BY: BEN PAPAGEORGE
Chance McKinney has had quite a unique journey for a country singer. Growing up in rural Montana, Chance was a 3-time National champion in javelin throwing and an All-state basketball player all while holding a 4.0 GPA in high school. He graduated from Washington State University with Summa Cum Laude honours in Mathematics and added a Division I All-American title to his already stacked resume.
Music has always been a part of his life and in 2009 during his time as a high-school math teacher, Chance McKinney decided to enter CMT’s Music City Madness contest for unsigned artists. His single Be Real garnered national attention and received over 1 million votes in the final round.
Since that fateful year, Chance McKinney has toured with the likes of Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Jake Owen and many others. You can hear his latest single Take It Back on country radio where it’s been gaining a lot of traction.
The music video for the track was just released and you can see it right here:
We had the opportunity to ask Chance McKinney a few questions about his career and his latest single. Check out what he had to say below!
What inspired you to record “Take It Back”?
“SSS… Stuck Song Syndrome: I couldn’t get it out of my head. I wanted to like other songs more, but the hook (actually, multiple hooks) kept popping up daily. I loved the imagery of the lyrics, the melodic hooks and the fact that we could take it to a place country doesn’t necessarily go. These were all major factors in our decision-making process.”
What do you hope listeners will feel when they listen to the single?
“Hope. Hope that there’s another chance on something they might’ve missed out on. They say hindsight is 20/20 so we hope we get another shot to take it back when we’ve made mistakes. I know my life has been built around 2nd, 3rd and 99th opportunities. A lot of people think success is winning. Actually, it’s a lot more like being the most resilient loser. And I love it when songs mirror life for me.”
What has been your favourite moment in your career thus far?
“I’d say getting that first add for “Take It Back” at national radio had to rank right up there. But, my most recent favourites are the video stuff I did with Keith Anderson out on the road this summer, or the time spent with Jake Owen and some of the nuggets of advice he threw my way. There’s just too many to count at this point. There are a lot of negatives too… but like I said, it’s how you get up after failing so much that defines you.”
Your dreams would come true if…
“Such a loaded question. If you’re talkin’ music, then charting a Top 30 on MediaBase/Billboard would be the next step towards achieving my dreams.”
For more on Chance McKinney and everything country music, stay tuned to Top Country!
