We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chad Carrier. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chad below.
Alright, Chad thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I have been able to do both. I have worked jobs all my life as well as been an entertainer and song writer. It has been a challenge to juggle all my careers.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
It all started in high school when I was introduced to bands like Queen, David Bowie and Tom Petty. I knew that is something I wanted to do. I played in a few bands in those years playing many parties and a few clubs. Vinyl Shake was the first band I started writing original songs. A friend of mine Korky Ollerton from the band LAX was joining a new band and asked me to join with him. The band was easter it started right in the thick of the punk scene one of the pioneers of the 80’s sound. With their record and 12” single getting hits on KROQ, VH1 and MTV. I live my life large enjoying every moment. We had a lot of success as well as many good musicians in the the band including Mike Ness and Brent Lyles of Social Distortion. Then I joined the intense and volatile all girl oops almost all girl band and Hollywood favorite Lovedog. With an album in Germany and touring of Europe and the west coast after being courted and not signed by the majors our drummer ended up in Four Non Blondes and Lovedog disintegrated. Followed by more local success with Black Eyed Susans and CC and the Jackpot Prize ready to start something fresh and without pretension Chad Formed Big Mess. Big Mess has gone on to record 7 albums with an 8th to be released this summer with guest vocalist on two songs Jack Grisham. We have played many tours have several videos and lots of radio airplay and songs in Movies and TV as well as Video games. I also founded the American Irish band the Shillaly Brothers with great success including a nod to be nominated to win an academy award for the song “Pop” in the soundtrack for the movie “White Irish Drinkers. You are still able to see easter and Big Mess and Chad Carrier acoustic live with several tours annually and always recording new songs. I am also the guitar player for Green Jelly and a cast member of WTF-TV. With a talk show four acoustic albums and several tours planned in 2023 it is time to get back to the music and live shows.
Albums
1986 Easter
1989 Easter (Promises)
1991 Lovedog
1993 Lovedog (Brain Spin Blues)
1995 Black Eyed Susans
1999 CC and the Jackpot Prize
2006 Big Mess EP
2008 Big Mess
2009Big Mess ( Run Until Your Sneekers Fall Off)
2010 Shillaly Brothers (Too Drunk To Fight)
2012 Big Mess (Dukes Of Uke)
2014 Big Mess (Demons)
2016 Big Mess (I Am American)
2018 Chad Carrier (Legend)
2020 Big Mess (Midlife Crisis)
2021 Chad Carrier (Not Alone)
2022 Chad Carrier (In MY Head)
2023 Chad Carrier (Oh Yeah)
DVDs
1990 Easter Live
2010 Big Mess anthology
Video
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Musicians have lost most chances of any income. Especially new or up and coming artists. With the new culture of most music being available free or with little going to the artist. The best way to support musicians and artists is to attend live shows and purchase merch or music on CD or records and tapes. You can also send money to their tip jars on money apps. Any support helps it is expensive to tour and play shows. It is also verry expensive to record and produce recordings of music. The best thing you can do is to share with all your friends the social media and show invites of your favorite artists.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is sharing my music and stories with everyone that sees me. I love people and enjoy inspiring emotions in them though our connection with music and the lyrics that are the stories I tell.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chadcarrieracoustic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chadcarrieracoustic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chad-Carrier-Solo-Acoustic-332956803916714/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigmessband
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKrciGthZfk4bkBBpusifXw
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5otDQvqOp4eGqHfhIgVc5y https://chadcarrier.bandcamp.com/releases
Image Credits
Red background photos and album cover are Jack Grisham others are Selfies