INTERVIEW: CHASE BRYANT – April 2016

Young stars come and go in today’s musical landscape, but one guy is defying the odds and has two Top 10 singles under his belt from one EP release.  With headlining dates filling most of the first half of the year mixed in with studio time wrapping up his upcoming release, Chase Bryant has been a busy guy.  I still listen to his EP on a regular basis and was given the opportunity to speak with him once again, after chatting with him last year while he was out on Tim McGraw’s Shotgun Rider tour.  As we sit backstage at Port Huron’s McMorran Theatre, we chat about his new disc, what he has learned touring, and so much more…

Toddstar: Well, Chase thanks so much for taking time out for us. I appreciate it.

Chase: Absolutely, man. Thank you.

Toddstar: I spoke to you last year, when you were on a day off. You were at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that day.

Chase: Yeah, I remember.

Toddstar: The worlds changed for you a little bit since then.  You’ve had a lot more exposure with the Tim McGraw tour. How are things for you, moving forward?

Chase:  It’s a little different, I think. We had our Top 3 with “Little Bit of You,” a Top 10 with “Take It On Back,” and now we’re working. We’re finishing a record to come out in the fall. Things are a lot different from last time we spoke, of course, and thanks to Tim and Brantley and guys like that for taking us on tour and teaching us the ropes.

Toddstar: Last year on that tour, again, you did a lot of things, like playing on top of an RV. What kind of things did you do that you learned from, that you’d like to carry forward? What kind of things did you learn from Tim and Brantley?

Chase: Really, just to stay humble and to be down-to-earth and be kind-hearted to the people and keep a level head. I think that, to me, is the most important thing about any walk in life, whether it’s music, whether, whatever it may be. I think it’s just keeping your head down and saying, “I’m going,” realizing where you come from and who has been there since day one. I’ve learned a lot of those things from those guys.

Toddstar: Chase, you mentioned a new album.

Chase: Right.

Toddstar: You also mentioned a fall release. Is this going to be a full-time deal? Is it going to be another EP, or you’re talking a full-length release?

Chase: No, it’ll be a full-length LP now. A couple of songs from the EP will probably be on the record, but most of it is going to be new stuff. We’ve got to have a full-length now. We’ve had this EP out for so long, so it’s the time. We’re ready to put out some new music.

Toddstar: Is the music in the same vein as the EP?

Chase: Oh, yeah, absolutely. A lot of it’s in the same vein. There’s some stuff that’s a little newer, a little fresher, but a lot of it’s still very definitive of who I am now.

Toddstar: You’re doing these different headlining dates. I know back in January, you were in Michigan, probably freezing when you guys played Coyote Joe’s. What’s it like for you when you’re going out and doing these headline dates now? It’s not somebody coming to see Tim McGraw and they happen upon Chase Bryant. Now, they’re coming to see Chase Bryant.  What’s that like for you as a performer, to stand there and it’s your crowd?

Chase:  When we went out and played with McGraw, a lot of times you’re spending a lot of your time trying to get people convinced that they want to listen to your music. You know what I mean? You’re convincing them to be a fan of yours. Now, they’re coming back and watching us play on our time around, like you said, so it’s another vibe for me because now I realize that people are there to hear my music and I don’t have to bend to fit into that. I just play what I know and they’ll be a fan of it.

Toddstar: Who’s out there touring now that you would love to see meld with you and hit a summer tour, maybe, or is that already in the plans?

Chase: Dan + Shay, I’m big fans of those guys. We’re all really close, really good buddies. We were texting this morning. We’ve gone on tour with those guys and Kelsea Ballerini’s great, Marin Morris, of course, is fantastic, Sam Hunt, guys like that. All those people you know, I’d love to really stay in with and do some tours with, since we’re on that young, up and coming thing. Sam, Kelsea, and guys like that who’ve already blown up, but a lot of us, it’s just fun to be around the guys that are in that same league as you and they’re just really up and coming right now.

Toddstar: With touring, can we expect more tours this summer? Can we expect festival dates? What can we expect from you this year, Chase?

Chase: All summer, you’re going to catch us doing festival dates and some headline shows here and there. The fall touring right now is up in the air. We’re got a couple of options we’re looking at and then hopefully have an answer to you here very soon. Yeah, man.

Toddstar: Professionally, who makes you still want to pick up the guitar and play? Who’s still inspiring you to go out and do what you do?

Chase: People playing in my band and people I work with. They’re all really good musicians and every day we come in to play, it’s like sound check is the fun, get to do whatever you want. Every day is different. We all really still like playing with each other and playing music with each other, and that to me, is a big inspiration, to be able to surround yourself with people that you really want to play with.

Toddstar: Personally, who still inspires you?

Chase: Golly, oh man, that’s a good one. Probably guys like Keith Urban, guys like him, guys like Brad Paisley, guys like Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac and bands like that really still make me want to pick up a guitar and play. Seeing all, what happened to Prince, of course, this week too, is another one of those things. You take for granted. I think you take a lot of that with a grain of sand because it’s like, “Oh, I’ll catch him one day.” You know what I mean? I’m glad to say I’ve seen most, a lot of my heroes. I never got to see Prince play, but guys like that who were just incredible musicians and played everything on a record, just personally, to me, is inspiring to want to play.

Toddstar: That’s a great point. When it comes to things like that, what song or what album would you love to go back and put your stamp on?

Chase: Fleetwood Mac, Rumors. That would probably be the one for me. That was the record that defined who I am, I think. Bryan Adams, 18 ’til I Die, maybe those two records would be the ones I would want to go back to and probably reiterate what I would do on top of them. That would be the thing for me.

Toddstar: All right. You mentioned Prince and you mentioned that last minute, last ride. You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow. If this were to end tomorrow, just the music industry was to cease tomorrow, what have you done Chase that you would say you’re most proud of at this point?

Chase: I’ve been myself since day one, never changed. I was the same kid I was growing up as I am now. That’s the only thing I’m really… I hope I get to leave behind, is that. I may wake up tomorrow and I may never wake up again. You never know. For me, I want people to realize that I was the same guy I was from when I was a kid and I was still the same and still had the same views and the same ears that I did when I was a kid. I had the same friends coming in, the same people that I’ve always cared about, my family, my guys that are with me now. That’s what I hope I leave behind.

Toddstar: Well, I know you’re busy. I know you’ve got a lot to get to. I’m going to let you get to that. Thank you so much for your time.

Chase: Thank you very much, man. I really do appreciate it.

Toddstar: Thank you.

Chase: All right, man, have fun. Thanks, man.

CHASE BRYANT LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Category: Interviews