Chelsea Cutler has been around the block a few times— but this year, it’s obvious that something has shifted in her music.
In a press conference with °1824, the singer-songwriter explained why exactly her newest project IS THE THE END? is different from previous albums. Cutler touched on the pain of coming out of a long term relationship, the influence of New York on her work, and the shift she felt within herself.
When asked why this album didn’t feature any collaborations, Cutler made a very important point— “The last two years of my life really centered around coming inwards and centering my connection with myself,” and to continue, “Your late twenties operate as this calibration period.” It became apparent that this album needed to be fully her own, and because of the hyper-specific experiences on the record, collaborating didn’t come naturally to the process this time around.
I first listened to Chelsea when she began releasing music with long time collaborator Jeremy Zucker back in 2019, and since then, the pair have produced three projects together. Even sonically, IS THIS THE END? feels so different from the Brent trilogy and Cutler’s other collaborations. This is her allowing herself to turn inward and experiment in a way that feels separate from her other work.
As I listened through the album, I quickly picked up on how deeply Cutler’s everyday influences affected the songs. I asked Chelsea, “In “THIS TIME OF THE YEAR,” you sing about missing someone at a certain point in the year, and you’ve spoken extensively on the effect that New York has had on this body of work. In some ways, the seasons and your location seem to have impacted IS THIS THE END? Do you feel that those things had more weight this time around, or do you think you’ve just perfected how to translate those everyday influences into your music as opposed to just the emotional ones?”
In response, Chelsea said, “I think that on one hand, I was trying deliberately to hold myself to a higher standard with everything— journaling, understanding myself, understanding the world around me, and I think part of that is your ability to observe. I was drawing more connections than I had in the past between how things make me feel, whether it’s a rainy day or a sunny day, or it’s October or it’s August, you know? I was trying to be much more observant of my life.”
I had the pleasure of asking her one additional question— “I know that making music is a lot of trial and error, of course not everything goes according to plan. If and when you did run into any roadblocks when you were creating this project, what kind of things did you do to reset your mind? Are there any routines or habits that you find to be comforting when you’re in a funk?”
Chelsea answered honestly, saying, “A lot of the songs started with me in New York, and I’d have weeks at a time to not feel pressure to write. I would just kind of create and collect inspiration before taking it to my LA team. That prevented a lot of road blocks or funks because it gave me space and liberty to really find true inspiration in the pockets of my own time, and come with them consolidated.”
New York, learning how to heal, and intention seem to have shaped this body of work for Chelsea. As a result, the album is devastatingly emotional and thought provoking while remaining true to what we know and love her for.
