Last November, Bend singer/songwriter Joel Chadd was busy raising funds on Kickstarter to help the completion of his debut solo album, "Ghost Of You." Fast forward to today and Chadd is ready to have CDs up for sale and his first single—the soft and touching "Enough's Been Said"—will be released on April 22.
When we first spoke to Chadd during his Kickstarter run, Chadd was happy and excited with his decision to take the leap into focusing on music full time. And after two years of working on these songs and getting the album together, that excitement still remains as he's about to share with everyone the collection of personal music that "Ghost Of You" holds.
"It's hard to put into words what it means to be getting this music out there. I guess it feels like you just finished a really long chapter to a book that you can't set down. You have to take a moment to reflect on it all, maybe you sleep on it, but you can't shake the excitement for what's next," says Chadd. "To share these songs after two years of work and a whole lot of life lived, feels a little like that. This is also my first time releasing singles (there will be three in total) before the full album comes out."
As the first single off the album, "Enough's Been Said," carries a lot of weight and perspective laid down from Chadd's pen. Written during a period of heavy emotion and navigating what comes next, Chadd ponders how to keep up with the pace of life when it won't stop moving. You can truly feel the emotion Chadd puts into his vocals over the country-tinged strings as he lists off descriptive parables of everyday life.
"'Enough's Been Said' was written during my mother's cancer diagnosis and during the ending of a long-term relationship," shares Chadd. "It's about the strength of love and all the human emotions that come with letting yourself explore those depths. Love is beyond words and transcends time. This song was an exploration of those feelings & emotions during that time."
Chadd officially now has CD copies of the album, and will be putting them up on his website for purchase if you didn't buy one through his Kickstarter.
"We're doing our best to play the Spotify, iTunes & Amazon algorithm game. Thankfully I do have the full album in CD form available for purchase on my website starting next week. If you use Bandcamp it's also available there for digital purchase & download."
For those looking to catch Chadd live to hear the songs of "Ghost Of You" live, he plays inside The Commons Cafe on May 14, with CDs available to buy there as well. Tickets will be live on Bend Ticket soon.
Joel Chadd
Sat., May 14, Time TBA
The Commons Cafe
875 NW Brooks St., Bend
