by chris richmond
photo by allison barr
custom outfit by kelly madden
Chipped Nail Polish are an incredibly intriguing new presence on the music scene. They're the brainchild of Jill Sullivan of Portland, Oregon, whose music fuses surf punk and indie pop, all tied together by an ever-present ukulele. It's rocky and it's fun, with their latest single “Rut” being a refreshing breath of cinematic guitar-driven pop. Their new EP, Bottom Feeder, is out on the 27th of January, and we were lucky enough to speak to Jill about the origins of the band, their influences, and her aspirations moving forward.
Can you tell us about the origin of Chipped Nail Polish? When and where was the project founded?
Jill: “I was really new to playing music when my first serious boyfriend dumped me in 2018. I was a junior in college at the University of Oregon and that whole year was basically me grieving and processing that breakup. For the first time ever, I started writing my own songs as a way to heal. Those songs became my first EP, B. I’ve been writing ever since.
A year later, I decided I wanted to play one house show before I graduated. UO had a thriving DIY scene and I knew a lot of people in it. I grabbed some close friends of mine, they learned my songs, and we played to over one hundred college kids in somebody’s tiny living room.”
Chipped Nail Polish is a really intriguing name for a musical project. What is the inspiration behind the name?
Jill: “I actually came up with the name before I even started playing music. I always have had chipped nails and I always thought it would be a cool band name. It makes more sense now because a lot of my music is about my imperfections and shortcomings as a person. I think chipped nails are a pretty good visual representation for what the content of my songs hold.”
The genre of Chipped Nail Polish is described as ukulele indie pop. When did you learn the ukulele and why did you decide to make it such an integral element of your music?
Jill: “I started playing in 2017, so it still feels pretty recent. I wanted to learn a new instrument and guitar was so hard that I ended up getting very frustrated and tried the uke instead. I was able to instantly play some songs and it was just what I needed to keep going. It’s an integral part partially because it’s what I know best, and partially because it just sounds cool. It’s been fun playing with distortion and effects too.”
We've listened to your new EP, Bottom Feeder, which will be released on January 27th. It's great! Can you talk us through the meaning and inspiration behind the collection?
Jill: “I was living at home in Southern California when I wrote most of the songs for the EP. I had graduated from school and was really mourning my college self. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had just peaked, and was sinking. I took a lot of solo trips to the beach and got really inspired by water, the ocean, the tides and SoCal surf punk (my favorite genre in high school).
I felt like a bottom feeding fish. I felt like I was at the bottom of the food chain, lowly, forgotten, etc. Yet, despite how hard that period for me, I slowly began to realize that it was a temporary problem. Writing this EP was so healing and helped enter a ‘this too shall pass’ mindset. It made me realize that I needed the pain in order to experience the joy on the other side. This also ties in with bottom feeding fish in an ecosystem in a nerdy way. Without those fish the entire food chain would fall apart.”
What's the meaning and inspiration behind the lead single, “Rut?” Is it easy to choose which tracks to release as singles? How do you make this decision?
Jill: “I wrote ‘Rut’ at a time when I felt especially stuck and nostalgic for my past self. I feel like nobody prepares you for how weird your early 20s are. I just couldn’t really imagine my life post grad and COVID amplified that feeling of being lost.
I chose it as the single because it’s definitely my favorite song off the EP. It was partially a gut instinct, but I think it encapsulates the broader meaning of EP the best as well.”
Were there many songs written and recorded for the EP, or was it always meant to be these five tracks? If so, how did you decide on these tracks?
Jill: “I was originally aiming for an album. I had enough songs to fill it out, but it would have been less pointed and specific. I realized I really just wanted the concept of ‘Bottom Feeder’ to tell a clear story. I found that I didn’t need the extra songs to say what I wanted to say. I figured that out before I started recording so now I’m gonna have to go back and revisit those other songs.”
photo by allison barr
custom outfit by kelly madden
What's your process when writing a song? How do you begin the process and how do you know when it's done?
Jill: “It varies greatly by the song. Some songs pour right out of me in less than 15 minutes. Some take months, some I piece together from different songs. I usually like to start with a chord progression, then the vocal melody, then lyrics. I keep a lot of voice memos and write down lots of song ideas in my notes app. If I’m stuck while trying to write, I usually like to turn to those.”
Who are your musical inspirations? Whose career would you like to emulate?
Jill: “I think I’m most heavily influenced by female indie/alternative artists like Snail Mail, Phoebe Bridgers, and Beach Bunny. I love their vulnerable lyricism and dark quality to their mixes. Other prevalent influences are pop punk and surf punk. I love to write songs that I can envision people moshing too.
I really like the career path of the band SALES. I got to meet them a few years back and they talked a lot about how they’ve garnered success while staying independent and sort of on the outskirts of the music industry. It made me rethink what I want out of a career in music.”
What contemporary music are you listening to? Whose albums are you listening to lately that have struck a chord with you?
Jill: “Alice Phoebe Lou. I rediscovered her album Glow last year and it’s been on repeat ever since. It truly fits in every season and I am just absolutely in love with it. I’m really looking forward to the new Boygenius, Paramore, and Arlo Parks albums coming out later this year. All of their singles make me so excited for what’s next.”
What are your career inspirations? What would you like to achieve in the future?
Jill: “That’s something I’m still trying to sort out. I just want to make art and share it with more people. I am hoping to go on tour and open for some bigger acts this year. It’s really hard to fathom much beyond that right now but I’m just focusing on opening myself up to more opportunities and growing my community.”