Today we’d like to introduce you to Chase Waller.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Chase. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started playing music when I was a kid. I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, listening to a lot of bluegrass and country-rock. I started writing my own songs in middle school, which were all very simple and cheesy, but I was very proud of them at the time. In high school, I made some friends who wanted to make music too, so we started a little folk band. By the time I got to college, my music interests had changed, however, and I wanted to branch out from the whole folk genre that was really mainstream at the time. So I started playing shows and looking for people to play with in college and found some people who wanted to make the pop-rock style I was shifting towards. When I graduated, El Rocko was still really just an idea, but my girlfriend at the time (now my fiance) surprised me with a recording session. I recorded a song called “Half the Day,” and after that, I signed to Yellow Racket Records and am currently working on an album.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest challenge was really myself. I am extremely critical of myself and never thought the art I was making was good enough to put out to the world. Part of this was that the bands I really admired (Slint, Swans, Duster, Red House Painters, Modest Mouse. etc.) put out incredible debut albums. I assumed that in order to make a splash, my music needed to be groundbreaking or genre-bending in some way. That was my excuse for not recording for a long time. I just played it off as “it’s not ready yet.” I had to realize that art doesn’t work that way, and the examples I held in high esteem were exceptions (which was why they are so highly regarded). A friend told me, “It’s amazing that you are making art and putting it into the world. People are listening to your idea, and that is really special.” I wish I had heard that in high school. In the world we live in, recording and getting music out there isn’t hard. It just takes the initial motivation to do it, and the understanding that whatever you have to say is worth saying.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
El Rocko is an indie rock/pop project. I kind of hate the word “indie” because it describes a process more than a genre, in my mind, but it’s also one of the only ways I can think of to describe the music. I am just trying to make good, honest, catchy music right now. I am honestly just really proud of my music. I don’t mean that in a braggadocios way, I just mean I am proud that I had an idea, completed it, and released it to the world. That said, I think in some ways, possibly due to vanity, I am also proud of how my music has been received.
One guy reviewing my most recent single, “Promises,” compared me to Red House Painters, and that absolutely floored me. I felt like I could quit my music career then and there and be content. It’s hard to say what exactly sets El Rocko apart from other bands, especially in a day when there is so much music of so many different genres. But one thing that sets El Rocko (and Yellow Racket Records) apart from a lot of small labels and projects is that we are really committed to really clean, interesting sounds. The music is fun, but the layers we record and the process of creating the dynamics of the song, and the climaxes and the denouement is what sets El Rocko’s music apart from a lot of bedroom type indie music, I think.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
That is a tough question. I honestly don’t think luck had much to do with it. Unfortunately, I think what might be seen as “luck” in my case is just privilege. I don’t want to get too political but I think I have had a lot of opportunities given to me during this process which might not be available or as accessible to many others. Sometimes I feel guilty about that, but I am learning how to try to use my privilege responsibly. Other than that, however, I think a lot of the success of El Rocko is due to good relationships. I think it was a matter of finding people who would push me to be a better writer, talk me down from my existential crises about being a bad artist, encourage me to try things, and tell me good job every once in a while. Sammie, my fiance, has especially been invaluable in that way. So, I honestly don’t think luck had as much to do with it. I think it was a matter of finding good people and having access to certain opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Website: yellowracket.com
- Phone: 9126617799
- Email: elrockoband@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/el_rocko_band/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elrockoband/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Image Credit:
The photos with long hair and blue and purple lights were taken by Carl Simakoff.
The photo with orange lighting and drums was taken by Reed Schick.
The photos in the school gymnasium bleachers were taken by Mary Kate VanderHart.
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