Clubhouse Selections: Eddie Chacon

When it comes to music, it’s a fundamental for us.
It’s a pillar which has inspired, energised and made us who we are, on both a personal level and as a brand.

With that, It’s been a long aspiration for us to bring our love for sound to the centre stage and in turn share the gift of music with our community.
We are really happy to continue ‘Clubhouse Selections’, a dedicated and curated playlist series which is focused on sharing the talents and tastes of our favourite artists, curators and record selectors.
The Clubhouse Selections series is approached with an open ended brief, allowing each artist to express themselves through the lens of Café Mountain, sharing their most treasured tracks.

The latest contribution is from the legendary artist and musician, Eddie Chacon.
Eddie takes an approach to his craft with refreshing pace and consideration, something he credits to the time spent honing his artistry; the antithesis of overnight success and ‘tiktok’ moments you could say.
Eddie is the real deal.

We were fortunate that Eddie visited our studio whilst on his recent UK tour, pulling some favourite pieces, it’s safe to say we were beyond flattered.
Alongside his curated playlist, we also caught up with Eddie to talk about discipline, time, trust in the process and the shifting nature of creativity which you can read below.

CM: Hi Eddie, first of all, thank you for taking part in our Clubhouse Selections series. It’s an honour to have you on board — I’ve been a personal fan of your music for years. To start us off, could you tell us a little about yourself — who you are and what you do — for those who might not know?

Eddie Chacon: My name is Eddie Chacon. I’ve been a musician since I was 12 years old. I think of myself primarily as a singer and songwriter.
After many years away from the music business, I was drawn back into it about six years ago through a chance coffee meeting with the artist John Carroll Kirby.
I knew John’s work from his contributions to records by Solange, Frank Ocean and Blood Orange, so I admired his work very much. We had such instant chemistry at that coffee meeting — what I thought would be a 20-minute chat turned into two hours talking about music and the kind of music we’d like to make.
Shortly after, he started inviting me over to his studio for what he called “jams.” I’d generally riff over his track ideas — stream-of-consciousness type stuff. Those jams became Pleasure, Joy, and Happiness. It was a nice surprise to suddenly be given the opportunity to make records again after decades away from what I would call my first love: music.

CM: Your sound evokes a kind of quiet confidence — balanced, restrained, never overstated. In an era where the hyper often dominates, was this something you consciously wanted to explore?

Eddie Chacon: I do believe that with age comes an understanding of subtlety in all things. I wanted to make music at this stage in my life that felt more like a whisper than a scream. I wanted to make a record you’d have to be my age to make — something nourishing and somewhat meditative.

CM: I imagine how you spend downtime on tour now must be quite different from touring in the '90s. Are there any routines or creative habits you’ve come to rely on while travelling?

Eddie Chacon: I’m not a big believer in ambition. I think it’s important to quiet yourself to the point where you can hear the sound of your own voice. We all have things we’re naturally passionate about, and I believe we tend to be better at doing the things we love. Those things reveal themselves — if we can only get out of our own way.

CM: Any ‘must do’s’ when you land in a new city?

Eddie Chacon: I’ve travelled a lot in my life and what I’ve come to learn is it’s more exciting to search for the soul of a city than to just go straight to the tourist sites. The tourist attractions can be great, too, but I find it more gratifying to learn what the people who actually live there enjoy doing.

CM: Is there anything about the pace of the industry — or life more broadly — that you’ve consciously stepped away from in order to focus on what matters most?

Eddie Chacon: I think it’s better to move at your own pace. You shouldn’t pay too much attention to the speed of the industry or other people’s expectations. I believe nobody’s waiting for the wrong thing. What’s most important is to take your time and get your work as close as possible to what you envision in your head and heart.

It only matters that you can live with what you’ve made. If you can do that, then it won’t matter whether you’ve put numbers on the scoreboard or not. At the end of the day, it’s only important that when you look in the mirror, you like the person looking back at you.

CM: You’ve worked as a photographer too, so balancing creativity with rest must be no easy task. What does a day off look like when you’re in LA?

Eddie Chacon: I’m somewhat of a homebody when I’m in Los Angeles. Being out on the road is truly my favourite — I’m naturally a nomadic person — but when I’m home, I try to connect with friends. I’m really into walking. There’s no better way to experience a city than on foot. I’ve been in LA almost my whole life, but I still discover new things all the time. That’s why I love big cities — they’re alive and ever-changing. You can never fully get to know them, even if you’ve been there your whole life.

CM: And finally — what have you got going on at the moment, musically or otherwise, that you’re enjoying dedicating time to?

Eddie Chacon: Right now I’m going through a period where I’m purposefully not being creative. I guess you could say I’m recharging my batteries. It’s a fun time for me — honestly, in this phase, I can hardly relate to who that person is who creates music. It’s as though it’s someone else, and I really enjoy that. It’s liberating.

Eddie wears the Telemark Smock in Deep Navy and the Music And Arts Cap in Washed Taupe.

Thank you for sharing your creativity, music and words Eddie.
Enjoy!