by danielle holian
photo by joelle grace
Kentucky-born musical artist Chaz Cardigan is making his way onto people’s radars with his musical talents after the release of his debut EP Vulnerabilia. Being open about his deepest insecurities and other troubles, he builds each track with a high-energy sound that immediately captures the attention of the listener. His follow-up EP, Holograma, sees a lot of growth that radiates in both his life and music. Moving forward with this new music collection of tracks, there’s a lot of in-depth reflection around his faith, past relationships, self-esteem, and sexuality, purely making sure there’s something for everyone all while being truthful to himself as an artist.
Unclear Magazine caught up with Chaz to discuss the release of his brand-new EP, his background in music, getting a record deal, and much more below.
For our readers, please tell us a bit about your background in music.
Chaz: “Sure! I grew up really fascinated by making things. As a kid I would make a bunch of little inventions out of shoestring or duct tape, or make up story ideas, or dance routines or whatever; I kind of stumbled into music because it was this ultimate way to make something and share it over and over again. I started playing in bands when I was about 10, and I made daily trips to Nashville to study songwriting and production from the time I was 13 until I graduated high school and moved there. I worked a bunch of odd jobs, supplemented my income producing tracks for rappers and pop artists, and I made the first Chaz Cardigan album while I was couch surfing and playing bass in a rock group. After I put that record out things just started moving, I played a ton of shows that just kept getting bigger, and then I signed with Capitol early last year.”
Who or what are your musical influences?
C: “Always changing, but the main handful over my life that stay the same are David Bowie, Imogen Heap, and Kanye West.”
You refer to your songwriting as “cracking the codes to emotion,” how important is it for you to have depth in your music?
C: “I think it’s the only thing you can do if you’re trying to have a career. Anybody can sing, anybody can write a song, anyone can learn to produce music and release it online; you’ve got to share something specific or give some kind of new perspective, or you’re dead in the water.”
Earlier this year you released your EP, Vulnerabilia. What inspired the EP?
C: “Therapy, honestly. I wrote all of those songs throughout 2018 while I was taking my mental health seriously for the first time and really learning my bad habits and trying to be more a mindful person. Each of those songs was written during or after a panic attack, trying to get to the bottom of myself.”
And where did the idea for your follow-up EP of Holograma, come from?
C: “Holograma is about watching my ideas and my relationships change. After I signed my record deal, the pace of everything just ratcheted up: I was traveling a lot more, I was in my first really serious relationship, and all of the relationships in my life were changing with my team, my family, and my friends. All of the songs I wrote in 2019 had this through line of flux, and looking back at old memories with new context. It’s more of a storytelling record.”
Your music is very visual, how involved are you in the creative process?
C: “Incredibly. I had gotten into college for film, but I couldn’t afford to go, and most of the ideas I have are visual. Connecting with the Bad Robot crew and getting to make videos with them as part of my job is super surreal.”
And you signed your record deal with Capitol earlier this year, how did that come about?
C: “I went to LA for the first time in 2018, and met an A&R at Capitol who was a mutual friend of my manager’s. We really hit it off and talked for a few hours about music and politics and tech. A few months later I played my first show in LA, a few of the Capitol crew were there, and that’s what landed the deal.”
What would you say was your biggest challenge breaking into the music industry?
C: “This is a great question. I think there’s an expectation that artists are supposed to come out of the womb fully developed creatively, and have a really defined vision by the time they’re 16 or 17, and that’s just not how brains or identities work. I’ve noticed that kids who grow up in major entertainment hub cities like LA or New York or London are able to soak in more of the industry, and kind of learn what to parrot very early on, and access to a good network is closer, so there’s never a shortage of wunderkind artists from major cities. I think my biggest challenge was growing up in Kentucky — where there wasn’t really a local music scene — and then having to figure myself out in Nashville — where there wasn’t a scene at the time for what I was making — and without having the grace of meeting people through college, all before social media really exploded and every kid got GarageBand pre-installed on their phones. I really had to scratch and climb in a city where people treated me like I was an alien, and I still only have anything because of friends I climbed with along the way, and I’m seriously so grateful for that experience. It’s been a blast, and I’ve loved it.”
What do you want the listeners to take away from your music?
C: “Nothing lasts, and that’s beautiful; take it all in.”
And finally, what’s one fun fact about yourself for our readers?
C: “I am a massive Star Wars dork. For whatever reason, my brain just keeps a whole quadrant cleared out for weird Star Wars trivia and lore.”