If you haven’t heard of Chela—acquaint yourself. The half Filipino, half Australian singer currently lives in LA, but was first picked up by super chic Parisian label Kitsuné. Sheesh, talk about international. We spent an awful lot of this summer with the Kitsuné-released “Romanticise” on repeat, even though it came out a year ago. It’s got real staying power. Thankfully so do her other tunes—the lately released “Handful of Gold” is no exception. Chela’s mastered the magic by writing sparky, synth-boppy, 80s-enamored melodies, edged out with just the tiniest trimming of melancholy, which makes her music all the more compelling and uplifting too.
In fact we’re so into Chela her that for Noisey’s recent three-part Live from the Streets: Bermuda Triangle special, we shipped her out to Puerto Rico with Mr. Green to create an original song inspired by the sounds of the island (watch the results here). Currently Chela’s on the road for the Check Yo Ponytail Tour alongside The Presets, Le1f, and Franki Chan (full dates below). It’s a blockbuster lineup you’d be an idiot to miss.
Videos by VICE
But back to the task at hand: Chela was kind enough to pillage her old photo albums (and ask her dad out in Aus to get scanning) for our Srapbook feature. Witness the fitness and the glory of youthful fashion faux pas.
This is a very 90s photo shoot of my sister and me that my mum probably had done in a shopping center. Nicole (my sis) clearly got the asian eyes. I love kiddy smiles—smiling with all their might. And the snowball looking clips on our heads are pret-ty cool.
So that’s my smokin’ parents on the left and my grandparents on the right who are as close as first parents to me. They will be married 70 years in January! My sister and I are down there looking kinda cheeky. This was taken in the backyard of our house which was at the entrance of a big caravan park on the peninsula of which we owned and ran. It was a magical time, running around making friends with the park community, everyone looked out for each other. I remember crying when I went back and it had all been bulldozed down to make room for an estate on the estuary. Mandurah isn’t what it used to be.
This is Nicole and me singing at the Sunday market in Rockingham near our beach house, probably singing “I Still Call Australia Home.” I wonder what all of those elderly white Nanas thought of two Eurasians singing an Australian medley in Akubura hats! I still wear Akubura today, they are a real staple.
This was one of my first solo performances—”Tutti Frutti” which turned out to be a real winner—at the Kwinana Dance Comp, an exciting annual occasion that we entered with our dance company Footwork most years of my childhood. I didn’t like to smile with my teeth because I had a massive overbite and a pertruding front tooth, which was later fixed with a purple sparkle infused plate.
From the left, is my sister who was going through some dark Matrix-esque phase at the time. She was kind of badass and got around in a leather trenchcoat and leather pants. Beside her is our ‘cuz’ Jess who I currently live with in LA, she left Perth shortly after this to become a supermodel, you can see why! Then there’s me probably getting food out my teeth, and Jess’ mum Aunty Jenny. We always had big family dinner parties so this is one of those occasions.
Years later the family moved to Melbourne and I started a band called The Gingers with these babes at age 16. This is us on tour in Brisbane, in the backyard of a punk band called The Disables who let us stay with them. Nellie, with the red hair, played guitar, and Etta, in the sweet outfit played drums. One of my memories of this tour was having a physical fight with Nellie which resulted in her slapping me in the face with a pizza slice. But we’re good now.
This is us again waiting for a tram in St. Kilda which was our stomping ground. The girls lived nearby in Elwood and I would spend most of my time with them there. We’re eating Balas which is still a great healthy food haunt in those parts! This was also the first time I made my hair orange, the girls were natural redheads (I have an unhealthy obsession with redheads) and we used to do each others hair because we didn’t have enough money for the hairdresser. We did a good job though!
Redheads, hence the name The Gingers. This is us on tour in Wollongong after getting matching tattoos in Brisbane. Lucky we’re still best friends. ;)
This picture was taken by Matt ‘Moustachio’ Solomon, and styled by Etta. They used me as a model, possibly because I was cool with breaking raw eggs into my mouth. Don’t try this at home kids!
This was one of The Gingers last shows. We supported Juliette Lewis and The Licks in Melbourne and I remember getting the warm and fuzzies when a towel-headed Juliette gave me a hug backstage and said she loved our set. Fan girl moment!
Halloween is one of my favorite times of year because I get to express my inner-self without shame. I think Luke Benge, aka Rohypnotise (check out this genuis’ tunes will ya), feels the same. This picture later inspired a filmmaker Mizuho Endo to cast me in her short film as a 16 year old boy.
Photo by Mizuho Endo.
Photo by Aubrey Devin.
In terms of style—sheesh this is always hard to answer—lately I’ve been going more for comfort, I love floating around in mega baggy items like my Mamadoux jumpsuit and $1 XXXL mens Hawaiian shirt from Jet Rag’s Sunday sale, paired with my bouncy Puma Disc Blaze Lites. I love feeling like I’m playing dress up everyday like I did when I was a child, so perhaps I get lost in it sometimes and leave the house looking like a child. A critical “follower” on Facebook recently wrote a comment saying that the way I dress myself is like that of a nine year old boy (as a diss). Alas, he had no idea how much of a compliment that was to me. That’s absolutely what I’m going for. I get most of my styling tips from The Little Rascals.
Check Yo Ponytail Tour Dates
10/26 – Denver, CO @ The Gothic *
10/28 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic *
10/29 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth %
10/30 – Montreal, QC @ Club Tulipe %
10/31 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw *
11/2 – DC @ 930 Club *
11/4 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *
11/5 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works *
11/6 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s *
11/8 – Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Festival (The Presets Only)
11/9 – El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls #
11/10 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater #
11/12 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl #
11/13 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield
11/14 – San Diego, CA @ North Park Theater #
11/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent #
* w/ Antwon, Chela, Franki Chan
# w/ LE1F, Chela, Franki Chan
% w/ Saint Pepsi, Chela, Franki Chan
