John Chandler Releases New Single “Missing”

Singer-songwriter and ex-boy-bander John Chandler is back with a gritty and soulful new track called “Missing.” Inspired from a conversation he had with his father on the front porch, his dad’s message resonated so much that he decided to start a journey of self-discovery. Chandler made some major life changes including breaking up with his boyfriend, leaving New York, and ultimately writing this song.

“We have all woken up wondering if we are doing enough to fulfill our purpose in life,” he said. “For me, the message in ‘Missing’ is that often what we’re chasing and searching for is inside ourselves and the key to happiness is remaining centered.”

Chandler’s road to enlightenment has been long but rewarding. He realizes that most of his recent struggles stem from finding success as a teen. Chandler first came on to the music scene as a member of 6PIECE, a boy band launched by Maurice Starr, the man behind launching New Edition and New Kids on the Block.

OUT FRONT received the opportunity to talk more with Chandler about the new track and why it was a blessing and a curse to find success at a young age.Hi, John! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me. How are you doing during these unprecedented times?
It has been very interesting because I was in L.A., and I wasn’t really trying to leave L.A., but I had an opportunity to go to Nashville. It was the worst time to move. The night that I got there, there was a huge fire in the building next to me where I was staying. The whole, entire building burnt to the ground.

The following night was when that crazy tornado went through, and then literally a few days later is when the news was saying COVID was getting really bad, so no one should leave their house. So, I decided to go back to L.A. and just be with some friends instead of being in a new city during the quarantine. I just went back to Nashville as of July. So, it has been interesting doing virtual meetings and writing sessions. There is a different vibe in not being able to just go to the studio and be around five to 10 people.

At least you are doing well. Now, you recently released your new single “Missing.” How has that been received?
Very well. It has been a couple years since I have released anything. “Missing,” I actually wrote it before the pandemic, but I was listening back to the lyrics, and they kind of rang true at this point. It is all about finding what is missing in your life. Not necessarily what is wrong with it, but what’s missing.

I was like, this is kind of perfect for right now because we were all kind of forced to take a seat and do nothing. So, as it starts to lift a bit, we can start reintroducing things to our life. I have been trying to be intentional and only put things back in my life that I thought were missing. I was very happy to release it, and we did a cool video that I am proud of as well.

This is the first single off your upcoming EP?
Yes. I am going to release two singles from the EP and then just release the entire EP probably at the first of the year. I am trying to get as much content as I can while I am kind of in semi-lockdown. Hopefully at the start of the year, and I don’t think things will be back to normal by January, but hopefully it will slowly start to lift a little bit, and we can start doing some sort of shows. I am not the kind who does virtual shows from my living room every day. I have friends who do, and they are awesome, but I did one, and it was just kind of weird for me. So, I really don’t care for them. I know I’ll eventually have to do them if that’s what it comes to.

What is the EP’s title?
It is literally the track list. Missing, Changing, Running, Growing. They are all like a journey of self-discovery, and every song has a similar vibe. Not sonically, but lyrically. They have sad, but hopefully lyrics, and they are reflective in figuring out what you want to do. So, instead of thinking up a title, it will just be the track list. It speaks for itself.Can you tell us more about the concept and inspiration behind “Missing?” It came from a conversation you had with your father?
Yes. At the time, I was living in New York and in a relationship, and I was visiting my family at their place in the mountains, and I was saying that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay in New York. I have been in New York for, like, eight years, I wasn’t sure if I was in the right relationship, wasn’t happy with my career, and my dad was like, there’s nothing wrong with New York. There’s nothing wrong with your boyfriend. Nothing is wrong with any of these things, but it might be what’s missing. Figure out what that is.

So, I went to L.A. and got in the studio and it was just kind of like a stream of consciousness as far as the lyrics go. The first verse is, “The sun comes up, why is New York gray? Look down in my cup, wondering should I stay.” That was literally me waking up wondering, should I be here?

I think everyone can kind of relate to that. Like, wondering if they are in the right city, wondering if they are in the right relationship, if they are doing the most of their career, especially during COVID. We have all had a lot of extra time with our thoughts. Everyone has been questioning everything. So, that is the vibe of “Missing.”

What do you hope audiences take away from it?
Just so we all kind of feel the same way. I mean, there really isn’t a resolution in the song. The hook is just me trying to find something that I want and need, but I can’t seem to find it. It is okay to not know what your next move is. It is okay to be a little confused. Take a minute and beat to just figure it out.

I am a firm believer that there’s not really a whole lot of right and wrong. It is just a series of choices and steps. It is all a journey. Especially during COVID, I have had to really talk myself down a lot of times when I was, like, completely over it, and that is the message of the song. We are all figuring it out, and we are all trying to figure out what is missing. We are all in this similar boat.

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Have you always had a passion for music?
Yes. I grew up in church; my parents were pastors, so my mom is a concert pianist, and she was always playing in church. She kind of taught me to play, and just kept singing. I didn’t really know that it was a career choice because no one really tells you that. Then, the older I got, the more I really got into it, so I started writing songs. I was really young, like probably 12 or 13. Then I got plugged into the boy band with Maurice Starr, and that was when I was around 16. That was the first time that I realized, oh, this is actually a career thing.

You have said that most of your recent struggles stem from finding success as a teen. Can you talk more about that?
I always say it’s kind of a blessing and a curse because, obviously, getting handed a record deal when you are 16 is brilliant. Think about how many young kids want to get a record deal, but it’s just not in the cards for them. So, having that just kind of happen so early in my life was awesome, and it validated me. It gave me confidence, and I loved that experience, but when I lost my record deal, I didn’t immediately go into the studio or go online to build a fan base because I wasn’t in that Indie artist mindset.

So, I kind of waited around for years. I was always writing and doing a show here and there, but it took me a minute to subscribe to the idea that you don’t have to wait for anybody else. That’s the cool thing about the music industry right now. Like, everyone has access to it. You can just release music if you want.

So, that was kind of cool once I let go of my notion of what I had to do or what I had to be and just started doing music for the love of music. I started getting well-received; people started giving me good feedback after doing shows, and it lit my fire again. I started releasing music again four years ago, and I am releasing a new project now.

I think there is no timeline. People are all on their own timeline, and I think that people are sometimes like, ‘Oh, so and so hasn’t released a song. Where did they go?’ They are just living their life. Artists are people, too. So, if an artist doesn’t release something for four or five years, they didn’t stop being artists, they are just living their life. For me, it’s up and down, and it’s not like a constant timeline. I never stopped being an artist or stopped having a dream.Why do you think it is common for child stars and young artists to go through these similar struggles?
Fame is not natural. It’s not natural when you are an adult, but when you are a kid who has all these insecurities and who hasn’t come into their own yet, especially if you are a gay kid with a bunch of other straight guys in a band, there are going to be some issues because maybe you weren’t allowed to come out in the same way if you weren’t in the band. It’s just hard bouncing back. I am always very impressed by child stars. I’m not saying I was a child star, but, like, actors and singers that do really well, I am impressed by it because so many of them don’t really bounce back from it. It is not a normal experience.

What more do you hope to accomplish as a solo artist and an openly gay artist?
You know, it’s funny. I didn’t grow up with gay people on the radio. I was pre-Troye Sivan or Adam Lambert. There was really no Will & Grace or Queer as Folk until I was a little bit older. So, I had already kind of formed my idea that openly gay artists were never an option, even though I was an openly gay person, and all my friends and family knew.

I think it is really exciting that openly gay artists aren’t just accepted, but in a lot of ways celebrated. I just want to be myself, and that is kind of what this EP is about. It is about finding myself and being myself. It is an ongoing journey, but the gay community has always showed me so much love.

I think a lot of people are afraid to be labeled as gay artists because they are like, ‘Am I not mainstream?’ I am not going to stop supporting a group of people have supported me so much. I am just going to continue to grow, and I honestly feel like every project is going to be different. What I have recently started doing, and this is only recent, I am collaborating more with people. I used to always just write for myself. So, that is kind of a new development. It is exciting to write for someone else because you are not limited to what you would say, what your range is, or what your style is. You get to play pretend a little bit with their storyline, vocal range, and style of music.

So, that has been fun. I am really hoping to get in those writing circles and collaborate with other people while in Nashville. Even if it’s via Zoom.

Are there any other upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for?
Well, I have to finish the EP. As soon as I get back in the studio, I will finish the next single. Definitely going to do a video for that as well. Even though the EP that I am going to release is already written, I am already writing for my next project as well. I just have to play it by ear to see where this COVID situation is because it is going to be an ongoing thing. I am thinking of just starting a home studio because I am really impatient. I am not good at waiting around. So, if this is going to keep going, then I am going to embrace it and start a home studio so I can start doing my own stuff.

“Missing is now available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other digital streaming platforms. For more information and to stay up-to-date, follower Chandler on Instagram, or visit johnchandleroffical.com.

Photos by Tyler Werges

Photos Courtesy of Tyler Werges