Joh Chase’s musical journey has been a winding but steady evolution. While they were raised Evangelical and originally wrote songs that grappled with leaving the church, Chase found revelations in classic and introspective songwriting. “My brain is completely filled with the music I was raised on: Elton John, The Cranberries, Bonnie Raitt, and the Mamas and the Papas,” they say. “I will always think of my music through that template while trying to find a place for myself in the world and pushing the boundaries of that.”
Check out “Risking It With You”, the perfectly stripped-down alt-folk ballad from Kill Rock Stars artist Chase. The simple raw and unhinged recording floats by on crunching guitar tone, stimulating the ethereal part of our mind, the quiet thoughtful space that we long to inhabit on a day where for just a moment everything makes sense, even in its most chaotic personification. “Risking It With You” is a poetic and compelling breath of fresh air.
“After many years of watching dear friends walk through all the ups and downs of life while in a relationship, this felt like the first honest place to start writing a song about my relationship. We learn so much from friends and family – how difficult things are – when answers aren’t easy or love isn’t just a “yes” or a folding in. I needed to write a song that captured the surprises that come with time – in it all, the only thing I can control is my devotion. I needed to paint the uncomfortable pictures of life before I could land the heartfelt depth of my expression of devotion. Despite all the things that could knock us off our feet, I’m going to keep walking this way with you, because I’m devoted to the path.”
