Putting on one of the most compelling sets at Outside Lands, singer-songwriter Chance Peña captivated the Panhandle Stage audience with his poetic lyricism and beautiful voice. His songs came to life during this set. The raw emotions and energy captured in his songs translated beautifully to this live setting. Before this performance, I had the opportunity to learn more about the artist and his creative abilities.
Thank you so much for interviewing with me. How does it feel knowing that your music is a release for your audience?
Chance Peña: It makes me happy because that’s what music has always been for me. To say music’s a remedy for reality, it puts your problems into perspective. And for me, it’s always nice knowing that whatever you’re going through, somebody else is going through it as well. Maybe it’s not somebody you can relate to in conversation, but you hear somebody singing about it.
You mentioned that you played the organ in Portland while you were on tour, and you created the song “The Mountains Is You.” You also created “Love You Right” in three minutes. How does it feel to create these songs at the spur of the moment? Does that help your creative process, or has that changed your creative process at all over the years?
Chance Peña: It feels freeing. That’s my favorite way to write, just playing something that makes me feel something and just to feel the emotion of the music, whether it be the organ or the guitar. With “The Mountain Is You,” I played the organ and recorded a minute-and-a-half voice memo. I was like, “Oh, this is cool.” And then we got home from the tour and I wrote the song. I didn’t know what it was gonna be about, it just came out.
It feels very freeing because it’s almost like therapy in a way, bringing out your subconscious thoughts. You’re like, “Damn, I didn’t know I was feeling that.” You just let it come to the forefront, and don’t put pressure on yourself to create, just let it come out.
I also read that you’re learning Spanish. How’s that going?
Chance Peña: It’s going alright. My family’s from Mexico. My dad speaks fluent Spanish, but he didn’t teach my siblings or me, it’s something I want to know because half my family speaks Spanish. I have family members that don’t speak English. I can have a basic conversation, but wouldn’t consider myself fluent.
Would you ever write a song in Spanish if you ever got to that level?
Chance Peña: I would love to. I think that’d be really cool.
People experience music in many different ways. Some of them, do late-night drives. Others, listen to it on a vinyl in their bedroom. How do you like listening to music?
Chance Peña: Driving. I think driving is where I listen to the most music. Sometimes in the morning, when I’m cleaning or working out or doing the dishes or something like that, I’ll just have this little record player that also has Bluetooth so it feels like you’re listening to vinyl, kind of, but not really. I’d say when I’m just doing busy work and zoning out, or when I’m driving.
Chance Peña
