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Chasen
Track List
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Things that last are often those that are allowed to grow naturally: organic talent that develops over time, nurtured along by the love of family and friends, spread by means of a grassroots effort and good old-fashioned word of mouth.
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 Things that last are often those that are allowed to grow naturally: organic talent that develops over time, nurtured along by the love of family and friends, spread by means of a grassroots effort and good old-fashioned word of mouth.
That’s the story behind Chasen. Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Chasen Callahan had a gift that was honed during nearly a decade as a worship pastor. He built a following one person at a time, playing youth camps and conferences.
Each summer, he’d recruit students to play alongside him, but each fall Callahan’s makeshift band would inevitably head back to school while the demand for his unique brand of worship continued to grow. Enter: Evan Silver and Aaron Lord. With a full-time band in place, Chasen began recording and selling their music and a career grew naturally as Callahan did what God had asked of him. Bassist Jared Barber joined the threesome in May 2009 to round out their sound.
Through it all, Callahan continued to lead worship for his home congregation, Marathon Church, which attracted about 5,000 each Sunday. “I was content to lead worship on Sunday mornings,” Callahan says, “but I felt God saying, ‘I want you to get beyond these four walls and reach people for me.’” Chasen experienced solid radio success with two songs, the Top 5 “Crazy/Beautiful” and “Drown.” “At that point, INO Records called us,” says Callahan, “We always respected INO’s ministry and creative focus. It’s a great fit for us.”
There were others who helped along the way as well. Fellow artist and Greenville native Edwin McCain is a good friend – “he helped me get started when it came to labels” – and there’s a growing music scene nearby that includes acts like Needtobreathe. Other inspiration came from outside of South Carolina. Callahan looked to Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman as an example of lyrical excellence and David Crowder’s worship leading style and personal approach made a mark as well. Then there’s Hillsong, the Australian church and worship powerhouse. The draw was so strong that Callahan almost headed Down Under for college to experience the movement close-up. Instead, he took online courses from Berklee College, devoting himself to studying melody among other things.
All of this preparation led Callahan and the band that bears his name to where they are today: on the eve of their major label debut, That Was Then This Is Now.
Many of the tracks have a very personal story behind them. A talented songwriter himself (having penned tunes with Stellar Kart and Addison Road), Callahan teamed up with Sam Mizell (Matthew West, Michael W. Smith, Jordin Sparks) for “Slow Down” which was inspired by a conversation Callahan had with his mom on a rough day. “She’s a pastor’s wife and there’s a lot that goes into that, and there were some financial struggles, and my brother was ill. She was just bawling her eyes out. The only thing I could give her was to remind her of that verse in the Bible that says, ‘be still and know that He is God.’”
“Airplanes” is a song about loss, inspired by the untimely death of one of Callahan’s friends, while “On and On,” the album’s first radio single, is a stirring anthem penned by Callahan and Hawkins in just two hours. “The nation was reacting to the recession and weighty political issues as well as all the negativity in the media,” Callahan recalls. “We’d lost that joy, but when all else fails, God’s love never does. I serve a God that is much bigger than the economy or who our president is. His grace goes on forever so I’m not going to worry about tomorrow.”
Other tracks, like “There Is Love” are even more personal. The last song Callahan wrote for the record, it came about as he was sitting in front of a fire at a friend’s house in Nashville missing his wife and little boy. “I said, ‘God, I haven’t seen them in nearly a month and a half except for a few days,’ and I was asking Him how to cope,” Callahan explains. He wanted to communicate his love to them, but the words “I love you” didn’t seem big enough. Then inspiration hit. “I felt like John Denver for a moment there, like I was on a mountaintop somewhere,” he recalls. “God took my words and love for my family and then turned it around, saying ‘the love that you have for your wife and son is what I feel for all of my children. I know you feel out of place sometimes, but run to me.’” The song proved to be the perfect album closer.
Despite all the new opportunities, Callahan’s worship roots still run deep. “I get asked by people to record a worship album, and I probably will at some point because that’s where I started and who I am,” he says. In the meantime, fans find a worshipful quality to almost everything he writes. “On and On” wasn’t meant to be a worship song, but as the band plays it night after night they see an audience with hands raised in praise.
There’s a definite appeal to Nashville, and Callahan & Co. will most likely migrate there eventually, but for now Chasen is staying put. With a wife and young son at home, Callahan knows it’s beneficial to have the support of family nearby. Also, South Carolina provides a sort of respite from Nashville’s faster pace. “When you’re in Nashville, it always feels like work work, work, work, work -- which I do anyway,” Callahan says. “Home almost feels like a vacation, a place where I can punch out and take some time away.” With all the promise this new album holds for Chasen, Callahan will need that break more than ever.
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3/23/2010 - Chasen Lands iTunes Discovery Download Spot with "Castaway"
“Castaway,” off of Chasen’s March 9 release of That Was Then, This Is Now, will be featured as today’s free Discovery Download on iTunes ®.
To download the song, visit http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/castaway/id363323286?i=358462250. The single will be available for only one week as a free download. For Chasen Discovery Download web banners, go to http://www.inorecords.com/banners/chasen/DiscoveryDownload.html .To hear the story behind “Castaway,” check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCQTNbfYyp8.
The coveted iTunes ® spot comes just weeks after Chasen released their debut project with INO to much critical support. Below is just a sample of what the reviews are saying.
“One of 2010’s Most Likely To Succeed” – CCM Magazine
“I have no doubt that That Was Then This Is Now will occupy a prominent place in your top albums of 2010 by the end of the year.” - Christian Music Review
“I won’t be surprised if there’s a New Artist of the Year nomination for this worthy band.” - Alpha Omega News
“That Was Then, This Is Now could prove to be the beginning of something rather special.” - The Christian Manifesto
“... the success of this CD is more than assured.” - Plugged Music Reviews
“That Was Then, This Is Now is a strong pop album to close out the Winter.” 4 out of 5 stars – Jesus Freak Hideout
“When the CD hits the stores in Mid March, run, don’t walk, and go get it. You won’t be sorry.” - Extant Magazine
“Highly talented band with a stunning array of songs in their arsenal. Instantly enjoyable, Chasen Callahan's vocals are a pleasure to listen to. What a stunning album.” - Louder Than The Music
The record, co-produced with Rob Hawkins (Fireflight), features 10 personal tracks, most written by band front man Chasen Callahan who has penned songs for Addison Road and Stellar Kart among others. In addition to “Castaway,” the new album features “Slow Down,” “Love In Your Name” and “On and On” which was No. 1 on the CHR radio chart for over a month.
The band will also be joining Kutless for the “It Is Well Tour” starting in April. For a complete list of tour dates, visit http://www.chasenmusic.com/tour.php.
Chasen is comprised of Chasen Callahan, Evan Silver, Aaron Lord and Jared Barber. Callahan entered the music scene after nearly a decade of service as a worship pastor. The Greenville, South Caroline based band released their first independent project Shine Through the Stars in 2008 and experienced solid radio success with two songs landing in the Top 5,“Crazy Beautiful” and “Drown.
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2/8/2010 - Chasen Makes Major Label Debut With That Was Then, This Is Now March 9, 2010
Fresh from the back-to-back radio success of “Crazy Beautiful.” “Drown” and now “On and On,” Chasen will release That Was Then, This Is Now on March 9, 2010 marking their major record label debut with INO Records.
The record, co-produced with Rob Hawkins (Fireflight), features 10 personal tracks, most written by band front man Chasen Callahan who has penned songs for Addison Road and Stellar Kart among others. Fellow artist and good friend Edwin McCain was among the music influences for the project as well as Switchfoot, David Crowder*Band and Hillsong.
“On and On,” the album’s first radio single which already has taken the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Christian CHR for three weeks in a row and is in the Top 15 on Billboard AC Indicator/Top 20 AC Monitored, is a stirring anthem penned by Callahan. “The nation was reacting to the recession and weighty political issues as well as all the negativity in the media,” Callahan recalls. “We’d lost that joy, but when all else fails, God’s love never does. I serve a God that is much bigger than the economy or who our president is. His grace goes on forever so I’m not going to worry about tomorrow.”
Another standout tune on That Was Then, This Is Now is “Castaway” which praises the gift of redemption and a second chance. Callahan teamed up with Sam Mizell (Matthew West, Michael W. Smith, Jordin Sparks) for “Slow Down” which was inspired by a conversation Callahan had with his mother on a rough day about the comfort and peace found in Christ. Among other tracks, “There Is Love,” also deeply personal, was inspired by the amount of love God has for His children from the perspective of the Callahan’s own love for his family.
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1/7/2010 - Jason Gray to Join Way-FM's and World Vision's Speaking Louder Than Before 2010 Tour with Jeremy Camp, The Afters and Chasen
Nashville, TN (January 7, 2010) ---- Singer/songwriter, Jason Gray, will start the New Year by hitting the road on WAY-FM’s and World Vision’s Speaking Louder Than Before 2010 Tour. The tour launches January 20th in Charleston, SC and will cover fourteen dates through March. Gray joins headliner Jeremy Camp, The Afters and Chasen on the tour and for ticket information please visit www.itickets.com.
“I’m so honored to have been invited to share the stage with Jeremy Camp,” says Gray. “Not only is he one of the most successful artists in Christian music, but he’s also a man with a compelling story who has known brokenness – a theme that a lot of my music speaks to. We expect it to be a great tour and I’m so happy to be a part of it. The only problem I can foresee is that he’s pretty buff and it’s going to make me feel like I need to start working out. Shoot. I’m also looking forward to hanging out with The Afters and Chasen. What a great line-up!”
“But most of all I’m grateful to get to be the voice of World Vision on this tour and advocate for the poorest of the poor children in the world,” Gray continues. “The recession that has touched so many of us in several ways impacts the poor the most and it’s my great privilege to bring their story to our audiences. We anticipate that this will be a great evening – both with a solid musical line-up and with a lot of heart. God will be worshipped and lives will be changed.”
Speaking Louder Than Before 2010 Tour begins as Gray’s second single, “More Like Falling In Love,” is going for adds at Christian radio. Gray has been traveling the country on radio visits that started in 2009 and continues through January 2010. The song is from Gray’s current CD, Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue, which was rated as #8 in CCM’s Top Ten best faith-based albums from last year. Matt Conner says, Most unheralded songwriter in the entire industry shines again. Other media outlets have heralded the release with Worship Leader Magazine saying, Gray’s songs don’t really work as background music, they demand to be listened to and considered. And PowerSource Magazine adding, Strong stuff from a strong and very creative Christian singer and songwriter – Jason Gray.
Gray has become a popular performer on the tour circuit, as 2009 featured Gray on the Sanctus Real tour that launched in September. In December, Gray joined labelmates, Downhere and Lanae’ Hale, for the annual fifteen-city Bethlehem Skyline Tour that was sponsored by Centricity Music.
Gray’s debut CD on Centricity Music, All The Lovely Losers, was heralded as one of the top releases in 2007. Media outlets embraced the project and Gray from the start with coverage in CCM Magazine, ChristianMusicToday.com, Charisma, Christian Retailing, Worship Leader Magazine, JesusFreakHideout.com, Home Life Magazine, and Focus on the Family’s national radio show, Weekend Magazine. This project was followed with Acoustic Storytime that showcased live acoustic performances of previously released songs from concerts in Minnesota and California. Gray is known for his quick-witted humor while delivering powerful messages about perseverance rather than perfection.
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4/8/2008 - Powerhouse Pop/Rock Band CHASEN Is The First Release In New Relationship With EMI CMG Distribution And OMG Records
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – April 8, 2008 – Indie powerhouse pop/rock band Chasen will release its OMG Records debut Shine through the Stars on April 15, 2008. The project is the first from a newly announced relationship between EMI CMG Distribution and Greenville, S.C.-based OMG Records. The new long-term, worldwide distribution agreement gives EMI CMG exclusive rights to distribute all OMG Records artists to Christian and mainstream retail, and all digital and mobile outlets.
“EMI CMG is pleased to work with OMG Records to launch such an exciting, fresh talent like Chasen to a worldwide market,” said Greg Bays, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for EMI CMG Distribution. “OMG’s multidimensional approach is an effective blueprint for success in today’s entertainment environment.”
“OMG Music is resolute in taking a leading role in the growth and distribution of great music and based on the excitement building for Chasen’s debut release, we are on our way,” said Gene Krcelic, Principal Partner of OMG SportsEntertainmentMusic. “We could have chosen no better home in our music enterprise than EMI CMG. They have not only proven their success in the marketplace over many, many years, but they have demonstrated to us progressive and innovative ideas for the future.”
Chasen, also based in Greenville, South Carolina, is the brain child of worship leader and lead singer Chasen Callahan. Callahan teamed with drummer Aaron Lord and together they played more than 250 shows in 2004. The two completed the band’s lineup with the addition of Evan Silver on guitar. After two years of development with OMG Records, Chasen has recorded their full length debut, Shine through the Stars, under the production helm of award-winning producer/engineer Noel Golden (Matchbox Twenty, Edwin McCain). The band has already impacted radio with 20 weeks of airplay for their first single, “Crazy Beautiful,” which reached #2 on CRW’s Christian Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) chart. It is currently Top 10 on R&R’s CHR chart. In addition, Chasen has been extensively touring, including shows with artists such as Relient K, Sister Hazel, Edwin McCain and NEEDTOBREATHE.
“I love watching a new generation of great musicians like Chasen move into the musical landscape,” said singer/songwriter and OMG investor Edwin McCain. “There are big things in store for this band, and I’m thrilled to have them as part of the OMG family.”
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 | Chasen on the theme of their new album |  | Chasen on signing up for the HIF newsletter |  | Chasen on their new album |
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Chasen on the theme of their new album That Was Then This Is Now
The members of Chasen explain how great your life will become after signing up for the HearItFirst newsletter!
Chasen on their new album That Was Then, This Is Now
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