Henry Chadwick is Marlin Fisher is Henry Chadwick
Photo Courtesy of Henry Chadwick
Chadwick Kicks off Marlin Fisher Tour with a Special Stop in LA Aug. 18.
@ the Love Song Bar in Los Angeles
The perfect medicine for a broken heart. Soak your feelings in the slight distortion. Let the reverb guide your tears. Let it all muddle out. Henry Chadwick’s music is nostalgic, catchy, and has some sweet studio quality.
The last time I saw Henry Chadwick perform was in Feb. at Moe’s Alley in Santa Cruz. The bassist from a local band called Dantoo compared their sound to Nirvana. It was like the song structure took the audience on a merry-go-round. Each verse going deeper and deeper into why the relationship just won’t work.
“Our love is like a chicken with no head/ living on after it’s dead/ everybody loves to phone it in, I’m turning off and on again,” sang Chadwick on stage.
His lyrics— short and rhythmic, set up a clean poppy vibe with some hints of 90s don’t-care flare. Now it’s not exactly grunge-raw, but there is a twangy distortion on the self-titled single off his Guest at Home EP. A slow, steady rhythm that builds up to a breakdown. The not-so-perfect cathartic release— cue a nod of realization/groove. Every song on this EP holds a tinge of sarcasm, apathy, and boy-ish nonchalant-ness.
“I was in a long term relationship that had been off and on again, it got to the point where you knew it had to sort of end, or something wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t a totally bitter song by any means,” said Chadwick on the lyrics of “Guest at Home”.
The merry-go-round metaphor made sense. The first verse was written about what it was like being beside her. The second, without her. The third verse is when they got back together, Chadwick explained for an UnPocoAwkward exclusive. You could easily figure it out by reading the lyrics, but give the man some credit. The art of taking real life pain/situations and constructing them into a creative thing is tough, but sharing it openly is an even more tender act.
“When you write a song you always want your music to be heard. It’s pretty personal stuff so it’s really cool when you hear feedback.”
Chadwick has just released three singles titled “Change”, “Wrong Way” and “Bag of Chips” off his upcoming album Marlin Fisher. The songs, toned-down and slacky each come with their own music video created by Chadwick. Stop motion letters, hand-drawn cartoons and acid wash colors keep your mind swimming. Who is Marlin Fisher you ask? Well, that’s Henry Chadwick’s middle name. Why did he name his second album that you ask?
“A lot of the songs on the album dealt with aspects of myself and my personality that I am not particularly proud of, or that I’m sort of embarrassed by when I think about them. I think that the names sort of represent that.”
Chadwick’s project has taken years to perfect, like all of our self-growth processes, but he’s finally out there doing it and making it happen. He was featured on Rolling Stone’s “Best Pop Albums of 2016” and is currently kicking off his Northern California tour, with a special stop in Los Angeles.
“[I think] making music or art starts out for yourself, and if it just sits there for too long...I start to go crazy. It’s nice to know that it can reach ears,” said Chadwick.
And he’s definitely reaching ears, as he will be continuing the rest of his tour in California. Chadwick is currently set to play 9 more shows, and expects more to be announced. His band plays at the Love Song Bar in Los Angeles on Aug. 18th for an LA record release show. He will also be playing in Santa Cruz on August 25th at the Crepe Place.
His band's current line up will feature Eddie Curzon on guitar and vox, Zach Scott on bass and vox, and Anders Cochran on drums.
Check out his tour dates below:
August 18th - Love Song Bar - Los Angeles, CA (LA Record Release Show)
August 25th - The Crepe Place - Santa Cruz, CA (Santa Cruz Record Release Show)
August 30th - Smiley's Schooner Saloon - Bolinas, CA
August 31st - The Dip - Redding, CA
September 1st - Oberon's - Ashland, OR
September 2nd - Strum - Portland, OR
September 4th - Central Saloon, Seattle, WA
September 5th - LaurelThirst - Portland, OR
September 6th - Axe & Fiddle - Cottage Grove, OR
September 8th - Amnesia - San Francisco, CA