Ahead of Their Big Birthday Show we Talk to Musical Duo Chanel and Erin

A Chat With Musical Duo Chanel and Erin Ahead of Their Big Birthday Show

Katie Coy, Managing Editor | Aug 12, 2022 12:46 pm | Add a comment | 108 reads

Two veterans in the Beijing music scene, expats Chanel Venter and Erin Luce, decided to combine their musical powers last year to form a dynamic duo, and they have since been bringing music and guaranteed fun times to places all across the capital.

This Saturday (Aug 13) they will be performing a special Birthday Show. Originally meant to take place in May – when their birthdays are, hence the name – the gig was delayed due to Covid. Now, they are finally able to celebrate their birthdays, along with live music being (sort of) back in the capital, and we decided to catch up with them to talk about their journey so far.

Firstly, how did you both first get involved in music? Have you been in the Beijing music scene a long time?
Erin: I grew up in a musical family and majored in saxophone at university. I have a master's in music education, and I teach music full-time at an international school. I’ve been playing around Beijing for about ten years. I played and sang solo at first just for fun, going to open mics and eventually meeting Steven and joining The Avengers. From there we started Stevie Mac & the Mac Daddies, in which I play saxophone. I hosted the open mic at Lush for a couple years as well. This year I joined Peking Floyd on saxophone, guitar, and backup vocals. I’ve played at a lot of big events such as the Beijinger Burger and Pizza Festivals, Yao Ming’s charity event, countless Chamber balls, Embassy parties, etc.

Chanel: My mom always said that I could sing before I could speak. Music has always just been a part of my soul and everyday life. After school I decided to study music, and I completed my honors in music performance. I then focused on being a vocal coach, and coached many top artists around South Africa. When I first came to China I didn’t perform for a while, I just supported, learned about, and enjoyed the music scene in Beijing. Then, after some time, I started playing some open mic shows for fun, and before I knew it I had some shows lined up. For the past four years I have played all over Beijing, from small shows in restaurants to big shows like the Burger Festival.

How did you both meet and why did you decide to form a band?
Chanel came on the scene a couple years ago, and we became friends last summer and realized we have a very similar style when we play solo. We already knew a lot of the same songs, so we decided to combine our powers and form a duo. Our voices blend well together and we follow each other really well musically, but it was our friendship and love for music that threw us together in the first place.

For those who are unfamiliar with you, can you give a short description of your music style and what sort of songs you play?
Honestly, we play any music that will entertain and bring people together for some good, clean fun. We love developing medleys and mashups and covering popular songs in creative ways. Anything from “Brown Eyed Girl” to “Sugar We’re Going Down” to “IDGAF.” Two songs that come to mind that we have done at probably every single gig we’ve played are “Dreams” (The Cranberries) and “What’s Up ”(4 Non Blondes). If our audience is singing along and having fun, we are 100 percent happy. We both also write songs, so we always play some original music in our sets as well.

How was it playing your first show together?
Our first ever gig was actually thanks to Mina over at jingkids International. She wanted me (Erin) to play at the Cocktails for a Cause fundraiser last July, and I immediately asked Chanel to play with me. We practiced a few songs and the chemistry was right there from the beginning. The gig was a lot of fun, and we never looked back.

Your upcoming show on Saturday was originally supposed to take place in May but was delayed due to Covid. How has it been as musicians having to deal with the whole Covid situation?
It’s been really tough for a few reasons. Of course, not being able to play is hard, but we’ve also seen things like venues shutting down and musicians leaving the country. We’ve also really missed the social aspect of going out to jams and friends’ shows. But in spite of all the hits we’ve taken, it’s been inspiring to see what people have been doing online and outdoors (special shout-out to the river jams!). Our music community has been so resilient, innovative, and supportive of each other, and as live music starts to come back we hope to see that continue.

Moving on to your show on Saturday, what do you have in store for us?
Well, it’s our birthday party, so you can expect a lot of Chanel-and- Erin-style festivities! Our birthdays are actually May 17 and 20, but you know, Covid, blah blah blah. We’ve ordered some cakes from Bread of Life bakery, and of course the gin & tonics will be flowing. Moonee has a great dance floor so we hope everyone wears their comfy shoes! We are using this show as a platform to raise money for two local causes – Furry Tales, an animal rescue organization, and Agape Family Life House, a foster home for kids with disabilities. Actually, the bakery making our cakes is run by Agape, and teaches the kids skills they can use later in life. There will be QR codes to scan for making donations.

Can you tell us a bit about the other supporting acts for the show?
Yeah! Firstly, we want to thank our dear friend Vincent Von Rock, who is not only a highly entertaining DJ, but has also helped us organize Saturday’s show. If anyone doesn’t know him, they are missing out! Jun and Hikmat have been around the Beijing music scene for years. I (Erin) first got to know them when we were all playing at Lush regularly. Jun is one of the organizers of What The Folk, a very special showcase event that will hopefully be returning soon. Hikmat is an incredible guitarist and a regular at the local jam sessions. He plays in a couple of bands, including one of my favorites Axis Neptune (check out their album online!).

It’s been a tough few months for musicians in Beijing recently, do you have any advice for fellow musicians?
While we’re waiting for shows to slowly start again, be patient and don’t get discouraged! There is more to music than just playing live. Of course that’s the exciting part, but see what other skills you can develop – songwriting/composing, recording, making videos, etc. And very importantly, stay connected with each other. Find out about gigs and jams popping up again and go support them.

Lastly, anything you’d like to say to our readers?
If you want to check us out online, our Instagram is @chanelanderin, and our WeChat channels are “ChanelVenter” and “erinluce”. Lots of love, and hope to see everyone at a show sometime soon!