Chavar Dontae On the Making Of “Too Much”
Can you walk us through your songwriting process?
My writing process for "Too Much" all started with a voice memo mumbling a melody. I heard the verse and pre-chorus melodies right away. From there I created a demo with guitars and just drums and the song just sat for a while. I was possibly going to collaborate with another artist who is a friend on this. However, in late November I started working on the production at my studio in downtown Toledo, Ohio. In December, I recorded all of the guitars, bass, synths and vocals. From there it was off to Echo Park neighborhood of LA to mix with Dylan Ely and master with Steve Baughman in Sherman Oaks, CA. I worked with Steffen Heil on the artwork. He's in Berlin so it's a bit of a multi continent work flow we have going on.
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for "Too Much" to life?
I was the producer and recording engineer. Dylan Ely, the mix engineer and I have worked together for a long time. I send him an idea of what I'm looking for in the demo mix and I just trust him to do his thing. Dylan has co-produced several projects with me. Same with the masting engineer, Steve Baughman. We've worked together on a few things now and it's the same process. I trust them both and they always deliver. It's common to make small adjustments in the mix or mastering stage.
How do you feel "Too Much" represents your artistic identity?
I feel that "Too Much" is honest, vulnerable but not a pushover and optimistic. That describes me as a person as well as my artistic identity which are one in the same.
Are there any genres or styles you'd like to explore in the future?
I'm open to all genres really. I try to not put limits on the creative ideas that pass through me.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
There's an energy that happens when I play my music live. The thing that I enjoy most is connecting with people. We never know how a song can touch someone.