By Briana Harris
Alt country artist Ben Chapman has built a world where music seems to be woven into every part of his life. We hop on the phone to chat in a sliver of time between professional and personal commitments, two days before his wedding to fianceé and fellow rising country star Meg McRee. Despite juggling the intensity of wedding planning – not to mention the overlapping tour schedules of two working musicians that will follow – Ben chats about his life and creative work with remarkable ease and openness. It instantly feels like a porch hang on his self-described “musical compound” where he and Meg live with a cohort of songwriter friends.
The same groundedness is evident in Chapman’s recorded catalogue, which includes his standout recent album Downbeat, produced by fellow Nashville resident Anderson East. The tales spun and sung on Downbeat feel authentically earned through lived experience, ranging from the dicey dive bar gig described on the album’s title track, to the sweet and longing love story on “Don’t You Dare.” Chapman’s sound is inspired by many of the pioneers of Nashville’s current alt country scene – Brent Cobb, Jason Isbell, and Sturgill Simpson, to name a few – but is often difficult to pin to a singular genre label.
“I guess you can say it’s ‘Americana,’ whatever that means,” Ben shares with a chuckle. “Everybody’s like ‘What genre are you?’’ and I’m like, I don’t know, American music? What genre are The Dead?”
Ben’s own musical roots started in his small hometown of Lafayette, Georgia. “I always had the bug for music,” he shares. Some of his earliest musical experiences were with bluegrass pickers on his father’s side of the family. In middle school, he started diving into classic rock, including bands like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. From a young age he started playing in cover bands, often traveling to Chattanooga, TN, where there was more of a music scene.
At age 16, he met songwriter Channing Wilson, who was also from Lafayette. “He was instantly my mentor,” Ben explains. “He showed me Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine – the Mount Rushmore of songwriters.” Wilson also shared valuable career advice: if Ben was going to take his career seriously, he’d have to move to Nashville. “That’s always been the dream, but being from a small town in Georgia, you never really think dreams are going to come true,” says Ben. He began making trips to Nashville over several years to build connections, and then made the move in 2019 shortly after turning 21.
Since his move, Ben has steadily built a career around the dual pursuits of being a songwriter and an artist. Though he found success as a songwriter through a publishing deal with Hang Your Hat Music, “something kept nagging at my shirttail to pursue the artist thing,” he shares. “I’m living in the best of both worlds at the moment. I’m kind of riding the wave.”
Ben’s own trajectory as an artist has produced three albums, as well as a touring band being celebrated for their hard-hitting live shows sometimes categorized as “country funk.” He shares his love for classic records from artists like James Brown and Sam & Dave. “It’s so hard to listen to that music and not automatically love it. We’re sort of like Georgia boys trying to do country music in a funky way.” Ben also shares a melting pot of other musical influences he and his band have been into recently: the songcraft of Robbie Robertson and The Band; the exploratory range of Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead; the blues-rock jams of The Allman Brothers. “Whatever it is, we want to be known for our live show,” he explains.
Like any true Nashville fairytale, Chapman’s story also includes a real life meet cute at a show. He and his now wife Meg McRee first met at a songwriter round where they were both featured writers for the evening. He remembers, “I walked in one night when I first moved to town, saw Meg sitting on stage, and was like ‘who is THAT?’ I’m already in love, AND she’s good!” They instantly connected and developed both a friendship and frequent co-writing partnership. Over time the relationship developed into something more, and they became a couple. They’re now building two budding careers as singer-songwriters alongside each other.
“It’s easier than it seems,” he explains about partnership with a fellow artist. “The fact that we understand each other is the best feeling in the world. It’s really cool to chase a dream with somebody you love.” Though Ben and Meg have separate touring bands and schedules, they’ve recently found ways to tour together more frequently. “My band can play her songs, and her band can play my songs, so it’s really freaking cool,” he explains. Their upcoming Colorado tour dates will include joint performances, including a supergroup they’re bringing to the Greeley Blues Jam, inspired by Joe Cocker’s legendary backing band on his live album ‘Mad Dogs & Englishmen.’
When he is at home, Ben has been investing time and energy into ways to highlight his own musical community. His recurring curated series called “Peach Jam” was born as a way to spotlight hidden talent and connect musicians with each other. “My main goal is pumping everybody up. There are so many bad asses in a basement that are better than any musician who is on a stage,” he explains. “Sometimes in Nashville, you go to a show, and it’s industry people lined up against the wall with their arms crossed. It’s the most stale, doctor’s office, fluorescent lightbulb bullshit ever. And that’s exactly what Peach Jam is not.” Peach Jam has built grassroots buzz that’s centered around creating a space for musicians to hang and play together.
“That’s what music is about to me – the connection and the energy you can get from a stage to the crowd. I feel like that’s what we’re put here to do.” Chapman will keep authentically sharing that energy on a series of upcoming tour dates, as well as a new studio album on the way later this year.
Catch Ben Chapman and Meg McRee at the following Colorado tour dates:
- June 5, Oskar Blues, Colorado Springs
- June 6, The Black Buzzard, Denver
- June 7, Greeley Blues Jam
