For singer/songwriter Chad Overman music has always been about honesty and emotional connection, and it’s that honesty and emotion that has resonated with fans, believers and critics since his debut release, Sunday Man in 2007.
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Chad began playing and performing in high school. He worked out melodies by ear on his dad’s old guitar, playing an eclectic mix of covers from artists like James Taylor, Third Eye Blind, The Beatles and Elton John. Although his early set-lists were without a doubt diverse, each song shared a feeling of truth and vulnerability that connected with Chad. “"More than anything, it’s the honest emotion of a song that pulls me into music,"” says Overman. “"Sometimes it'’s a melody and sometimes it may be the story a song tells or a lyric that resonates with me.”"
Yearning to express himself through his own words and music, Chad soon started writing his own songs. Armed with a growing arsenal of original music, Chad started his first band, JONESER in 2002. Although raised as a Christian, Chad struggled with his faith throughout his teen years. On his own path to faith, he continued to write and perform with JONESER. “"While many of those early songs didn’t speak directly to my relationship with Jesus Christ, they were always honest in emotion,"” he says. “"They'’re true to the path I was on at that time in my life.”"
Chad’s debut album, Sunday Man, was released in February of 2007. The versatile collection of songs, connected deeply with listeners. Praised as “"poetic pop”," "at once “accessible", "textured, thoughtful, and diverse”," Sunday Man is a color-rich palette of Chad’s different musical influences. “"It reflects the varying musical styles that I’'ve connected to emotionally at different times in my life.”"
A progression from early EP releases with JONESER, Sunday Man not only showed Chad’'s growth as an artist, but also his growth in faith. With a stronger belief in and relationship with God, his music began to speak more to that relationship. In songs like the soaring opener “"Drop the Reins"” which Chad often credits as “being the song that started it all”, he speaks of struggle and of search. “"When you’re friends go home and you’re on your own, where do you go?"” According to Chad, the origin of the song was definitely a divine one, “"Sometimes you know when God is speaking because it just flows. You don’t exactly know how it happened, but you don’t second-guess the source.”"
While comfortable being described as a Christian artist, Overman prefers to think outside of labels. He explains, “"I believe that my music goes beyond labels like ‘'Christian'’ or ‘'secular’'. Instead I just think of my music as ‘honest’ songs that capture moments in my life. Those moments may speak to my relationship with God-- they may tell a story of faith and doubt, or they may not.”"
His second major studio recording, Songs for the Searchers was released in February, 2011. An uplifting but introspective record, Songs for the Searchers gives listeners a startling honest glimpse into a darker period in Overman’s life. The collection of 14 songs was written during a period of deep depression that began a year after the release of Sunday Man. "“I was at a point in my life where I was struggling with depression and addiction-- I had to confront my demons. The only way I knew to do that was to cry out to God and ask him for help. In the process of doing that, many of these songs arrived. They helped me though, and I believe they are a gift.”"
Overman admits that Songs for the Searchers is an incredibly personal record, with an opening track that couldn’t get more personal. The song "“If I Go"” is written from the perspective of a man who has hit rock-bottom, with no where left to go, with lyrics that are an unabashed cry for help “"You’'ve got to bring me water, bring me water, My well is running dry and I can’t go on."” Songs like the soulful, acoustic “"Can You Save Me?”", first recorded in his JONESER days tell of a struggle with intense emotions and a search for answers that started for Overman as a teen. He continues the story with tracks like the early single “"The Solitude”". With a simple yet haunting melody and poignant lyric “"Just a man, just a straw filled man, with a match in my straw filled hand”," the song has struck an early chord with fans according to Chad. "“It’'s about a scarecrow that is playing with matches,"” he says. "“It describes how fragile we all can be, and how easily one mistake can burst everything into flames.”"
As Songs for the Searchers begins to find itself in the minds and hearts of fans and new listeners alike, Chad plans to take the record to those he feels the songs were meant to help. "“I believe these songs were a gift to help me and to help others suffering with depression and addiction to come out of the darkness and find the light. I’'m committed to that ministry.”" Overman plans to perform for ministry outreach organizations that help people overcome depression and addiction, in addition to continued performances at various juvenile prisons and faith-based prison ministries.
In addition to music, Chad produces, directs and writes Nationwide Character Films targeting at-risk teens and children, and will appear onscreen later this year as narrator of this year’s nationwide film entitled “"Take Control”". He is happily married to Jaime Overman, and is a new father to son, Dylan James. Chad Overman is an artist, a musician, a singer, and a songwriter. He’'s a man of faith whose songs tell of struggle, doubt, revelation and redemption. He continues down his unique creative path with his latest and most intimate release, Songs for the Searchers, and he’s invited the other seekers out there to come along. The destination may be unknown but one thing is for certain--the songs that get him there will certainly ring true and from the heart.
