LA Directory

Chadwick Johnson

is Unbreakable

By Alexander Rodriguez

Whenever tickets for a Chadwick Johnson concert are available, snatch them fast because his fans are fierce, and his performances are quickly sold out. A staple of the Las Vegas community, the Las Vegas Review Journal calls him “a vocalist blessed with a nearly flawless voice.” Indeed. His crystal-clear voice and soaring notes quickly set him apart, he has a certain vocal magic that comes through in both his studio and live audience work. He has appeared nationally and internationally, including at Birdland’s Jazz Club in NYC, Feinstein’s at Vitello’s, The Purple Room, Catalina Jazz Club, and the prestigious Smith Center for the Performing Arts where he recorded his live album “Live In Las Vegas.”

His style is a perfect blend of jazz and pop, and his original music rivals the quality of the well-known songs he covers. He has collaborated with music icon David Foster, earning him recognition with the Hollywood Music in Media Award for “Song of The Year.” Chadwick’s 2019 album Stormy Love topped Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart and featured special guest, saxophone megastar Grace Kelly. Perhaps the key to his success is his storytelling. He is not just singing the notes, he is taking you on a journey.

His latest album, Unbreakable, is perhaps his most intimate project to date. Recorded in Nashville, the provocative track list resonates with personal themes of love, determination, and resilience. Instead of coming from a place of being broken, he shares how he overcomes what life throws at us. It is soulful and optimistic. With no signs of slowing down, he is set to release his holiday single “It’s Almost Christmas,” with a series of holiday performances in the works.

What sets your music apart from other singers?

Each of us has a specific point of view on life and all that it brings. Our perspective is unique to us. I really try to focus on bringing my unique perspective to the lyrics and melody of every song I sing whether it be a song I’m covering or one of my own original songs. At that moment, I’m not concerned with anyone else’s point of view, I just focus on filtering the song through me and my life experiences. I feel that is how we as artists can make a song of our own. We each have something unique to share and I hope that the message from my heart resonates with people.

Do you remember your first professional gig, what was it and how did it go?

My first professional gigs were in the studio singing demos for established songwriters that I had met when I first moved to Los Angeles. I was so inexperienced. I remember when the producer asked me to ad-lib at the end of a song that I was recording (meaning I needed to improvise with the lyrics and melody), I had no idea how to sing something that I hadn’t already learned and memorized. This really pushed me to discover how to find my vocal freedom and sing with abandon.

What is your creative process when writing new music?

I have been co-writing a lot over the last few years with Kalani Queypo and I think it’s a little different for each song. It is important for me to live life and experience relationships and this ever-changing world. That’s where I find my inspiration. There is usually something that one of us or both of us have been experiencing that we can draw on and write about. We often start with a catch-up conversation and chat about life and what each of us has been observing or experiencing. We find something that we both relate to, and then we begin. Sometimes it starts with a lyric idea or concept, other times I just start playing a melody on the piano and we build it from there. In all our songs, our goal is to lead with humanity and dig into the emotions and the human experience that we all have no matter where we come from or how we identify ourselves.

Do you think it is still limiting to be an openly LGBTQ singer?

I hope not. I am optimistic that people are willing to celebrate different races, beliefs, and sexes. I believe there is room for everyone in the arts.

Storytelling is a big part of your music…you share a lot on stage and through your music. Your social media focuses a lot on your career and music, not so much on your personal life. Is this an active choice?

I am an independent artist, which means that I eat, sleep, and drink my music career, and I love it, so that truly is where so much of my time is spent. I also feel like when I am in a personal setting with people, I am there to experience and connect with them. I’m not there to be thinking of my next social media post. Social media is a wonderful tool that keeps us connected but I also still have a desire to just be with my friends and loved ones and I don’t feel a need to capture it all on camera.

Tell us the inspiration behind “Unbreakable.” Are you unbreakable?

“Unbreakable” is a song that holds a tremendous amount of personal meaning for me. The message of these lyrics is my fierce answer to the struggles that may shake us but will never break us. It’s about resilience! In recent times I think we all have felt broken and uncertain of our futures. We are living in a complex and difficult world, but I hope that this song and this album will remind people of their humanity. My hope is that it will remind people that who we love and who loves us in return is the most important part of our journey. Our low moments don’t define us, we learn from them and they make us stronger, they make us “Unbreakable.”

Photos are courtesy of Chadwick Johnson

What was it like recording the album in Nashville, that must have been a surreal experience!

The “Nashville way” or recording is AWESOME! It’s organic and old school in the sense that all the musicians record playing together at the same time. The musicians there are topof-the-line and they almost always nail it in one take. It was nerve-racking to perform with them like this. I was so worried I’d make a mistake and throw them off. But it went beautifully! The musicians I was fortunate enough to work with knew just what to play to convey the emotion of my songs and it felt so good to sing with them.

What song from Unbreakable most tells your story?

There are twelve original songs on the Unbreakable album and each one holds a piece of my story. I don’t feel that there is one song that defines my journey. Maybe I’ll write a song like that someday, but there is so much living left to do. The “Unbreakable” track is probably the one that I have been really feeling lately coming out of the pandemic feeling unshaken and resilient like I could reclaim my strength and share a new part of myself with this body of original music.

I am so thankful for my fans. Without them, my music wouldn’t mean anything. I can tell you that it is absolutely no fun to sing to tables and chairs, trust me, I’ve tried it. Music and live shows are a two-way street. Let’s keep coming together to celebrate life through music.

Read more of our interview with Chadwick at GEDmag.com and check out everything Chadwick, including show dates, at ChadwickJohnson.com.

Unbreakable is now streaming on all music platforms.