When I can no longer remember my dreams upon waking,
I will make my waking more dreamlike.
—Ingrid Chavez

A few years ago I was going through a pretty intense David Sylvian “phase” that was instigated by reading Anthony Reynold’s excellent Japan bio A Foreign Place and I was struck by one of his obscure b-sides, “Whose Trip is This?” A collaboration with his then wife Ingrid Chavez—best known for her role as the angel girl in Prince’s Graffiti Bridge movie and co-writing Madonna’s “Justify My Love”—the song sounded nothing much like anything else that I was familiar with in Sylvian’s vast back catalog. I played it on repeat several times a day for like… an entire year. It instantly zoomed into my personal pantheon of all time favorite pop songs.

Soon after discovering “Whose Trip Is This?” I pulled out Madonna’s Immaculate Collection and played “Justify My Love” about which, I thought, hmmm… that doesn’t sound much like anything else from Madge’s back catalog either?

Cut to me sitting at my keyboard buying used copies of Chavez’s Prince collaboration May 19, 1992 and her brilliant “Elephant Box” single. Yes, please.

It’s accurate to say that Ingrid Chavez has a signature “thing” that she does. Not that I want to imply that her music is formulaic, because it’s certainly not. However, she whispers as much as she sings, and her girly, breathy voice—her amazing voice—is always very separate from the backing track, similar to the way that “spoken word” tends to be mixed. There is almost always a sexy, languid sort of beat and no sharp edges anywhere to be found. Her melodies are always catchy. The template that first appears in “Justify My Love” is a constant, but Chavez finds a lot of variety in that form.

And then there are her words. Chavez’s lyrics often take the form of affirmation, observations of beauty in people and nature, or romantic advice. She writes in a direct and universal manner that allows almost any listener to project themselves onto her words. She’s rather adept at expressing herself, you might say.

Memories of Flying, Ingrid Chavez’s new album comes out today and I highly recommend that you give it your time and attention. I realize that the majority of readers probably only know Chavez via Graffiti Bridge, if they know of her at all, but take my advice, get to know her music or you’re really missing out on a mature, major artist, albeit a somewhat obscure one who records rather infrequently. Each and every single song on this album could be a hit, if not for Chavez, for younger performers. All of them could be used to great effect in film and TV. She could be one of the top songwriters in America, truly and this album is very much worth your time and attention. It’s tranquil. It’s relaxing. Intimate. Lush. Delicate. Sensual. And wise. It’s music that wants to heal you.

You can stream Memories of Flying on Spotify, but (trust me on this) the vinyl mastering is outstanding. If you care about such things—and you should—get the record.

I asked Ingrid Chavez some questions via email.

Richard Metzger: Do the words always come first?

Ingrid Chavez: No, most often, the words are secondary. First comes the natural melody and rhythm of whatever music I am working with. Driving and humming to the blur of nature, letting words take shape falling into place naturally. The goal for me is to get out of my head and into my heart, to not think so much, but to feel. Driving helps in that process for me.

Who are your collaborators on Memories of Flying?

Ingrid Chavez: Mads Nordheim produced the song “Light Rays.” I sent the demo to him knowing that he would understand how to work with the simplicity of the song. It is one of my favorite tracks on the record, and it was important that sense of intimacy not be lost with a big musical production. Mads understood that and kept the music minimal.
 

 
It’s obvious who “You Gave Me Wings” is about. What were you doing when you heard Prince had died?

Ingrid Chavez: Ganga, an artist out of Denmark sent me a track that I had been sitting with for a few weeks. I knew that I wanted to work with it, but was waiting for the right time to dive into it. April 21, 2016, I decided to take a drive. I brought a copy of the Ganga track with me along with my newly adopted puppy Suki. I stopped at a cafe to grab a coffee when I received a call from my friend Katherine asking me if I heard the news about Prince. She wasn’t sure if it was a hoax. In the short time that we were on the phone, my phone started blowing up and it quickly became apparent that Prince was gone. I just started driving, listening to the track that I had brought with me. Tears were streaming down my face as I drove, the melody and words forming.  I stopped in the town of Montague, MA. at a cafe and wrote down the words. That road will forever remind me of that day.

Why are there so many years between your albums?

Ingrid Chavez: I released my first full length album in 1991 on Paisley Park Records and then I married David Sylvian and we started a family. For the most part, I devoted my time and energy to raising our children. During that period, I recorded an EP with David called Little Girls With 99 Lives, and I joined a band called OVA in Minneapolis. In 2007, I began recording for my second full-length album, A Flutter And Some Words. I have come to realize with the upcoming release of Memories of Flying that there is about a four year period between each release. That’s about how long it takes for me to conceive a new album, write, record, mix, master and design the artwork. I still believe in the album, the idea of telling a story in chapters or songs. Albums take time and in that time, an artist must live and evolve.
 

“All the Love in the World” video
 

“Gold In Its Way”
 

“Whose Trip is This?” with David Sylvian