I’ve been struggling to find the words that paint a proper portrait of American folk artist Chance Peña. The word that comes to mind is “stolid.” It’s a word born in the 16th century that's so out of vogue that autocorrect keeps changing it back to “solid.”

Sure, the 24-year-old singer/songwriter is certainly a solid dude, but that’s not the vibe. He’s stolid. It’s different from stoic, because he’s warm – not grim. It’s different from quiet, because he’s a great conversationalist. It’s different from chill, because he’s driven. And he’s definitely not soft spoken. His speaking voice feels distinctly Texan and strong, but he takes his time when he talks. And sure, he’s certainly not a meandering motormouth like me, but he’s also not slow or boring. Rather, he’s consistent and precise.

That’s it: calm, warm, precise, strong, dependable. Stolid.

As a performer, his earthy, gravelly voice taps into an edgy, emotional brand of flannels-in-the-forest folk that fits perfectly over deep quarter note kick drums and acoustic guitars. His music is quickly becoming quintessential folk listening. It’s easy to draw connections between Chance and the likes of Kodaline, Passenger, Gregory Alan Isakov, Bon Iver, The Lumineers, etc. His music is introspective, immersive, and organic.

Chance Peña is currently on the Payback Tour in support of Grammy-nominated Icelandic rock band KALEO. When this 19-date national tour concludes at the end of September, the 24-year-old singer/songwriter will immediately leave to headline his own European tour alongside Jonah Kagen in October.

Chance has worked hard to get to where he is, but he’ll be the first to tell you that he didn’t do it alone. From having a really close friend group to write music with, to trusted producers, to a family that threw their weight behind him at a young age, Chance knows the value of kindness and a helping hand along the way.

“They were always very supportive, my parents,” he says. “This church we went to when I was younger, the pastor just always told them: watch for your kids' giftings. Like, see the things they're passionate about, and just encourage them in those things, you know?” 

His parents are unsung heroes. Through their steadfast example and unwavering support, they nurtured a sense of security and empowered him to grow into a resilient, independent artist that was ready to face the world.

In East Texas, the norm for guys growing up is to do sports. Especially football. But Chance was different. “My parents, they saw me at a young age to be really interested in music,” he says. When he was eight, his mom saw that Chance had good rhythm, so she bought him a drum kit. She was equally encouraging to his brother and got him a guitar. “But I liked the guitar better and so we switched,” he laughs. “But yeah, they were just always very intuitive with that stuff. They never tried to mold me into something that I wasn't. They were just like, ‘You love music? Well, we're gonna give you the tools.’” 

Chance got to go see The Lumineers in concert when he was 13. “They played in Dallas in 2013. It was one of my first concerts,” he remembers. When he heard them perform “Slow It Down,” it left a lasting impression on him and the kind of music he wanted to make.

“It's just cool how music connects with fans,” he says. “I don't know, it feels very genuine, and very heartfelt. Most of the people I talk to, it's not just like, ‘Oh, that's a cool song.’ They're like, ‘That’s my fucking song!’ you know? And in a heartfelt way, and it's cool. ‘Slow It Down’ by Lumineers is a good one. I'd say that's one of those songs for me.”

In addition to letting him have experiences with live music like this at a young age, his parents encouraged him to work hard, too. But they led by example. Chance’s parents were entrepreneurs, and owned a handful of gyms. “So I've seen them build businesses, and sell businesses, and I’ve seen what it takes to be self-made in that way,” Chance explains.

His parents weren’t musicians themselves – but they understood that in any business venture, you have to understand the industry you’re participating in. That advice was particularly helpful for Chance when he was young.

For example, after Chance’s stint on The Voice when he was 15, he didn’t know what to do. “I’d call that my eye-opener moment,” he says. “On a show like that, it’s not real life, you know? It’s not like they’ll instantly make you a star. I don’t know why, but at 15, I was like, this ain't it. This is a glimpse. If I wanna have anything remotely close to the success of these celebrities on this show, I gotta work hard. So, as soon as I got done with The Voice, I went back to Tyler, Texas, and just started playing gigs again. Playing in bars. Three-hour sets, playing covers, making 100 bucks a night.”

Things changed for Chance when he accepted a small show out in Temecula, California. He and his dad flew out together so Chance could do a show with a buddy from The Voice and two other music friends. On their way home, their dad ran into one of his childhood best friends before they flew out of LAX. This friend worked in the industry, and his dad asked if he could just sit with Chance and give him some pointers.

“Wayne Davis is his name. He’s one of the closest people to me at this point in my life,” Chance says sincerely. “So we went to their office in LA, and he sat with me. He was just like, okay, well, what do you wanna do? What are you trying to get to? And I told him. He told me to keep playing shows, keep writing songs, and I remember he introduced me to everyone in the office after we had that short conversation.” 

It inspired Chance to work harder, and he did. When Wayne emailed him later, Chance was more than ready to fly out to Nashville to participate in songwriting sessions. He landed a publishing deal at just 17 years old. While most people believe popular musicians like Chance blow up overnight, this deal wasn’t a golden ticket. It was a life-changing experience for sure, but all it did was give Chance an opportunity to put his head down and work while making a living doing music.

“I’ve been at it for years. That's why, probably until I was 21, I was just doing five, six sessions a week, writing as much as I can, writing for sync and stuff,” he says about this time in his life.

They say you become truly fluent in a different language when you start dreaming in that language. I told Chance there have been times when I’ve dreamt in Super Smash Bros. and Fortnite. Has he had music dreams? “Yeah. Looking at the Logic Pro screen,” he jokes. “I've dreamed about that before.”

Chance wants people to know that you don’t have to be a superstar to make a living doing music. “People don't get it, man. They think you gotta be Drake or somebody, and if you're not, then you're not successful or you're not doing it right,” he says with a chuckle. 

Young artists should know that they can find work through consistent gigging, through songwriting, through session work, through writing for film and television – and even by tapping into markets you wouldn’t expect. “I know a couple artists who are very big in the Asian markets. In the US they're playing 200 cap rooms, but in Japan they're playing 8,000, you know? It's crazy, but it's cool. I don't know what causes a certain kind of music to strike a chord with a certain audience in a certain part of the world, but it's interesting that it's different.”

Regardless of what you end up doing, Chance is a firm believer in taking risks and not being afraid to give something your all. His first name is especially fitting in this regard. “When I first started songwriting, when I was like 17, doing these writing trips to Nashville and LA, I’d be in a room with people and I’d have an idea, and I’d be like, oh, should I say that? What if they hate it? What if it sucks? And then you don't suggest it, and someone else suggests the same thing five minutes later, and you're like, dang, I knew it was a good idea.” he laughs.

“I’m learning to trust myself in that way. You can talk yourself out of any idea but you might as well try it. Whatever comes to mind, it doesn't matter if it sucks, because that bad idea could lead you to the next good one. Just trust yourself and be confident. Don't be shy. It's not gonna hurt you to try something.”

Chance feels the same way about the recording process.“Just try stuff. Maybe you trim some of the fat, or you get to a point where you're like, okay, that's too much. Let's walk it back a little bit,” he smiles. “But I love just trying things when I'm producing. You can always delete it.”

It’s during those brave moments when we leave behind our comfort zone and face uncertainty that we make the most important discoveries. By stepping into the unknown, we find hidden strengths and new passions, sparking a drive that pushes us beyond our limits. Taking risks transforms the ordinary into something extraordinary and builds resilience through failure. 

It’s easier to take chances when you’re surrounded by 1. people you can trust, 2. people that believe in you, and 3. people who tell you no.

Chance has found a great crew in producer Jeremy Federick, who goes by Sarcastic Sounds; producer Nate Sander; and songwriting buddies Hayden and Jeremy. “I love working with them, because we'll all have ideas, you know? It's more fun than doing it on my own. One, because it's faster. And two, they're gonna think of things that I'm not gonna think of, and vice versa.”

Chance’s girlfriend has also been a lifesaver. He’s about to release a new full-length record, and there was a point where Chance had been working on songs from the album so much that he felt like he needed to write new material. “I'm just excited to get this album out. We’re finishing up mixing right now, and I'm having to restrain myself from adding more songs to it,” he laughs. “I wrote a song last night, and I was like, yeah, I should record this. And my girlfriend was like, ‘Don't put that pressure on yourself. Just save it for later.’ And I was like, ‘You're right, you're right. Do a deluxe edition or something, you know?’ If it weren’t for her and if I had more time before the tour, this project probably would be 10 songs longer.”

This year’s tours have really moved Chance emotionally. Remember that Lumineers concert that left such an impact on him? He’s had a few full circle moments where he’s gotten to be on the giving end.

“The last Europe tour sold out earlier this year, and we're on the way to selling this one out,” he remarks. “I never would have guessed because I've only really done tours like these for a year now. So up until then, I didn't know if people knew the songs. It wasn't until I played a show at Bonnaroo last year in June – that was the first time I ever heard people sing my songs back to me. Then we did some shows in the US and Canada, and then Asia, and then management was like, oh, you gotta go to Europe. So to get over there and find these people halfway across the world know my songs… It's definitely surprising. But it’s cool.”

Chance Peña’s album drops September 13, 2024. Tickets for his current tour are on sale here. Make sure to follow Chance Peña on Instagram and check out his new single, “Is What It Is,” below!

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