Chaz Cardigan
By Kolbe Gelbaugh
“It’s all about shifting, about things becoming new things,” said Chaz Cardigan, Nashville based alternative indie/rock pop artist as he reflects on the meaning of his latest album “Holograma” released on October 22.
Hitting the scene in 2017 with his first LP, the 25-year-old singer songwriter has made a name for himself in the music industry, captivating listeners with his youthful and uplifting energy.
Chaz recently signed with Capitol Records and has since built a growing fanbase with 14.2k Instagram followers and 176,270 monthly listeners on Spotify.
With 2020 being his most successful year yet, Chaz released his first EP, “Vulnerabilia”, and had his song "As I'll Ever Be" featured in the Netflix film To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.
Chaz says these past few years of change, growth and transition from his teenage years to young adulthood are fully funneled into his latest album giving the project a nuance of nostalgia.
“All of my relationship dynamics were changing with my family, with my friends, with my team members,” said Cardigan, “and so many of the songs on ‘Holograma’ were trying to capture that shifting of narratives, that shifting of perspectives.”
The fourth song of the album, “Room,” takes the listener straight back to a distinct high school memory of his, sitting in the bedroom of the first person he was in love with.
“In writing ‘Room,’ it unlocked this thing for me,” Cardigan said. “I just realized I've never really been as invested in a relationship since that first one, because I'm always chasing that initial high.”
Through writing about his feelings, Chaz was able to let go of his habit of chasing the initial ‘buzz’ of being in love. He says that chasing a feeling rather than a person in a relationship is a toxic trait he’s managed to outgrow.
The young musician doesn’t know if he would ever want to be famous but rather cares more for whether or not people can feel a connection to his music.
“I hope that being as transparent as possible means that the music connects in a more personal way for people.”
Growing up in a small town in Kentucky, Chaz picked up a love for music in his early childhood and taught himself to play the bass, drums and guitar. Some of the major inspiration and influences for “Holograma” came from his teen years.
“I really made songs I wish I'd heard as a teenager,” he said. “I hear a lot of influence from minivan rock bands that I would have heard around the early 2000s, like Third Eye Blind and the Goo Goo Dolls. And also, I think there's some Lana Del Rey moments in there.”
As the multi-talented and down-to-earth artist he is, it’s no surprise that Chaz’s positivity and relatability has captured the growing fanbase he has.
It’s unclear when Cardigan will be able to perform in concert again due to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, but as an artist who strives to connect with his listeners, it’s still top priority.
“In any other world, I would have said my vision is to play a great show and to share some really great moments with people through these songs,” he said. “So, I would say that's still my vision to share really special moments with people through these songs, whoever finds them, however they find them. I just really hope the songs are helpful in some way, and that they let people feel their feelings.”
Chaz Cardigan’s global streaming link: https://chazcardigan.lnk.to/hologramaIB
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