Interview: Chief Cleopatra on Her ACL Debut
Austin’s own Chief Cleopatra sat down with Afterglow to discuss her soul-rock influences and her hopes for her first ACL performance.
Written by Janie Bickerton
Photo courtesy of Ismael Quintanilla III
Not only is Austin City Limits a place for music lovers to see the industry’s biggest names, but it also spotlights up-and-coming artists hailing from the heart of Texas. One of these local starlets is Jalesa Jessie (aka Chief Cleopatra), a soul-rock singer from the outskirts of Dallas. Never afraid to genre-bend and reflect her authentic self in her lyrics, Chief Cleopatra encapsulates the kind of artist meant to play at ACL, an eclectic festival that is unapologetically Texan. The singer took time out of her busy weekend to chat about how far she’s come from her church choir days and where she plans to take her next record.
Afterglow: First of all, I wanted to say congratulations on playing ACL for the first time. This is a really big deal! How does it feel to perform at the largest music festival in Texas?
Chief Cleopatra: It still hasn't really hit me yet, being like a day out. It just feels very surreal. I'm very excited. I’m ready to give it a great performance and hopefully gain new fans from the experience of this first time!
You grew up in Corsicana, Texas, and you’re now based in Austin. How do you think your Texan identity has shaped your sound and artistry?
Chief Cleopatra: I think it [has] shaped so much because I grew up in Corsicana. I played in the church, I played drums, and sang in choir and all that stuff. I feel like a lot of that [is incorporated] into the music that I make now. Growing up, all I knew was harmonies and soul artists that my parents would listen to back in Corsicana. I think that has definitely shaped a lot of what I do now, just being from … a Southern Black family that went to church.
You played the drums while you were growing up and are returning to the drum set in your shows this week. How has your relationship with the drums changed over the years?
Chief Cleopatra: I think the drums [were] mad at me at one point. But … getting geared up for this festival, rehearsing as much as I have, it's been like riding a bike. I've been missing playing drums. I used to play drums in a lot of different bands back in Corsicana. I [was] even in a metal band at one point. It’s something that I haven't done in such a long time, and it called me home, so I'm very excited to be back where I belong on stage because I'm used to doing it. I've never really been a frontwoman, so this is kind of a full circle moment for me.
Earlier this year, you released a single, “Cold Dancer,” which features more of a funk and house sound. Can listeners expect more of these electronic beats from you in the future? Where do you plan to take your next project?
Chief Cleopatra: Yeah, I hope to incorporate more electronic beats in the future, and in my next project, I really just want to dive more into experimenting with psychedelic and electronic noises, as well as getting into the studio and playing drums myself on a lot of tracks. I hope to collaborate with more musicians here in the city. [For my new project,] I'm actually talking to Jake Lloyd right now, who's a very prominent Austin musician here, and Deezie Brown — I think we're getting ready to do some stuff after ACL, get [into] the studio and record some things. But mainly, I just want to make sure I keep that rock foundation to my music because that's what I grew up on, that's what I discovered and fell in love with as soon as I heard it … but I definitely wanna dive more into electronics and more psychedelic [music]. This is more [about] developing what I already have going on, too. Pushing it as much as I can without bleeding out anyone's ears or getting on anyone's nerves or going too far [into] the deep end. It's all an experience, though — an experiment. And that's what I love doing: getting in the studio and seeing what I can come up with.
Tell me a little bit more about your soul-rock sound that you've developed. Who are your biggest influences in that genre?
Chief Cleopatra: I’d say for sure Led Zeppelin, Tina Turner, Red Hot Chili Peppers — I get a lot [my inspiration] from them. I grew up loving them. Even Tool …. There are so many bands that I would listen to. My Morning Jacket. And then of course, even though I'm singing a lot, there's a lot of hip-hop elements too, so I love listening to Wu-Tang [Clan] and old-school rap. The meat is in the ’90s rap for me. And like I said, growing up listening to R&B with my parents and this and that, Earth, Wind & Fire … [Parliament-Funkadelic], I think that’s where I got my soul sound.
One of my personal favorite songs of yours is “Friends,” off of your 2022 EP, Luna. I’m especially entranced by the echoes that you have in the chorus and its darker funk influence throughout. Could you speak on what inspired you in the writing and production process for the song?
Chief Cleopatra: I had a friend … that I was very close with for years, and we weren't so close anymore after other relationships got in the mix, and it really hurt me. I loved this person so, so much, and just to see that friendship kind of wither because of … superficial things or whatever the case — it was a lot for me. So I went ahead and wrote this song years ago and just [talked] about it. That’s where “Friends” came from, and it's a therapeutic thing to write like that and to just be like, “Hey, okay, you have these experiences, and hey, other people have these experiences, too.” People relate to it, so it means even more to me that somebody comes up to me and [says], “Hey, your song has gotten me through this.” And people, including friends, [have related] …. It's beyond words to describe how that makes me feel when people come up to me and say, ‘Your song has influenced me in a positive way.’
Yeah, I’m really excited to hear it live!One more question: What are you most looking forward to in your ACL debut? What do you hope to show festival-goers who are new to your music?
Chief Cleopatra: I'm really looking forward to seeing new faces, new fans, people that have never heard [my music]. I'm really looking forward to people who are just walking around and don't even know what's going on, and they come to our stage and see [us]. Also, really just getting [my name] out there. I mean, I don't know if I'm gonna play this festival ever again, so I just wanna get out there and give it 100%, 110% … just leave it all on the table. It's gonna be great. I'm so excited!
This interview has been minimally edited for clarity and length.
You can follow Chief Cleopatra on Instagram and stream her music on Spotify and Apple Music.