Chuck Ragan Interview
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nothing worth having comes easy.” This is a quote that many people know and have identified with at least once in their lives. Whether it be a tough time in a relationship, making sacrifices to pursue a dream, or, in Chuck Ragan’s case, releasing his newest album, Love & Lore. Most people will take Roosevelt’s quote to mean something bleak, but not all obstacles are bleak. Some obstacles end up being what inspires the changes needed to reach your goal. In Ragan’s case, he and his wife had a child, which was the catalyst for Love & Lore being shelved for a decade. With the album being put on the back burner indefinitely, Ragan concentrated on supporting his family and touring with his band Hot Water Music.
Although Ragan wasn't primarily focused on creating a new solo album, he continued to collaborate on songs with his songwriting partner, Todd Beene, over the years. Eventually, they agreed that it was time to start recording a new solo record. They planned to begin this process in April 2020, but unbeknownst to them, a global pandemic would soon bring the world to a standstill. This is where the journey to complete "Love & Lore" would start to take many unexpected detours.
After the world started to open back up, Ragan and Beene began to schedule studio sessions again. But, much to their dismay, these sessions got delayed a few more times. The first delay was their engineer having a baby. Then came Beene getting severe COVID and a tree falling on his house.
“If anything that could happen to keep this record from coming out, it just seemed to keep happening,” Ragan said about trying to finish the record.
Though it seemed like it’d never happen, and the universe was working against it, Love & Lore did finally get finished. But Ragan was still in disbelief about it being done and released into the wild.
As Ragan put it, “It was just recently that I held the record for the first time. And it was the first time that I ever believed it. Even when we were in the process before the release. I’m like, “I’ll believe it when I’m holding it.”
Over the past decade, Ragan has faced numerous obstacles and life changes, which is why "Love & Lore" comes across as an album filled with self-reflection and apologies. Throughout this record, Ragan confronts his shortcomings and regrets. As you listen to "Love & Lore," you can sense a primal yet beautiful uneasiness, evident not only in the lyrics but also in Ragan’s vocals.
Ragan recognizes that this unease is necessary as he states, “It's important to me to use these songs as a vehicle to carry onto the next step: to better myself, better my relationships with my family, my friends, and community.” Ragan adds, “Sometimes it’s not convenient, comfortable, or pretty, just being honest with yourself. And constantly seeing and analyzing all your mistakes and shortcomings.”
