Long before dropping his debut LP, Chanticleer Trü—frontman of the retro-futurist soul outfit Chanti Darling—had built a solid Portland fanbase and earned plenty of buzz for his soaring falsetto and visually stunning performances. But this week Chanti Darling is finally dropping RNB Vol. 1 on local record label Tender Loving Empire. In an interview with the Mercury in June, Trü explained that the album—like much of the R&B genre—centers on romance, but Chanti Darling’s focus is on creating music that pairs stellar soul vocals with a vibe that’s distinctly lighthearted.
Having been raised on R&B, jazz, gospel, and his mother’s boogie funk collection, Trü went on to study opera, composition, and musical theater. Before he started the Chanti Darling project, he even tried his hand at rock music as the lead singer of post-phunk band Magic Mouth. Trü’s eclectic, well-rounded musical background has culminated in a distinct sound inspired by the lesser-known heroes of R&B: Patrice Rushen, Cheryl Lynn, and Morris Day, among others.
