What is your name? Norzin Chomphel

How would you describe your genre of music?
I’d describe the music I make as pop. I’m influenced by a lot of pop music and I think that seeps into my creative process and the way I approach songwriting.

Give us a little bio about yourself!
I was born and raised in the Bay Area and I found music at a pretty early age. I can’t remember what exact age but I’d say I started singing when I was a toddler. I became obsessed with singing and performing from a young age and it became a huuuge part of my life. I’d perform wherever I could whether it was in my elementary school talent shows, for my class, or at the library. I only started consistently songwriting when I was 16 during lockdown and songwriting was a very natural path for me because listening to music that I related to had been my coping mechanism for everything. Then writing about things I was experiencing became another way of expressing my emotions. I had written a number of songs during the lockdown so I took a songwriting workshop that Rachel Efron taught and later on I showed her four songs of mine and she produced them and I put them out last November!

What made you go into music?
Like I mentioned I’ve been singing since I was a kid and music/singing had always been the thing I loved most. So when I started songwriting, putting out those songs seemed like the most natural thing to do. And I’ve been having a lot of fun with putting music out.

You released your amazing new single ‘Falling…’, tell us more about the single and the meaning behind the song.
Falling… is a love song that I kind of had no intention of writing cause I’m not in love but it’s my favorite song I’ve done so far. I also wanted to write about fate because I love the idea that so many things have to go right for you to meet all the people in your life. Whether it’s your friends or someone you’re dating, there are so many steps, missteps, right and wrong choices, and mistakes you make on your way to finding them and I think that’s a really cute and beautiful concept. Also, when you experience let downs and heartbreak sometimes it can feel like the end of the world. But it’s really beautiful and profound to me when someone can turn that around for you and make those heartbreaks seem less detrimental.

Describe the track in two words.
I’d say romantic and reflective

What was the writing and recording process like?
I wrote the song alone in my room and the first idea I had was the melody of the chorus. Then the lyrics “falling in love with you” just came to mind so I knew I was writing a love song, and then I wrote out the rest of the chorus. When I found chords to go with that melody, I wrote the first verse, the second verse, and then the bridge over those chords. Recording it was so fun because I had never written a swingy kind of song like this but I love those types of songs so hearing the band play the instrumental during the recording process was soo beautiful. Recording vocals was also fun for me because I think this is the highest I’ve sung on a song so far and I’m always excited to push myself.

Who did you work with on the single?
I had fully written the song when I showed it to Rachel Efron who produced it. Along with talking about production ideas, she helped me edit lines here and there to tighten and polish the song. Like for example I wrote “they don’t know how you got me right where you want me” into the song after Rachel’s idea to have a third line in the bridge!

Will we see a music video for ‘Falling…’, and if so, what can we expect from the creative process?
It’s not currently in the works right now though I do love making music videos and putting a lot of thought into the creative process.

Will we see an EP or Album and if so what can we expect from the creative process.
I’d love to make another body of work/my first album! Right now, though, I’m focused on putting singles out.

What else can we expect in late 2023?
More music that I’m excited to release!

Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
I see myself still doing music. I think my life will always kind of revolve around it. I can’t live without it.

What quote or saying do you always stick by?
I stick by soo many sayings but one that keeps me sane is “everything happens for a reason”. Combining that with treat people the way you want to be treated. Whatever happens to you, good or bad, knowing that you treat people as kindly as you can, can give you a sense of peace.

Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
My Instagram and TikTok 🙂