Aug. 25 - Today’s not a studio day… but instead we’re doing a photo shoot! We’re gonna be by the pool for some of the shoot, probably gonna use some other spots in the hotel for some cool shots… be looking for these photos so you can check out how cool this hotel is.  Matt’s got everything lined up,  Dawn Hill is a famous stylist and is gonna give me a haircut!!!

Me and Dawn Hill

She’s toured with the Eagles and Cirque Du Soleil…which makes me..in good company), I’m sure it will be great….…  Well I’m gonna get some breakfast and see how things are coming along…  I miss my dog… thought I’d throw that out there just in case while I’ve been gone my dog, Rocky, figures out how to blog and gets to read this! One Love.

Aug. 24 - Day six in the studio, the songs are really coming together…. Today was the rest of the vocals and the background vocals… I’m digging the brush strokes!!  I hope you guys will like it too!  People always say they expect the unexpected from me… we’ll this won’t disappoint!  You’ll either love it or you’ll hate it, but either way… you’ll talk about it!  

PUPPY POWER!!!!

Sorry if that came out arrogant, but on a deeper note… I believe that sometimes in life itis necessary to push aside all the pressure that people and media can give you to be perfect all the time…in order to simply be able to be content and proud of where you’re at.  One Love!

Aug. 24 - This is our fifth day working in the studio.  We are nearing the end of our trip and I’ve got to say… the people that I have been blessed to be working with this week are awesome.  There hasn’t been one dull moment… this trip has been an awesome opportunity and a blessing!  It makes it hard to think about leaving, but I must say… earlier this week, I thought this would be a laid back time… but this has been mostly non stop work… We are kicken it out!  Dave, Greg and Matt are freakin geniuses… I’ve worked with some amazing musicians this week…

Guitar Heaven!

Did I tell you that today Dave brought Fred Mandel into the studio to lay down the piano tracks?!  This guy is a legend… He’s played on tons of Elton John and Alice Cooper, and Queen… In the studio and on the record! I was shocked… In the music world, I was star struck!! Everyone, including myself, has huge expectations for this project… It’s been awesome!  In the infamous words of Young Jeezy, on his upcoming single, ”I need a vacation!” Which reminds me… I’d better have a passport waiting on me in ATL! One love.

Aug. 23 - So if you’re up reading this right now and you’re on the West Coast… its about 2 am, 5am ATL time… Lets just say my body hates me right now for being up this late… but I had to let you, the coolest fans ever, know all about my night since I know ya’ll really care right now JK.  We worked ALL day… no breaks… but when we finally got back to the hotel, we were ready to cut loose a little!  We’re in Hollywood… gotta make time for some fun! We called up some of Matts’ friends and started with drinks at the club in the hotel… of course I was having Arnold Palmers (and for those of you who don’t know, that’s a sweet tea with a shot of lemonade… it makes for the best drink known to man that doesn’t involve alcohol) We had dinner at the Rainbow Bar and Grill off Sunset… sounds fem but it’s anything but that.  This is straight up 80’s rocker heaven served up with the best lasagna you’ll find off Sunset!  While you’re sitting there eating your awesome tasting food throughout your meal you’ll be able to enjoy bands from Alice Cooper to Motorhead to Pantera and to go along with dessert….death metal! 

Hilltop view of Silver Lake

After we were done eating, Matt had a surprise for me.  He called his friend Eric who has an exotic car business…. Those of you who don’t know… I have a fond appreciation for cars… not exactly your 6^th grade kid with a Porsche 911 poster next to his Pamela Anderson “Bay Watch” Calendar, but I like cars.  So… let me set the scene…. As Matt leaves me on the side of Sunset Blvd and says “Just wait here for your ride”, which I thought was really strange… Rocky Balboa is hoping into his yellow Lamborghini… I’m so busy ogling over the car that I completely miss the fact that Rambo was right next to me!  Anyways another five minutes and again… due to the nature of Hollywood another bad ass car pulls up… it’s a Maserati, my all time favorite car…only this time the window rolls down and this thick New York accent say’s  ‘Aye, you Chase?”  And again due to Hollywood’s semi weird nature, I replied… “It depends on who’s asking” but inside I’m screaming YES YES That is I!  Turns out, this is Eric… a really cool cat that has been friends with Matt for years.  I get in and we roll up to the Standard and yes… I got my five minutes of people watching me hop out of a Maserati (just one of the many things I put on my “do before I die list” after I saw “The Bucket List”.  We had a couple more Arnold Palmers and I finally called it a night… I’m rock-music’d out… sang out…. stuffed and tired I’ll get back on here to let you know how things are going soon…. One Love!

Aug. 22 - So apparently if you pay the government most of your college savings… you can get a passport in just a couple a days!  Clever little Washington people…anyways different subject… we worked way late last night.  Today was the second day into the studio and the songs are really coming together.  We were able to place a great frame around our ideas, now we just need to add the brush stokes to make our own little masterpiece… lets hope this turns out more like “Starry Night” than Picasso’s “Weeping Woman” (It’s just an expression, calm down all you admirable Picasso enthusiasts lol) So guys, today I got a chance to play some vintage guitars that were kick ass! 

Shadow boxing with my demons

Dave is an avid collector and he has everything from classic Strats and Tele Esquires to vintage gold top Les Paul’s.  Let’s just say in guitar world that’s high cotton.  Its 10 pm here but its 1am ATL time… I’ll try to blog more tomorrow.  Three Loves!

Just doin our thang in the studio baby!

Aug. 21 - I had to sleep quick, morning in LA came way too fast for me.  The hotel was rockin last night…. The Standard is the place where it all goes down and let’s just say these people don’t go home early!  Got to the studio around 10am and no sooner did I meet Dave and Greg, two super cool dudes btw  (I was nervous but they were so easy going, like regular guys) and it was down to work… we laid down the percussion tracks for the first two songs that we are doing this trip.  (Trip, that reminds me… I gotta get my passport thing worked out… the next place after this is the Bahamas!)  

My friend Cory and his family have asked me to go with them to Atlantis… since they think I’ll be working hard in LA this week…) We ate lunch at this great place in East LA… it’s Thai food…. Somebody remind me to get the name of that place.  It’s the best coconut soup.  Royal Thai back home is good but this place is great.  Two Loves!

Aug. 20 - I just got back to Nashville from ATL last night and already, I’m back out again. I woke up at the crack of dawn this morning. Let’s just say it was really, incredibly, painfully early. I swung by Matt’s place with my mom to pick him up (Matt is my manager… Some call him the suit guy, except my manager wears black and red pinstripe pants with sick-*#! ostrich skin boots!)  You’ll be hearing a lot about Matt… We flew out to LA today.  LA… Man I love LA! The hotel is sick!  If you’ve never been to the Standard in West Hollywood, you’ve got to check it out.  It’s pretty over the top even for LA.  I’m told there is a photo shoot planned for later this week, so be looking for the photos on the site soon.  

Chase and a swanky hotrod

This is gonna be a busy week, we’re in the studio with Dave Cobb and Greg Gordon… they’ve done everything from Shooter Jennings to Run DMC and the Oak Ridge Boys!  No pressure here… Obviously I’m excited!  Can’t wait to get started with this new team of people.  They’ve been getting everything lined out to record a couple of new songs and one re-make that will surely shock folks (try saying that ten times fast).  I’ll blog in later, jet lag is setting in and I’m still on Nashville time.  One Love!