Chelsea Amber Nisbett might be a new name for many on these shores, but the budding singer-songwriter has long been making a name for herself in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Miss Nisbett, the daughter of Bermudian Thomas W.L. Nisbett and the granddaughter of Anglican Church Canon Thomas Nisbett, is preparing to release her third album ‘Introducing Chelsea Amber’.

So far the 27-year-old has completed four songs from the upcoming pop-soul album and is hoping to get back into a Los Angeles-based studio soon to finish another six.

“It has been kind of a slow process, but also one that has really helped me to develop as an artist, find my sound and learn what it means to take something good and put in the extra work to make it great,” she said.

“I’m currently working with a Grammy nominated musician, Paul Colman, who has been mentoring me and hammering that lesson into my head: ‘You need to put in the effort and time’. ‘You can’t just settle for good, it has to be great’.”

Miss Nisbett said one of the biggest challenges of being an independent artist is gathering up enough funds to finish the album.

She recently launched a campaign on crowdfunding site: www.indiegogo.com in order to raise $19,000 to meet her goal. The money will cover everything from recording, production, mixing and mastering, as well as the cost it takes to produce a music video, send singles to radio stations across North America, and fund a small tour to promote the album.

The up-and-coming artist told The Royal Gazette she was aiming to have the album released this year, but isn’t quite sure when yet.

“When you’re making an album you get whatever you pay for, so if you want a quality album you have to invest in that,” she explained.

“My goal is when people hear it on the radio they can’t tell the difference between me as an independent artist, and the major label pop artist. I want the quality to be there, but that costs money and time. Still it’s a worthy investment because I want to get music on the radio that has a positive message.”

One of the biggest priorities that Miss Nisbett has set for her music career is to be a role model for young listeners.

She said she tries to live her life so she can be an example to others, but added that: “I’m not perfect by any means.”

“I don’t think it’s about perfection, it’s about the journey,” she said. “In fact I have a song about just that — shrugging off the need to be perfect. It’s called ‘Beautiful Mess Of A Girl’.”

Miss Nisbett grew up singing in the church from an early age. Her mom recalls a day when they were worshipping in the service and a very young Miss Nisbett stepped out of the church pew to go to the front of the space and sing for everyone.

“I always knew singing was what I wanted to do with my life, it was just a matter of figuring out when to go for it,” she said.

“Then in 2005, after graduating from high school, I thought that was the time to start pursuing music and see where it could go.

“I was in university until 2010, but had the opportunity to perform at events for school and at church. And through that there was someone from a Nova Scotia based record company who heard me sing, and approached me to tell me about a grant that was available that I could apply for to get my first album recorded.

“I was able to get the grant for my first CD, which came out in 2007.”

Miss Nisbett’s goal is for people to come away from her music with a sense of hope and value in who they are as individuals.

One upbeat song off the upcoming album which means a lot to her is called ‘Diamond In the Rough’. When she heard a demo of the song, she admitted it was the first time in her career that she went away thinking she’d found the perfect sound and direction for her music.

Another tune that’s close to her heart is called ‘You Will Never Let Me Go’.

“It’s a very real song about the importance of having hope in the midst of struggles, so the lyrics are very dear to me,” she explained.

Although a performing career comes with its challenges, Miss Nisbett said it’s the people she’s been able to meet and touch that keep her going.

“The fact that I get to pour into people when they come to my concerts and send them away with encouragement and a little more confidence is amazing to me,” she said. She also gets to make a small impact on the wider world through her involvement with child sponsorship programme, Compassion.

At each concert she gets to spread the word about the organisation and give fans the chance to sponsor a child.

In addition to that, one dollar from every purchase of her last album went straight to anti-human trafficking charity IJM.

Miss Nisbett said: “I think music is an amazing opportunity to make a difference in the world, so why not use it for good? If I am just doing it for myself I may see the benefits, but if I can make an impact in the world I’d rather do that.

“My music has a large female following so if I am able to give back in that area and help women who find themselves in sad situations like trafficking then that’s important to take those opportunities.”

To follow more on her career and latest album ‘Introducing Chelsea Amber’, you can follow the artist’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChelseaAmberMusic. Or to help Miss Nisbett finish her album, you can donate by visiting: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/introducing-chelsea-amber-the-album.