Chaz Cardigan Releases “SOS”
Chaz Cardigan continues to pair searing self-examination with supremely catchy refrains, as his new single, “S.O.S,” demonstrates. While vowing not to pull the S.O.S. in his relationships, he acknowledges a tendency to self-sabotage and admits, “I’ve got a way of getting in my way.” Chaz produced the song, which he wrote with Better Than Ezra’s Kevin Griffin. Frequent collaborator Jamie Lidell (Lianne La Havas, Hailee Steinfeld) provided additional production. Download / stream “S.O.S” HERE.
Quarantine hasn’t dampened Chaz’s creativity. In addition to the release of “S.O.S,” he’s done an hour-long livestream concert, presented by Earmilk, and unveiled two videos. In this clip, Chaz performs a stripped version of “As I’ll Ever Be,” accompanying himself on piano. The song appears on the soundtrack for the hit Netflix film To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.
Additionally, Chaz released the quarantine edition of “Not OK!” – the lead single from his new EP, Vulnerabilia (Capitol Records/Loud Robot). Echoing the song’s theme of accepting imperfections, the clip expresses optimism and levity at a time when we all must find peace in being “not OK.” Directed by Will Kendrick (Noah Cyrus, Kaskade, Ice Cube and the award-winning sci-fi short film STORM), the clip embraces the conditions uniting us and features a variety of shot-at-home setups including split screen effects, Chaz and band performance footage and 50+ video clips submitted by fans, culminating in a virtual club show. View HERE.
Hailing Chaz as a “certified 21st century pop artist,” Billboard praised “Not OK!” as “a pumping mélange of bright beats, rough guitar riffs, and hypnotic sitar lines, with Cardigan’s deeply emotive voice soaring over all.” “Not OK!” has been featured on numerous playlists, including Spotify’s The New Alt, Apple Music’s ALT CTRL and The Beats 1 lists, and can be heard on Alternative radio stations across the country.
In this recent feature, The Nashville Scene observed, “[Cardigan] has developed extraordinary musical skills as he’s used music to help cope with negative attitudes and perceptions. He writes songs grounded in compassion and honesty, often grappling frankly with mental health in a way that’s being heard more often in mainstream pop these days, following decades in which it was taboo.” StarShine called Vulnerabilia a “knockout EP” and named “Not OK!” as a weekly song pick.
A classically trained pianist who taught himself to play guitar, bass and drums, Chaz grew up in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, just outside Louisville. Inspired by Prince and Stevie Wonder’s achievements in self-producing, he saved up enough money to purchase a four-track recorder and began recording himself at age 10. By the following year he was gigging in local punk bands. Upon moving to Nashville at age 17, Chaz began producing in a local hip-hop collective called The Diatribe. He made his full-length debut with the 2017 album I. Soon he was selling out headline shows throughout Nashville. Each of his 2018 singles landed on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist. He also earned critical acclaim, with Earmilk proclaiming, “In an era where music feels increasingly homogenized, I look forward to following the blossoming career of this genuine creator.”