Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Shag.
Chelsea, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Since I was a kid, I’d be listening to the best of music that my momma and pops would play – from 60’s and 70’s rock n roll to modern pop… I had my young ears on some good stuff. I would sing with my mom and sisters. Mom inspired me to play music, so I started with the drums at age 7. From there, I would put my hands on any instrument that was in front of my little hands – piano and eventually to the guitar. I started rocking guitar at age 11 – inspired by Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, John Mayer.
From there, I learned all I could by myself. I had countless jams in my teens with my friends in Kennesaw, GA where I did most of my growing up. After I graduated high school, I enrolled at the Atlanta Institute of Music where I learned music theory and more guitar chops. I was playing gigs at restaurants by age 18, but was craving more – I wanted to be a recording artist, a songwriter. Madison Records fell into my life very randomly and very beautifully.
These guys had the recording studio of my dreams. They took me in and I’ve been recording music with them since. I’ve put a band together since then and have been growing in the Atlanta scene as a performer – Chelsea Shag… that is me. Who knows what will happen next, but I intend on growing from here.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. So many people have tried to take advantage of me. I’ve had to terminate a manager who was not looking in my best interest. I’ve had to reject contracts because of how unfair they were for the artist (me). I’ve faced many failures, but I don’t really see it that way anymore. The journey to get somewhere worthwhile is never easy.
I’ve had people tell me not to be myself. I’ve had stalkers. I’ve had all kinds of things go terribly wrong, but I couldn’t care less about any of that stuff anymore, because of where it has taken me. I still have a long way to go. I always see the best in people and no matter what happens, that won’t change, but I have definitely been able to sniff out the phony from people in this industry. My intuition has become awakened.
Chelsea Shag Music – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a songwriter, I am a recording artist, a performer, a guitarist, a soul singer. I like to focus most on my songwriting and guitar playing. When people come to see me perform, they’re expecting my guitar to soar. They’re expecting my stank face, they’re expecting me to let it all out. I love doing it.
I’m proud that since I told myself I’d be doing this at age 11, I haven’t quit. I’d say I’m most proud of my power to follow through and my resilience with it… I’m proud of the team I’ve surrounded myself with – they want success just as bad as I want it. I think I’m worth it, too – I stand out simply because my music is full of heart and I’m full of talent and I don’t follow on anybody else’s path.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It’s after the most recent show I’ve played. It’s the people in the audience singing along to my songs. It’s my team being there to support me. It’s everybody coming together to enjoy the company of others and in that night, it was my music that brought those people together. I’m so very proud of that. My music seems to bring bright energy into people listening. It’s all worth it in moments like those.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chelseashag.com
- Email: chelseashag@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/chelseashag
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/chelseashag
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/chelseashag
- Other: www.chelseashagswag.com
Image Credit:
Lourdes Sukari – http://lourdesukari.co/, Payton Haynes – www.instagram.com/payrayhay, Kara Hammond – https://www.karahammond.com/
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
