If you don’t know Chuck Ragan from his work as the lead singer of highly influential Florida hardcore vets Hot Water Music, you might know him for the quieter, more introspective, and undeniably beautiful work he has put out as a solo artist. And if you don’t know him from either of those things, you should know him as rock’s resident outdoorsman – seeing as he is basically the real life version of what every bearded, flannel-wearing punk wishes they could be.
With a show coming up at the Sinclair on December 11th, we had an in-depth conversation with Ragan about his efforts to foster music community, the importance of constant reinvention, and why you should strive to surround yourself with brilliant people.
AP: The first time I saw you play was on the Revival Tour, and you did a great job of working across the spectrum to bring together some very diverse talent. And your band right now is called the Camaraderie – how focused are on trying to build music community? Is it something that you do consciously?
CR: When it comes to music and community, I don’t see one existing without the other. It’s definitely something that comes naturally in that it’s just how I want to operate. If I’m going to be making music, I want to involve people I admire and respect.
Of course, I do need to make a conscious effort to keep that going. The Revival Tour is a good example – it’s a tough, tough tour to book, and my wife and I have primarily funded it. We’ve had a lot of help to really build it. We have agents and a manager and a ton of songwriters who really believe in the tour, and we’ve had a few friends and labels that have jumped on board and helped where they could to pay for fuel for the bus or posters or helped promote it.
AP: I didn’t realize you were responsible for so much of the execution of the Revival Tour– is it the same with your solo tour?
CR: Yes it’s very similar – there’s a lot fewer pieces that you need to organize so it’s a bit easier, but that’s the way my career has worked – it’s sort of like being an independent contractor. You don’t have that 9-5, or someone else setting a schedule for you, but if you want to make a career out of it, you really have get out there and do the work and take the risks.
AP: So it sounds like you’ve actually done some independent contracting?
CR: Yes I have – I’ve always been a songwriter and a musician, but like most musicians, I’ve had just about as many odd jobs as you can imagine. One that I was very involved in was woodworking. I got my start when I was a kid and my brother and I would make skateboard ramps.
It really got me fired up just as much as making music. In a way, it’s similar – you create something tangible from an idea. So when Hot Water Music went on hiatus, that’s what I decided I was going to do and I really dove into it. I specialized in finish carpentry (cabinetry, furniture making, fine wood work), and at first I made a lot of mistakes, but luckily none were too bad and I’ve still got all of my digits.
AP: So is this something you still do when you’re home?
CR: Well I would still love to do it, but like any industry today, things move so quickly and if you don’t keep up with it, you really fall behind. Over the last 10 or 15 years things have changed so much. Some of things that you do today we would have never thought about a decade ago. So if a friend calls me up and ask me to hang a few doors or do the trim, I can do that and I would enjoy it, but I’m not up to speed on it anymore.
AP: So I’m guessing the idea of “staying sharp” also applies to music. With that being your main priority right now, how do you do that? You play with so many diverse acts – is that a part of it?
CR: Absolutely – whenever I’m on tour I’m just surrounded by so many amazing people – so many people that are better at music than I am. That’s something I choose to do and something that’s very important in my life – surrounding myself with that diversity so I can become a better musician and person.
If you do anything long enough – it doesn’t matter what you’re doing – it can become stagnant. It’s so easy to just keep doing the same thing over and over again and not grow. You start to forget about how lucky you are to be in the situation you’re in, and how much hard work you put in to get there.
AP: So it sounds like touring is also a learning experience for you – do you learn something new every night?
CR: Definitely – as long as I’m paying attention. I’ve been touring for so long – since I was a little kid. The first time I went out on tour was with my mom. And I learned so much from her – work ethic, the way she talked to people and interacted with them, the way she was constantly learning and improving.
It was the same thing with my dad – he was a professional golfer, and he said to me “if you’re going to do something, you need to constantly be giving it all you have. If you do that, you’re still going to make mistakes, but the next time out, you’ll realize why you made that mistake and you’ll have the opportunity to correct it.”
My dad was always surrounded by people who were better than him and learning from them. So even when I’m touring with Hot Water Music – it’s such an amazing group of individuals and I really learn so much from them
AP: So it sounds like you’re constantly trying to redefine who you are as an artist
CR: There was a period with Hot Water Music where we had been going hard for a number of years and everything was moving along nicely, but I started to realize that many of the things I had written about earlier in my career- about not being complacent or repetitive – were starting to ring more true than ever before
At that moment I said “if I don’t stop what I’m doing right now, I’m just going to be fooling myself and everyone around me, and all of this will be for nothing”. So it’s kind of ironic that the same thoughts and passions and instincts that got me into the band in the first place forced me to take a step out of it
And when I did that, it wasn’t that I wanted to stop playing music – I want to make music until I’m physically unable to do it – it was more the day-to-day grind I needed a break from.
That’s why it’s so important to have diversity in my life – so things don’t get stagnant. It’s not an easy route – because I’m not just clocking in – there’s very little stability. And this is not to talk down on anyone that is a hard worker that punches a clock everyday – I highly respect anyone who can do that. I choose an independent lifestyle, and it’s hard to image anything else. It forces you to constantly develop new skills and new approaches.
AP: So you’re hitting the road touring on your most recent solo record Till Midnight – anything new you’re planning on this tour?
CR: I’m going to have the Camaraderie with me – same guys as on the record – we’ll be playing a number of new tracks from the album – and some of them we’ve changed around a little to make them more interesting live. We’re also planning on playing some new material from a video game soundtrack I’m working on called Molasses Flood.
I’m really thrilled to get the ball rolling again and be out there with those guys and super thrilled to have Adam Faucett opening – he is just absolutely amazing – just a great guy to converse with – and his performance just constantly blows me away.
Check out Chuck Ragan and the Camaraderie with Adam Faucett at the Sinclair on 12/11, and if you need photographic evidence of Ragan’s status as sportsman of the year, check out The Ten Manliest Photos On Chuck Ragan’s Instagram Acount.