When I Close My Eyes is the sophomore effort of singer Chelsea Cutler. What started as uploading independent music online eventually led to packed stadiums. Now, she lays down the mold for upcoming singers.
Chelsea Cutler has always been fond of music ever since enrolled in school. Back then, before releasing music under a name, an individual had to be signed to a label.
But now, the rules have changed. The beauty of the World Wide Web is that it gives a person the tools to endeavor in their passion. Like Girl in Red and Lorde, Chelsea started uploading original songs to the music platform, Soundcloud.
Thus, slowly she began making a name for herself. However, in the music industry, there is more than just publishing solo anthems. An artist must be willing to experiment. And how do they do that? That is, reaching out to singers and asking them for a feature.
Eventually, collaborations work as a pipeline. By teaming up with other musicians, artists learn from one another, double their fanbase, and thus gain new listeners.
And that is what Chelsea did. From collaborating with Louis the Child to Kasbo, she was putting in the extra hours. In 2018, she released her first extended play (EP), “Sleeping with Roses.”
One year later, she took it a step further, and instead of just reaching out for features, this time she teamed up with singer Jeremy Zucker for a collaborative EP, named “brent.”
On the other hand, Jeremy began recording music while in high school. Afterward, he collaborated with other artists such as emo rapper Blackbear (2017), and in 2018 released his EP, “glisten.”
Besides releasing EPs in the same year (2018), another analogous year for Jeremy and Chelsea was 2020, when they both debuted their long play (LP) “love is not dying” and “How to Be Human,” respectively.
Even though “brent” only contained 5 songs, it was a pleasant introduction to highlight their chemistry. Met with positive reviews, it fueled them to join forces again in 2021 for its sequel, “brent ii.”
Indeed, Chelsea & Jeremy have used the following steps in their favor to grow their respective fanbase altogether. The guide contains five steps.
- Make a name for yourself: Use the additional online platforms to start your musical journey (e.g., Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple).
- Sign to a label: After growing a fanbase, record labels will approach you. Nonetheless, don’t rush by signing onto the first one. Make sure to have control over your catalog in the long run.
- Collaborate: Reach out to artists for a feature. Keep in mind that you will be exposed to other fanbases too. Benefit from that.
- Release material: Afterward, you are officially ready to record a full-length project, backed with the guidance of an A&R from the label.
- Quality over quantity: Give the fans long-lasting music over one-time listens! Hence, start with an EP before releasing an LP.
When I Close My Eyes
Before the end of 2021, Chelsea & Jeremy coincided again by releasing “When I Close My Eyes,” and “CRUSHER,” respectively.
Comprised of 16 tracks, “When I Close My Eyes” has heartbreak ballads (e.g., “Walking Away,” “Without You“), overcoming the heartbreaks (e.g., “Easy,” “the lifeboat’s empty!”), and contains one single feature with singer Quinn XCII (e.g., “Calling All Angels“).
For now, it is safe to say that the duo has followed the guide for an everlasting career! As Kendrick Lamar once said, “Careers take off, just got to be patient” (2017).
Watch “Devil On My Shoulder” and stream Chelsea Cutler’s “When I Close My Eyes.”
