Conversations with Chase Petra: The Importance of Music-Making
An enigma is a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand—and the only word that can be used to describe notable pop-rock band “Chase Petra”. The band is unlike any seen on the scene in years past, calling to mind the growing pains that the new generation has experienced in a rapidly changing and painful world. Composed of singer Hunter Allen (She/They), as well as drummer Evan Schaid(He/Him), Brooke Dixon (She/They) bassist and vocalist, and guitarist Genevieve Quiquivix (She/Her).
The band came together erratically, forming with Allen and Evan playing music together in middle school. It was not until several years later that it started to take on a more concrete shape. Allen’s life was at a point of crossroads. They were nineteen, struggling to find community, and unsure of their life direction. It was at this point of low mental health that Allen was introduced to Dixon, and, finally (about two years ago), to Quiquivix. With the addition of multiple instruments and an uptick in confidence, the band was able to excel through collaboration and, as they labeled it, straight-up fun!
The story of the band’s name was possibly the biggest indicator of the spontaneity of this band. As lead singer Allen spoke to the band name's inspiration, a novel from the eighties titled “Ender's Game” by Orson Scott Card that featured a character named Petra that was a dear favorite of the singer. When Hunter decided they wanted the character to be the band’s namesake, a friend told them it couldn’t be just one word; since they were next to a Chase Bank at the time, “Chase Petra” became the title defining this angst-powered musical machine of vulnerability.
The group’s music has a sense of vulnerability that has not lost its punch in its rise to fame. Within their music, they return again and again to the frustration and sense of despair that accompanies growing in a world that seems to be against us. The first song off of their debut album “Liminal” is titled “Prologue” and cites the pains of growing up unsure how to move through a world in which Allen didn’t know where they fit. As a high school student, I personally experienced these same pains. During their show at the Whole Music Club, Allen mentioned how they now felt themselves growing past this painful era of their life. During the interview, I mentioned how important this song was for me in my adolescence—because it was. In a time when everything was up in the air and felt difficult to understand, it was important for me to know that others were feeling the exact same way.
Their style harkens back to a multitude of influences—Warpaint, Sonic Youth, the Strokes, Wilco, The Front Bottoms, and early Panic! at the Disco were a few they listed.
Even through growth, the band has remained down-to-earth with singer Allen stating that “Every show we play, I’m like, this is the one where nobody’s gonna be there.” As evidenced by Saturday’s showing, however, this is far from the case. The group has an impressive hold on their listeners, boasting a devoted following of over one hundred thousand listeners on Spotify. All of the members described their fans as kind and supportive and attributed their success to the joy they find together in making music.
Recently, the band released their newest single, “Reliable Narrator”. When they spoke about their future goals for their group, they referenced back not just to their music, but to themselves as an ethical organization. On the top of the bucket list is more touring, raising wages for those who help on tour, and crafting a new excellent album. However, they also listed holistic goals, such as connecting with a larger music community and making new friends on their journey.
This band has remained a favorite for me since the debut of the 2019 album “Liminal,” and I cannot wait to see what they produce next, as they seem to improve with every new release. Because I like to pack every interview with a final therapist-esque punch in the gut, I decided to ask each band member what music-making meant to them. (By the way, if you ever need a therapy dupe, hearing the drummer from one of my favorite bands ever tell me I’m doing a good job being a journalist is just about the coolest thing to happen to me.)
Hunter Allen
“For me, it's always felt compulsory, and just, like, an intrinsic part of life. I can't not write music, I wouldn't be able to process half of my feelings if I didn't. Sometimes, it just feels like, well, this is why I exist. Not necessarily to be in front of people. I'm talking, like, when you're by yourself and playing music and, you know, it's like, why? What else is life for?”
Brooke Dixon
“A lot of the time when, you know, you're deep in the sauce and nothing makes sense anymore, music makes sense. It helps me process my feelings and channel it into something so I'm not just sitting there spiraling, you know? It helps channel it into something constructive—I like the word constructive rather than productive. I think the reason that I have chosen to do music and, like, you know, not done other things in life and dedicated my life to music is because it seems like that's the way that I can give to others something that I have to offer.”
Evan Schaid
“The fact that we get to make our own universe and, like, hearing things about, like, you saying that [Prologue] was your song in high school for that moment, like, things like that, I think, are what music is to me. Someone gets to take your project and make it their own universe in their head. You get to be like those stars, you're in there, you're in their orbit for forever as these memories. I think that's such a beautiful thing. It's like storytelling, you know, you pass these stories on, you pass these things along, and hopefully, I don't know, you get to do that for someone in your own writing—and that's in every field, not just music, but I think that's what music is for me.”
Genevieve Quiquivix
“For me personally, it's always been the way I've been able to express myself. I've always felt like I had trouble communicating with people and, as a trans woman, like, knowing that when I play there's other people like me and also connecting me on that same level—creating that kind of community. It's like a big reminder that I'm not alone in this whole world and stuff like that; as long as there's music, and there's people like us that just enjoy it and want to share it together. I feel at home and I feel like I can express myself freely as a human being in this and the fact that I get to play with everybody here, like, I feel so lucky and so privileged—yeah, I think that's it, I don't feel alone.”
Huge thanks to the members of Chase Petra for a wonderful interview!
Thumbnail image from Spotify