Chip Greene

"King of Pain. Chip Greene’s métier is matters of the heart. That alone doesn’t make him an original, but his meticulous examination of all the intricacies of a relationship is a great deal more detail-oriented than average. His classic approach to melody is updated with layers of electronic textures, yielding atmospheric pop gems." - OurStage.com

“A staple of our Local Lightning Spotlight, Chip is a talent that deserves to be heard!” - Gary Kraen - Lightning 100 (WRLT-FM, Nashville)

“A singer-songwriter that pushes past the acoustic guitar playing, love song writing stereotype that singer-songwriters get stuck in.” - Hear/Say: America's College Music Magazine

“A brilliant singer/songwriter.” - Chris Bro, 107.1 The Peak (WXPK-FM, New York)

“His debut album, Exactly and Approximately, is an edgy mix of pop and indie rock. It came out two years ago, and his audiences have been hounding him to give them another!” - Skope Magazine

“Chip Greene—I caught a song or two but I was distracted. I listened to the CD later; WOW. Definitely want to bring this one back if only because, selfishly, I want to watch the entire show!” - Laura Hamlett - PLAY:stl Festival

"Unofficial SXSW 2012 Editors' Pick!" - The Austin Chronicle

Drawing comparisons to Ryan Adams and Aimee Mann, this fresh-faced Nashville talent serves up a three-song sampler to whet appetites for his forthcoming debut full-length. Sandwiched between the ultra-poppy "Everything About You" and very pretty "Precious Time" is the lush melancholy of "The Art of Abandon." - Rib Magazine

GreeneLight is the combined names and talents of Chip Greene and Megan Light, and their first EP is four songs of dreamy, rhythmic pop romanticism! - The Murfreesboro Pulse

Things do happen for a reason, and what unfortunately was a tragic event for Nashville-area native Chip Greene, was also a new beginning. After a serious motorcycle accident back in high school, Chip began learning the piano and writing music while he had a year to recover, and now, more mature, he is in the studio, mastering his CD.

Even though Chip grew up listening to the Police, the Beatles, Springsteen, Elvis Costello, U2 and Billy Joel, I insisted that he had a hint of Elvis Presley in him. Whether it be his sexy hair and sideburns or low-toned voice, there is something about him that has 'the king' written all over him. His look and voice grasp you and don't let you go.

A three-song EP entitled 'Ominous' is what Chip first produced, and now he is in the studio mastering his full album, tentatively titled "Exactly and Approximately."

Not only did this school counselor by day and rockstar by night have one of the top 200 downloaded songs on Amazon.Com, but recently he checked his MySpace ranking in New York City and saw that he was ranked #6 on the Unsigned Alternative Artists List out of thousands! You will understand why, once you catch a glimpse of this artist who is sure to be swept off his feet by someone who is going to help build his career and put him in the spotlight where he belongs.

Kriselen.com: When did you begin writing and what instruments do you play?
Chip: I began in high school and I play piano mostly.

Kriselen.com: Also, in high school, you were in a motorcycle accident?
Chip: Hmmm-You've been doing your homework. I was in an accident that took me out of school for a year. It was a pretty serious accident. Someone hit me head-on. That was when I started playing piano.

Kriselen.com: Do you still ride?
Chip: No, I haven't. Out of respects for my parents, I don't do it. I don't have any memory of that at all, so it's not like I'm fearful of getting on a bike again. But if my parents saw me on a bike, that would be the end!

Kriselen.com: Who are some of your musical inspirations (and I'm waiting for you to say someone in particular)?
Chip: My favorite artists have always been those that continually tried new things and stretched themselves musically. They transcend genre. The Beatles had Martha My Dear and Helter Skelter on the same album. Sometimes, as a writer, you find the perfect antidote to the crazy balls-to-the-wall rocker in a gentle ballad. It keeps it interesting for you and hopefully, if you're doing your job right, for your audience. I grew up listening to the Police, the Beatles, Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, U2. Have I hit it yet?

Kriselen.com: Well, you got the first name right. For some reason, I see a hint of Elvis Presley in you.
Chip: That's funny because long before there were Elvis impersonators, I have been told that my dad would do an Elvis impersonation at school that would drive the girls crazy. It's just kinda funny and I'll have to tell him that you say I have this 'Elvis thing going on'. Maybe the hair? I don't know... Thank you, thank you very much!

Kriselen.com:Have you been told that your style is like anyone else or that you sound like anyone else because I'm feeling like you're in your own category here?
Chip: Well, thanks, I hope so. I hope we don't sound too much like anybody else. I always tell people that it's in the same "category" as Coldplay. It doesn't necessarily sound like Coldplay, but I happen to be a guy who sings, plays piano, and write songs.

Kriselen.com: What inspires you to write your music?
Chip: Mainly, just really evil women. Kidding! It's not completely autobiographical. A lot of people think this is stuff about me, but not necessarily. Of course there's some of me in there, but I mostly just observe what's going on around me. One of my friends called my lyrics "compact & voyeuristic." I like that. The names are changed to protect the guilty, of course.

Kriselen.com: How many people are in your band?
Chip: Hundreds! No really, a lot of different people have played on the songs as they've gone through various changes and incarnations. The live band I'm putting together now will be me and 3 or 4 other people.

Kriselen.com: What does 'Ominous' mean to you?
Chip: Well, I was trying to think of a way to introduce the EP as a teaser for the album. It's a demo really. The songs aren't final mixes. To me, ominous represents something that's looming... Action must be taken! The lyrics 'ocean blue ominous sky' come from the song 'Everything About You.' It doesn't necessarily mean something bad is going to happen, just that a change is eminent; the guy is driven to change his circumstance. He's going to get the girl back! The sky is a harbinger of this change, just as the EP is of the album.

Kriselen.com: Tell me about your CD.
Chip: The CD is being mixed right now. We recorded 12 songs, though I'm not sure if I'm putting the full 12 songs on the album. Once the songs are chosen & the CD is mastered, I hope to get some label backing. The CD is very diverse, stylistically... even from three songs that are on the EP. I think it's much better.

Kriselen.com: The 3 songs on the EP sound different than each other. How would you describe your genre of music?
Chip: That's a tough question. Anymore, you don't have to fit in to any one category. We're back in a melodic phase of rock and roll. This is something U2 has been doing for a long time. Modern, alternative, pop-rock, I guess.

Kriselen.com: How has MySpace worked for you?
Chip: It's been great. Someone will see my picture or hear my music and then it just goes on from there. This has really revolutionized the way the unsigned acts are heard and the way the signed acts are marketed.

Kriselen.com: You were one of the 200 top downloads for Amazon.Com.
Chip: Whenever I wrote that, I was. I haven't checked it lately. We do most of the recording in NY and I spend a lot of time up there. I was looking at the charts on MySpace and I was ranked #6 on unsigned alternative artists in NYC, which seems crazy to me because that was out of a thousand bands.

Kriselen.com: Out of anyone in the mainstream today or any rockstar-whose spot would you like to take right from them?
Chip: I guess I would answer that with 'no one', I'd rather make my own place.

Kriselen.com: Message to people reading this?
Chip: Watch for my full album in the next couple of months and for upcoming gigs, hopefully in a city near you. I hope to see you out there. Thanks Heather! - Kriselen.com

"No Guesswork Needed: "Exactly and Approximately" is Just Good Music." - The Nashville Feed