R&b
Chance Peña’s appearance on The Voice US at the mere age of 15 has catapulted him to success at the pop-folk world. CLASH writer Amrit Virdi caught up with the singer-songwriter before he switches the Texas country for UK stages in his upcoming tour.
“When I reached 15, there was a crossroads where I had to decide whether this was something I wanted to do, and The Voice opened my eyes to fact that this is a real career and I needed to work hard – or work my ass off, for lack of a better term.”
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Born and raised in Tyler, Texas, and still calling Texas home, Chance Peña’s passion for music has led him to amass over 12 million monthly Spotify listeners, with his career starting because he “had good rhythm when he was eight” and self-taught himself guitar from YouTube.
Now 24, he still credits his musical roots and influences to being down to his parents.
“I applied for The Voice because my dad saw if on a flyer – and it turned into a journey, to say the least. Growing up, I found my dad’s old iPod, which had a lot of Aerosmith and Guns and Roses, but a band who has a big influence on my music is The Lumineers. In 2012 or 2013, I was sitting on the staircase playing guitar and my dad said ‘one of my buddies told me about this band. They sound a lot like the music you like to play’, because I was driven towards folky-acoustic music. I listened to them, and it definitely sparked something in me, influencing the way I write songs and play guitar.”
The folk-pop scene has seen somewhat of an explosion in recent years – cue Dylan Gossett and Noah Kahan, who’ve amassed themselves a following from social media. For Chance, growing up in Texas meant country music was always in his bones.
“It was kind of always on the cards. And then when I got to 17/18 and learnt to produce, hip hop really inspired me – particularly the production of Kid Cudi’s songs. Then I moved back to my country roots in my twenties, and now it’s the first thing I play when I pick up the guitar.”
Chance’s music always has a personal, diary-like feel to it – truly honest and vulnerable. He calls his upcoming album “a labour of love with a lot of honesty in the songs and a lot of growth”, made with his closest friends, and hopes it can “console people going through anything similar”.
“I rarely go into writing a song with an idea beforehand. The music influences me, and often I mumble words and melodies until I latch onto something. Oftentimes it’s whatever I’m feeling that day or that week, and it makes its way out subconsciously. I don’t have a problem being vulnerable in that way because I’m very open with the people in my life about my thoughts and feelings, music is an easy extension of that for me.”
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With the industry mainly based in Los Angeles, Chance often flits between both, but “Texas is home” while travel is a big inspiration for his craft.
“In California, I’ve been very fortunate to connect with people in the industry and get music done intensely. But every time I come back home, I’m inspired in a different way because it’s peaceful. It’s refreshing being surrounded by different perspectives.”
“I never really travelled until my twenties, and I loved touring in Europe earlier in the year. I was very appreciative of different cultures and getting outside of my comfort zone. I think it’s really good for the mind, heart and soul, and my experiences influence my writing.”
TikTok’s virality has led to the glamorisation of the music industry in some aspects, but Chance has wise words for anyone looking to head into the industry.
“Fans and listeners see maybe 5% of what goes into it. It can be such a mental battle putting together projects or shows. Over the last year, I’ve leaned into building a team of creative and business-minded people around me and made sure we are aligned in everything we do. At times it’s hard, but it’s beautiful when you can build something you’re proud of with people you love.”
“For young artists, social media is a good aspect to work on, but it’s not the main thing. You need to be able to write your own songs, preferably while playing an instrument to solidify who you are as an artist, and be able to play in front of people. It’s easy to compare yourself through social media, but remember that everyone is on different journeys.”
Citing his song ‘Up, Up & Away’ being played in the hit movie Five Feet Apart as a career highlight, alongside getting his first publishing deal and writing a song for John Legend’s GRAMMY nominated album, Chance’s goals include playing Madison Square Garden and writing with his role models, including The Lumineers and Zach Bryan. But he also feels as if he’s on a wider mission of connectivity.
“I mainly just want the music to reach as many people as possible. I feel like that’s what I’m here to do – music is a remedy for reality, and having music to relate to can help people feel less alone in what we’re going through.”
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Catch Chance Peña on his upcoming UK shows later in the year.
Words: Amrit Virdi
