'Lone' Star: Oogee Chad Drops Solo EP

Written by: Travis Ryan - February 2020
Edited by: Maggie Buckley

You’ve seen him before, whether he was holding down the low-end with Oogee Wawa or slinging drinks at Portside, but you’re about to see Chad Chadwick in a whole new light. With the release of his first solo work, Lone, this talented multi-instrumentalist makes a new mark to go with the scuffs he and the boys have left on stages nationwide.

Though the vibes on Lone aren’t of the Irie variety, they’re fully capable of perforating your aorta. This EP is a candid and reflective journey through past relationships and betrayal, love and loss; and the musical style makes for the perfect conduit.

Melodic and harmonious, driving and floating, the softer emo/pop-punk sound transports us back to the early aughts like it’s the family sedan. Expertly performed vocals, intricate acoustic guitar picking, and Travis Barker-influenced drums are the trio of alkaline proportions that we need right now. Obviously our Walkman is on full-blast. 

Lone gives us a glimpse of a more vulnerable time through the lens of who we’ve become, and it starts (as it often does) with “A Reason”. The tune rides bright, plucky acoustic guitar into driving, drum-backed rhythms with a graceful nostalgia. “It’s never been as quiet in this house / as it is right now / the sound of nothing is taking its toll on everything” might as well be written on my arm in blue Milky Pen. 

“Make a Sound” and “The Way You Do” keep the soft acoustic/driving drums duality going, with the latter song setting the stage for the EP’s lone guitar solo. “All Went Down in ’01” is the 6/8 ballad of the record; in other words, it’s the kind of song that makes you sway back and forth.

The EP takes a turn for the soulful with the groovy, upbeat stylings of “Do It”. Funkier chords and rhythms underlie optimistic lyrics that point to the beauty of love and companionship. 

Chad saves the deepest for last, ending his first solo release with its only “true acoustic” song, which happens to be a heart-wrenchingly beautiful tribute. The song–and album–ends with the words “I wanted you to know”; we’re pretty certain the message got through.