Chase Callahan never dreamed when he first picked up a guitar at the age of 13 that one day his music would be changing lives.
But 13 years later, as front man for the contemporary Christian band, Chasen, he has found himself a part of something much bigger than himself, and lives are being changed – one person at a time.
Members of Chasen, from left: Jared Barber, Aaron Lord, Chase Callahan and Evan Silver.Like the teen with a gun at his head ready to pull the trigger until he heard the song, “Drown,” on the radio. He put the gun down and walked away.
Or the young girl who came up to Callahan after a concert and told him she had never felt beautiful until she heard his song, “Crazy Beautiful.” “God made me in his image,” she told him. “I’m the most beautiful girl in the world.”
A couple going through a divorce found themselves at the same concert. “Shine Through the Stars” worked on their hearts. “Something told us to hold on and wait,” they told Callahan.
Callahan said the stories he hears from people, whether though Facebook or in person, are endless. “It’s almost like they make me a part of their lives. It blows me away,” he said.
The chart-topping band from the Upstate features Callahan as lead singer and guitarist, Jared Barber on bass, Aaron Lord on drums and Evan Silver on guitar.
Several years ago, the group found itself going somewhere fast. But it was a bumpy road that eventually delivered them to the more comfortable place they find themselves today.
Callahan was 21 years old when a small record label, OMG, based in Greenville, contacted the band and offered a recording contract. “I wasn’t looking for a record deal. That was never my mission,” he said. Nevertheless, the group signed on, and before long the members of Chasen were hearing their songs on the radio. “Crazy Beautiful” shot to number 2 on the charts and “Drown” made it to number 11. “Nothing Like You” was in the top 20.
Life was good for the band. They were finally able to make a living doing what they loved. “We got a van,” Callahan said. “We toured a lot of clubs because I felt that was what God was calling me to do. The message didn’t change – I still sang about Christ. A lot of ministry happened in three years. It was a chance to shine to a lost world.”
Callahan said the band reached a turning point when they played a club with the group Blind Melon. From the moment he walked in the door, Callahan said, he felt Satan’s presence. “He was trying to ruin everything I had to say about the kingdom of heaven,” he said.
After Chasen played a few songs, Blind Melon’s road manager wasn’t pleased with what he was hearing. The house music came up and Chasen’s show was cut short. “It was the only show where I was caught off guard,” Callahan said. But he realized that night life wasn’t about being comfortable. “Being part of missions is being out of your comfort zone,” he said. “I love what God did that night. He humbled me, for sure.”
Later, after a parting of ways with OMG, Callahan started to question his mission in life. He wondered if touring clubs was what he should be doing. “I said, ‘God, if you really want this, let me know’; God said, ‘It’s not about happiness.’?”
Callahan said it was the realization that it wasn’t about how great a musician he was – but about glorifying God – that moved him from the bumpy road he was traveling to the straight and narrow.
Out of the blue, he received a call from INO Records in Nashville, one of the biggest Christian labels in the country. A meeting was held, and Chasen was offered a contract.
“I was on my knees praying for the right decision.” he said. When God made it clear he was headed in the right direction, Callahan told himself, “From this day on, it’s not for me – it’s for the kingdom.”
INO platform artist manager, Sam Barker, said he saw something special in the group. “Chasen has that perfect blend of hypnotic melodies and hook while having a lot of substance to their music. They’re not just pretty songs. They really do have a powerful meaning,” he said. “Hopefully the stages the Lord places them on will continue to grow, and people will continue to be receptive to what the band has to offer.”
Chasen’s first album with INO, “That Was Then, This Is Now,” came out in March. The title echoes the new beginning Callahan found when he made singing his mission instead of his vocation. The singles “On and On” and “Castaway” both made it to number 1 on the charts, and “Crazy Beautiful” reappeared on the charts.
Chasen has been touring with some big names in Christian music, including Jeremy Camp and Casting Crowns. Chasen will begin a headline tour this month, traveling along the East Coast and to Canada. The band is also working on a new album, due out next year.
“The moment I was down is the moment God said, ‘Do you believe me? Do you trust me? It’s all for my glory,’ ” Callahan said. “I can quit today and say my dreams came true.”
Chasen still makes regular appearances at the band’s home church, Marathon Community Church in Powdersville, and Callahan is balancing the roles of musician, husband and father to 2-year-old Emerson.
The ups and downs of his short career have had a humbling effect on the 26-year-old musician. “I’m just a loser who loves Jesus Christ,” he said. “I love how God uses me.”