Growing up as the son of singer and songwriter Dirk Hamilton, Texas-born but Spain-based frontman Chavis Chance was always going to dip his toes into the music scene at some point. And after a flurry of fresh and engaging singles under his belt, he now returns with his latest light-hearted gem ‘Call Me’.
With its rich and soul-inspired aesthetic, ‘Call Me’ makes for an incredibly powerful and engaging new offering. Filled with soaring keys, sweeping guitar licks, and his own stunning voice at the helm, his newest delight is the perfect remedy to shake off any current woes.
So with his new single finally with us, we sat down with him to find out more about his sound and what we can expect from him in the future.
Words by Chris Bound
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Chis) Hi Chavis, how are you today?
Chavis) Hey there! Fair to middlin’ - thank you.
For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound and who have been your biggest influences so far?
Hmm. I grew up listening to a lot of folk and rock ‘n roll, so there’s definitely a lot of that in there. I like the way ‘retro-soul’ sounds as a genre but I’m not really sure that’s it. I try to take a “feeling first” sort of approach to the sound. The songs are generally lyrically driven so I’m always looking for ways to enhance the story via the production and arrangement. Depending on what the song needs the sound can really vary.
I spent most of my life almost exclusively listening to old music. Beatles, Stones, Dylan – my father, Dirk Hamilton’s music. It wasn’t until around 2014-2015 that I realized I was excited about stuff going on in the contemporary scene. Emily King, Ray LaMontagne, Allen Stone, Theo Katzman. I could go on – there’s seriously so much cool stuff being made right now.
You have just released your new single ‘Call Me.’ Can you tell us how that track came about?
I co-wrote it with my dad, Dirk Hamilton in Texas and ended up cutting the track with some friends during my time at Berklee in Boston. I think I drove the band a little crazy. Everybody was so overwhelmed and busy – well at least I was – and I insisted we rehearse the tune over and over again to get it right.
I remember one day we couldn’t get a rehearsal room on campus so we practiced the whole band in a tiny Boston apartment living room, having to play quiet enough for my unamplified voice to cut through. I think that’s when we really found the vibe and sound for the song.
And was there a particular style you were looking for when you wrote it?
I knew that I wanted to do a 6/8 soulful sort of thing. My dad has a song called ‘Joanna Ree’ that I was really emulating in the beginning. The music for the song started with that dark acoustic movement that it begins with; that sort of set the tone. Really, it’s like I said before though, I had something I was trying to say with the lyrics and the music just reflects the tone of the story.
Can we expect a new EP, or even an album from you in the near future?
Yes! I hope so. I’ve been hard at work on a new project for almost a year now. It’s nearing completion and I’m hoping to get the first single out before the year. I’ve also got some stuff cooked up for until then.
The coronavirus outbreak has obviously affected everyone’s plans, but what have you got in store for the rest of the year?
Right now, I’m mostly keeping my head down working and preparing for next year. Not a lot of gigs at the moment, but I’m really into the work I’m doing and am lucky enough to be in a position where I can focus on it right now.
And finally, what has been the strangest thing that has happened to you since you started making music?
My dad’s probably got more exciting answers to this. He has one story where him and the band have to pack up and bolt from a show when some bikers start a riot and burn the stage down.
My experiences tend to be a bit tamer. One of my favourite memories that come to mind was around the time I was finishing my song “Serendipity.” I was walking through a park area in Boston and some strangers called to me from a bench asking for a song. I just laughed and was going to politely refuse but the man quickly poured a drink from a brown bag into a plastic cup and gave me this deal: “Drink this, if you like it you have to play us a song. If you don’t, you can just keep walking.”
I took the drink and couldn’t believe how good it was - it was some really nice scotch or something. I think I actually said the word “wow” out loud after drinking it. They laughed and said I had to play a song, so I took my guitar out and sang them “Serendipity.”
After the song they told me they couldn’t believe it, but that the lyrics of that song were exactly what they’d been talking about for the last hour as they sat drinking on that park bench. I couldn’t believe it either.
I ended up sitting down and drinking the rest of the bottle with them, talking about life, coincidence, spirituality. I’ve never had a moment quite like that one. We were all really in sync and there was just something magical about the whole thing.