Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Chaz Cardigan

Singer-songwriter Chaz Cardigan isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves. For the past fifteen years, he’s been honing his craft, discovering his voice, and tapping into new sides of his artistry. He’s proof that hard work does pay off!

Earlier this year, he celebrated a huge milestone in his already impressive career as the first artist jointly signed to Capitol Records and Loud Robot, and released his highly-acclaimed debut EP, Vulnerabilia.

He follow that success with his sophomore follow-up, Holograma, firmly stamping his place as an artist on the rise.

Pop Culturalist caught up with Chaz to learn more about his career, Holograma, and more!

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Chaz: I was really lucky to grow up in a musical house. My older sister played piano, and I obsessed over her CD collection when I was a kid, so that was the spark. I begged my parents to let me learn piano and then guitar. I was always making things around the house, little inventions out of shoestring and tape, and music was something I gravitated to naturally, and then it became this ultimate thing I could create.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Chaz: Failure. I played in bands and put music out for fifteen years before I signed my record deal, and there were a lot of things I really fumbled along the way. Every time I’ve ever wanted to quit music or every time I was told “no” and had to figure out something new about myself—those moments have really made the biggest positive change on me.

PC: You grew up in Kentucky. What impact has that had on your craft?
Chaz: Because I didn’t grow up around an active scene, I had to learn how to do everything I could on my own. If I wanted to put music out, then I had to learn to play instruments, write songs, produce music, put it online, get the word out, make and sell t-shirts, book shows in other states, and travel to play them—really get my hands dirty.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Chaz: The last show that I got to play before the COVID-19 pandemic started. It was a college show at Harding University—this conservative Christian school—and the kids were just the most colorful, loud, excited crowd I’ve ever had. I had two tours booked for the spring, so my band and I saw that show as a practice gig before we took Vulnerabilia on the road, and it ended up being the only show we played in person this year. It was perfect; I had never been more proud of my band and my songs, and it really made me excited for the future.

PC: You recently released your new EP, Holograma. What inspired this body of work? How does it differentiate itself from previous releases?
Chaz: It’s more sure of itself. I know myself better now, and I really chased writing the biggest songs that I could now that I know my voice and my brain.

PC: One of the central themes of the EP is changing perspectives. What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started your career?
Chaz: Oh wow. I really wish I had learned earlier that you can’t really control anything except your own patience and presence. Timelines are almost always wrong; every negotiation that should take two hours instead takes two months. The only thing you can do is show up every day ready to work.

PC: If you had to select one song off of Holograma that best encompasses who you are as an artist, what would it be and why?
Chaz: I love this question! This is different from my “favorite,” but I think “Kamikaze.” It’s got a lot of colors going on, there’s a pulse to it, there’s some bite to it but it’s still hooky, and it pulls from a couple of different influence pools.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Chaz: Maybe Lady Gaga? She’s probably the artist I loved the most and influences my music the least.

PC: First album you bought?
Chaz: Relient K’s Mmhmm.

PC: First concert you attended?
Chaz: Third Day and David Crowder Band at the Louisville Palace. My mom was into 2000’s CCM, so I would have been seven or eight.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Chaz: Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly. I can’t think of a more world-changing album that any artist has put out in the last ten years. The lyrics, the musicality, the boldness—everything about that album was a divine experience for me the first time I heard it. It made me want to cut all of my bullsh-t and just say exactly what I needed to say.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Chaz: Royal Albert Hall.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Chaz: Podcasts! A stack of good podcasts.

To keep up with Chaz, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Listen to Holograma today.