that’s easy to fall into. 

Keep Up

For me Keep Up is a big frustrated sigh to shake it off. A song about an impossible love interest that makes you mad and does you wrong. It explores the resistance of letting it get the best of you or choosing to let it be. 

Weak- This song is about that person you meet that makes you fall to your knees a little bit. An infatuation. The kind of relationship that could do you wrong and you would accept that it’s happened. At the start of the song I try to focus on the physical feeling with walls being closer and words being louder. Then towards the end focus on the end being bitter and the infatuation being used as power over another.

Leaving - Leaving is a song I wrote about someone wanting you only when you aren’t around. That confusion of wanting to stick it out but getting frustrated with the hot and cold headache. It’s a cheeky ode to leaving indecisive people to their own devices.

A Kind - A kind is a song of frustration whilst being a little bit sarcastic about it. To me, it’s a song about standing up for yourself and realizing your self worth, it’s almost cathartic to be putting it out.