Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with Chad Shue
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
I remember, as a young boy, hearing country music coming from the radio my mother kept in our kitchen. I heard singers like Hank Williams Sr. and think I would love to do that too.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
My first thoughts about being a song writer came after I saw the biography of Hank Williams Sr. I used too make up songs and played imaginary guitars (using a broom or just a stick). I was probably around 8 or 9 years old. However, when I first saw the Beatles on television in February, 1964; I knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
My current project is centered around a review of my original material. I am revisiting all of my original songs and looking for things that would enhance or improve the writing. In the case of songs that I have previously released for streaming or radio play, I am re-mixing and remastering them to produce a more “radio friendly” offering.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
I like to think that my sound is a real reflection of my musical influences over the years. In other words, I am not ashamed if someone thinks a song of mine reminds them of Buddy Holly, or The Beatles, or Hank Williams Sr. My sound is very simple with, hopefully, a memorable storyline or a melody that is easy to recall.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
At the risk of sounding arrogant or self absorbed, I like to think that I really haven’t changed much in the way I make music. As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” As I have said, I try to remain true to my musical influences and still write my music based on the tried and true formulas that those before me introduced. While some of my storylines may be a bit more sofisticatednow than they were when I was 14, the way I tell the story remains the same. Verses, choruses, bridges; all set to an easy melody and beat.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
A guitar and a quiet room are the basic tools of my creative process. As far as the end product is concerned, I play all of my own instruments, except I do use a drum machine and a keyboard to produce synththised horns and strings for recording.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
There are quite a few Indie artists that I am quite fond of. Here in Texas where I currently live, Terri Knight and Gabe Choate are producing some very good Americana and Country music whil in my home state of Washington, Charles Dain Norman and Colin Gage are two of my favorites.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Obviously falling in love, having a heart broken, witnessing your child come into the world, or having a loved one pass away, influence what stories one can tell and set the mood for how that story is told. I write many songs to and about my wife and our life together. I have written a couple of songs about good friends who have passed and left their mark on my life.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I think most of my songs are about Love. Falling in love. Heartbreak. Looking for Love. I think love is the universal subject for most people.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
As long as I have music in my life, I am never alone and will always have a way to express myself.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
I imagine every artist dreams about playing in a major stadium or other large venue in front of thounsands of adoring fans but, as a songwriter, I mostly appreciate a smaller more intimate setting where the audience really takes the time to hear you. As a country music artist, I think the Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville would be the top of my wish list of venues.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
So many to choose. I guess at the top of my list would be Hank Williams Sr. He was my first major influenceand I would love the opportunity to play him some of my songs and compare notes. Paul McCartney would be another songwriter I would love to discuss the craft with.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
My music is available on all of the major streaming platforms such as Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, Apple Music, iHeart Radio, and many others. It is available for purchase (digital download) through Amazon and Bandcamp. I am pleased to say that I am a Featured Artist opn the syndicated “Whiskey and Cigarettes Radio Show” that airs weekly on some 40 stations around the globe. I am also a frequent contributor to the Euoropean Indie Music Network where my most recent releases are added into the rotation on another 80+ stations around the world. For more information about me and my personal journey, I do have a website, https://www.chadshue.com but, perhaps the best way to keep up and show support for me and my music is by following me on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/chadshuemusic
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
As I have begun to wind down my live performances; some 50+ years from one stage to the next, my hope is to continue to introduce my music to as many as possible via streaming and over the airwaves. I am only beginning to have my songs played on the radio and have just recently joined the Nashville Songwriters Association International in a effort to have my songs reviewed by others in the field.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I hope people will recognize that I am a man who simply loves music and just wanted to share that love with as many as possible.
