Mixing business and pleasure

Jack of many trades Brandon Chandler first picked up a guitar in high school for the same reason most men pick up a guitar in high school: to impress the ladies. However, such superficial purpose didn’t last long, as he realized the instrument responded surprisingly well to his strumming.

Inspired by Jeff Buckley, Chandler decided to pursue his talents and sound independently. After years of performing in high school and college, Chandler left his studies to live out of his car and perform on the street, eventually forming pop-soul ensemble Brandon Chandler and the Revival.

From the streets to a South by Southwest sister concert, the one-time busker who sacrificed everything to pursue his dream now has a publishing deal with Casablanca Music Publishing, and is well on his way to household name recognition. He has two excellent albums, the differences of which serve as a quintessential statement on his evolution as an artist. Since The Revivals’ inception he has toured extensively, collecting die-hard fans everywhere he goes.

With the help of Peter Rodocker on lead guitar, Josh Buruch on drums, Jeff Simpson on keys and former PSU student Nick O’Gara on bass, Chandler creates a gorgeous sound with consistently quotable lyrics and standout vocals. The music itself is infectious; each and every song begs to be played on repeat for hours. It deserves to be heard by millions, and Chandler is doing what he can to make it happen.

In a recent interview, Chandler detailed the pains, pleasures, sacrifices and payoffs of turning your passion into your paycheck.

Daily Vanguard: Do you ever feel limited by the assignments the publishers place on you?
Brandon Chandler: No, no. It’s really what I give them. I have free reign. That’s the beauty of being with an indie. I feel really lucky to have it. I’m a working songwriter now. I can live off of it.

DV: What about when they have specific needs for a TV show or movie and expect you to meet them?
BC: They do [give assignments], but I decide, “Do I want that money or do I not?” I actually have a lot of fun doing everything across the board ’cause I could end up doing a country song or something, you know?

Whatever is going to advance my career and put some money in my pocket, of course I’ll do it. I know a lot of people say “sell out” and stuff, but it’s not like that. I’m a songwriter. It all comes down to the business side of things. Honestly, I think, “the words music and business should never be used in the same sentence.” Hunter S. Thompson said that. And it gets really confusing to mesh yourself into this thing and be an artist and businessman.

DV: It seems like you’re right in the middle of that. Do you still write any songs just for you?
BC: Yeah. And I’ve written songs for other people. That’s just the name of the game; you just do it and cross your fingers. Music is my real passion—it’s an outlet for me.

DV: So which is your primary focus? Publishing or the band?
BC: That’s a really good question. It’s been really hard to balance it. We haven’t played out in like six months, and we’ve been making an album at the same time. I signed my publishing deal in June so we played the shows we had booked then I just started writing.

DV: How did you meet Peter Rodocker?
BC: Peter moved here from Nashville. He has like 10 years experience in the business. He heard me on MySpace, came to a show and was like, “I like your voice, I like your show.” Any success we’ve had yet started with Peter. He’s the man. He changed my life. He showed me how to do things as far as songwriting is concerned, and especially production. We were just business partners initially, then he was like, “How do you feel about me joining in on the guitar? My one condition is that you fire everyone else in the band.” So we got a good band together and really starting improving our stuff.

DV: After all that, how do you think your musicianship and style changed from the first album to the second?
BC: Dramatically. I think I’m a much better songwriter than I was back then. The first was so angsty. Now I’ve gotten a little more mature, a little older. I put a lot of myself into my songs. What I’m writing now is a lot more broad. I think I’ve just grown up, I think I’m just a better songwriter.

DV: What exactly do you mean by “better”? Is it mass appeal? Or a certain formula?
BC: My songs now are more structured, which is important if you’re writing pop music. The musicianship, the structure, the lyrics—and it’s a lot happier now.

DV: What’s the inspiration for your band’s name, Brandon Chandler and the Revivals?
BC: We’re trying to revive pop music, put the soul back into it. I don’t know that we’re necessarily different. I don’t think we’re doing anything that has never been done before by any means. But I do think we’re getting pretty damn good at doing what we’re doing.