Joel Chadd writes and plays songs that are brutally honest and open-hearted. His themes are universal, but it feels as if they were written just for you. These are songs that explore the full range of human emotions we all navigate, drawing the listener ever-so-close.
“I have given myself to these songs entirely, pouring my heart and soul into them time & time again,” writes Chadd. “They are the raw and unhidden truths of my last two years and all that I have faced in that time. From finding a love that I never knew could exist, to searching for an understanding and view through the lens of grief, as my mother passed away. These melodies and words have washed over me again and again, guiding me through my darkest hours and providing me with the light of hope. They are the reflection of this time where love & loss, beauty & pain, have all lived so closely together.”
As Chadd reveals in his interview, “Enoughs’ Been Said” is an almost painful stream-of-consciousness recording of a man in the depths of despair recomitting to himself. It’s a powerful piece of Americana rock and deserves to be shouted from the mountains.
Does your album have an overarching theme?
I would say that the overarching theme of my album Ghost of You is love. Not to sound cliche, but love, in my opinion, is what it’s all about. The majority of the songs were written and recorded in a two-year period where I experienced major loss and grief. My mother passed at the beginning of the pandemic and seven months prior to that my friend and mentor Preston Thompson, owner of Thompson Guitars, passed away suddenly. Amidst all of this, I found a friend & partner in this life I never knew could exist.
Explain the title of your album.
The title of this album Ghost of You has multiple meanings. It is the longing that we have to be close to the ones we’ve lost. I believe the spirit of a person lives on after death and this album is me “reaching out” to keep that spirit alive and close by. The album title also refers to the version of yourself that may be pushed to the side because of life’s demands, expectations and routines. That part of you that makes you who you are. Your passion and “heart’s desire,” if you will. I want to listen to and follow that “ghost of you” as much as possible in the life that I have.
What’s the best way a fan can support you?
The best way to support my music is to give it a listen & share it with your friends & families. Let them know about it on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or wherever you like share about new music! Follow along with my tour and what’s coming up next at joelchaddmusic.com.
Who are some of your musical influences?
My dad and my grandma are some of my greatest musical influences. My grandma was a singer in the late ’40s & early ’50s in San Francisco with a big band. You know, those big ball rooms with folks dancing and dressed up all fancy like. She had an incredible voice. My dad was a semi-professional musician in the late ’60s & early ’70s in Northern California with a style very similar to Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Crosby Stills & Nash. His singing and playing, whether I knew it or not, was creating the blueprint for how I hear sound and how I write my music today. I wouldn’t be here without them.
Do you start off with the music or lyrics first? Why?
It can be either or for me. Sometimes I journal and a song starts to take shape in the words, enough to inspire me to pick up the guitar and put the words to a melody. If not the guitar it could be a piano or a lot of times I find melody through singing. Other times it’s a chord progression on guitar or a simple melody on the piano that will inspire a thought or evoke a feeling and emotion, enough to inspire me to write. Sometimes it can happen all together, like this song “Enough’s Been Said.” One of the few songs I have ever written all at once, in one sitting.