Chase Pagan

by Stewart Mason
Born in Arkansas but based in Memphis, TN, singer/songwriter Chase Pagan's heart-on-sleeve tunes come across like Jeff Buckley for the Coldplay generation, balancing earnest lyrics and impassioned (often falsetto) vocals with pleasantly catchy keyboard-based alternative pop. Surprisingly, Pagan also has roots in the post-hardcore alternative metal scene; his first production deal came about as a result of his demos falling into the hands of members of the screamo act Glassjaw, who in turn recommended Pagan to premier nu metal producer Ross Robinson (Limp Bizkit, Slipknot). Signed to Geffen Records through a deal with Robinson's own label, I Am Recordings, Pagan and Robinson recorded Pagan's proposed debut album through 2004 and early 2005, with backing from Glassjaw's Manny Carrero and Jane's Addiction's Stephen Perkins, among others. When an unimpressed Geffen rejected the finished album, Pagan saw the stylistic handwriting on the wall and abandoned both Robinson and his nu metal leanings in favor of a complete artistic overhaul. Reinventing himself as a sensitive rocker, Pagan recorded his second attempt at a debut album, Oh, Musica!, during a single two-week session that featured almost entirely acoustic arrangements and various theatrical touches. Pagan signed to the indie label The Militia Group in late 2006, and the free digital release of his debut EP, Oh, Musica!, occured in July of the following year.