Chasen

biography

Things that last are often those that are allowed to grow naturally, organic talent that develops over time, nurtured along by the love of family and friends, spread by means of a grassroots effort and word of mouth.

That’s the story of Chasen. Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Chasen Callahan had a gift that was honed during nearly a decade as a worship pastor. He built a following one person at a time, playing youth camps and conferences.

Each summer, he’d recruit students to play alongside him, but in the fall Callahan’s makeshift band would inevitably head back to school while the demand for his unique brand of worship continued to grow. Enter Evan Silver and Aaron Lord. With a full-time band in place, Chasen began recording and selling their music, and a career grew naturally from there. Bassist Jared Barber joined the threesome in May 2009 to round out their sound.
Through it all, Callahan continued to lead worship for his home congregation, Marathon Church, which attracted about 5,000 each Sunday. “I was content to lead worship on Sunday mornings,” Callahan says. “But I felt God saying, ‘I want you to get beyond these four walls and reach people for Me.’” Chasen experienced solid radio success with two songs, the Top 5 “Crazy/Beautiful” and “Drown”. “At that point, INO Records called us,” says Callahan, “We always respected INO’s ministry and creative focus. It’s a great fit for us.”

There were others who helped along the way as well. Fellow artist and Greenville native Edwin McCain is a good friend – “he helped me get started when it came to labels” – and there’s a growing music scene nearby that includes acts like Needtobreathe. Other inspiration came from outside of South Carolina. Callahan looked to Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman as an example of lyrical excellence and David Crowder’s worship leading style and personal approach made a mark as well. Then there’s Hillsong, the Australian church and worship powerhouse. The draw was so strong that Callahan almost headed Down Under for college to experience the movement close-up. Instead, he took online courses from Berklee College, devoting himself to studying melody among other things.

All of this preparation led Callahan and the band that bears his name to where they are today: with a major label debut, ‘That Was Then, This Is Now’.

Despite all the new opportunities, Callahan’s worship roots still run deep. “I get asked by people to record a worship album, and I probably will at some point because that’s where I started and who I am,” he says. In the meantime, fans find a worshipful quality to almost everything he writes.

Despite the lure of Nashville, with a wife and young son at home Callahan knows it’s beneficial to have the support of family nearby.
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