Beginning his pursuit of music at the dawn of the Internet age, Atlanta native Chadd hauled himself to New York City on faith and determination. In between opening a recording studio and performing in off-Broadway plays, the singer-songwriter found work in modeling, TV, and producing tracks for independent artists. Now, he has taken his collective experiences and molded them into a personal showcase of past and present accomplishments on his second album release, Better Day (Remastered Singles). He talked with me about the surprising breaks (and bumps) that have made the outcome all the more rewarding.
You’ve been involved in a number of areas of entertainment: modeling, acting, and music. What was your initial foray, and how did that interest come about?
I feel like I was born into music. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. I started out playing trumpet, coronet, and french horn, then moved to playing keyboards, and then got interested in production. Once I started feeling like it was something I really wanted to do with my life, I went out into the world and was able to turn those talents into modeling and acting. When I first went out, I didn’t know how to get work. So, wherever I could get in or whoever would show interest, I would go with.
You’re from Atlanta originally?
Yep. I left there as a teenager and went to New York, and have been back and forth since.
Tell me about your start in New York.
I didn’t really think about it. I had a couple of leads: the girl I was living with, she was a model also. We both decided to go for it. She got an agent. and that motivated me. I started going out on auditions for off-Broadway theatre work, and that led to the next thing. On the side, I had a studio on the lower east side where I did music production. We’d do our recordings there; and at night, we’d do our bartending jobs and go out on our gigs. There was Showbiz & Backstage magazines, so I just jumped in it.
'Music is my life, music is my soul,' goes a line from the song “Music” on your 2004 debut CD, Mood. You mentioned the instruments you studied as catapulting your interest in the art form. How would you describe your music and vocal style to the uninitiated?
It’s today’s top 40, and when you really get into it, you have Latin, Island, R&B, and Rhythmic (club/dance) influences. One of my producers on the current project was big in the UK with some rock bands; the other is a Latino New York producer, who did a lot of club music. You can feel those vibes in my style.
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