Chappell Roan – aka 25-year-old Kayleigh Rose Amstutz – is something of a music industry vet. First getting signed to Atlantic at 17 years old, she was unceremonisously dropped by her record label before she even got to release an album. After years of doing odd jobs to keep afloat, she made the most epic of comebacks in 2023 with a debut record – ‘The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess – full of huge dance-pop bangers. We talk to the rising star about thrift shopping, her alter-ego and the sound words of wisdom she’s received from Olivia Rodrigo.
You’ve referred to Chappell Roan as “a drag queen version of yourself”. What do you mean by that?
It’s just how I deal with this career. It helps me compartmentalise that this is me at work and then this is me not at work. I myself am the brand, my face is the logo, all of that, so it helps when I dress up like a drag queen – I’m in drag and I’m at work and I feel free when I’m that version of myself and so confident on stage and so happy. With all that comes quite a bit of exhaustion because it’s so much energy to be the drag version of myself, but I call myself a drag queen because I dress how drag queens dress and I embrace the camp embrace the party. But I definitely can’t be that version of myself all the time. I’m pretty low-key IRL.
What do you like to do when you’re chilling?
I picked up weaving recently. I like to embroider. I really like to needlefelt and vajazzling is really, really therapeutic for me. That’s a very drag queen thing; sewing sequins on things or using a heat gun to apply gems to things. I also like to read. I just read All About Love by Bell Hooks and it’s an incredible book. And right now I’m reading, The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel. I’m always trying to read – it makes me feel better.
You were born in Missouri and now live in Los Angeles. What are some things you love and loathe about LA?
I’m struggling right now to just find the positives of LA. I have to consciously be like ‘Oh, the sun is out today, or ‘I love this restaurant’. I’ve always struggled with it here. I just feel caught in the work hurricane of at all. I find it hard to relax. Everyday I am sad because of the air quality. I walk outside, like Goddamit, why? But, you know, my favourite people live here. And that makes it worth it. And the fact that I have access to every fun thing ever. It has a lot of pros but it’s a challenge for me to remember the pros.
In your song ‘My Kink is Karma’, you’re (jokingly) revelling in an ex’s downfall. Is there something cathartic about saying those things out loud?
That song is definitely exaggerated. But what’s cathartic about it is interacting with the crowd, seeing how they’re so into it and feeding off their energy. There’s a lot of heavy anger whenever I sing it. It’s fun to get into that mood – headbanging and stuff. When I perform it live now, it’s not necessarily about my ex – it can be about the negative voices in my head or self judgement. It can be a fuck you to many different negative parts of life and I encourage that, more than wanting an ex to get into a car crash! [laughs].
You wrote ‘Pink Pony Club’ after the first time you went to a gay club. How much has songwriting helped you explore and understand your own identity?
The songs are a vessel to the LGBTQ community and they have allowed me to be in a room with all these queer people who are experiencing joy so, yes, the songs have been a way for me to to find those things in myself. But really, it was just a doorway to feeling what actual joy and party feels like on stage. That was the part that has opened my eyes the most.
What’s so amazing is to be in parts of the US and just knowing, wow, the governor of this state hates gay people and these people don’t give a f*** and they are just living their best life! Florida has a Don’t Say Gay law. But [at my show] the whole crowd was just chanting “gay, gay, gay” over and over again. It was just like so empowering to see there are queer kids everywhere and all of them are willing to fight for their rights.
You’re going on tour with Olivia Rodrigo this year – and have played with her before. Has she passed on any wisdom?
She’s just lovely. She handles her career with such grace and she’s just so with it. I look up to her a lot. We’ve talked about how to handle all the online stuff and she said something so important. She said: “There’s no right way because every artist deals with this completely differently.” I was asking, should I talk to Phoebe Bridgers? Because I was really struggling. And Olivia said “You could talk to all the artists but this is just hard and I don’t think anyone has it figured out.” I just thought that was so helpful to hear.
What are some essentials for when you’re on the road, to keep you sane and keep you happy?
I was talking about this to my roommate last night and she was like ‘How are you OK with this job?’. And I was like, ‘I don’t know if I am!’ I’m figuring it out every day, but things that I know make me feel OK are making tea – a matcha – and going to a park and either journaling or reading. And as long as I can do that every day – even if it’s just the park for 20/30 minutes, that makes me feel sane. Calling friends or relatives who aren’t in the music industry also helps. Touring is a very isolating experience – even though you’re around thousands of people every night. It’s the hardest part of the job and only a select few really understand it.
People say there are more things in place now to protect artists and look after their mental health, but it feels like there’s a long way to go
I’m very privileged to have a therapist, so that’s awesome. There are more programmes opening up to protect artists on the road and to access therapy which is amazing. It’s what we need.
You’ve had some amazing on-stage outfits and I hear you’re an avid thrift store shopper. What’s the secret to a great thrift store haul?
It’s such a pain in the ass to sift through so many boring clothes. Don’t expect to find amazing things in a Goodwill or some random charity shop. You need to stick to the people who specialise in vintage. Or try Depop but yeah, it’s a pain. You have to be patient.
