December 04, 2008
Road Dog Holds Back a Few
The Vue Weekly
James Stewart: After a disappointing loss in this week’s basketball game, Regina native Chad Kichula still manages to sound upbeat. “It happens every game—I start out by not playing that well, then just as I start to heat up, the game finishes.” Maybe it’s this same slow-cooking intensity that makes his roots-rock performances in high demand throughout western Canada and the United States, resulting in his songs getting picked up by more and more radio stations south of the border. “There seems to be a genuine appreciation for my music down there,” he explains. “The songs have really found an audience in the States.” A singer-songwriter in the tradition of working class heroes like Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle and early John Mellencamp, Kichula and his band have trekked back and forth across Western Canada enough times that it’s starting to become routine. However, this Friday marks their first appearance in Edmonton. “I don’t know how we kept missing it,” Kichula laughs. “But we’re excited to play to a new audience, first and foremost. I just want to get the music out there, and for people to take something from the performance home with them.” Playing venues as varied as heavy metal bars to the more intimate environs of restaurants or cafes, Kichula and his band are well suited to adapt to various situations. “We’re forced to be more flexible and play with a lot more dynamics. I can come out and just play solo, or we can have the drummer play with brushes and bring things down, or we can turn up and rock.” Backed by the same players for a period spanning back several years, Kichula is quick to note how integral the players are to the songs and the performances. “We’re a tight group. If someone can’t make it out to some shows, it’s not like we just replace them, we’ll just shuffle things around and find a way to make it work.” With all the tracking finished for his upcoming full length Runners in the Night, Kichula looks forward to shipping out the completed album in early 2009. While some of the songs were waiting for years to be recorded, others were written over the summer to tie the record together. When writing for the album was finished, Kichula found himself in the unusual position of having no new material left. “That never happens, you know? You always want to have a few in your pocket, so the pressure was on to write some new stuff. Thankfully I was able to come up with some new songs,” he says. “It’s really important to not let things come to a conclusion.” V

September 22, 2008
Chad Kichula pays tribute to ‘Cool Hand Luke’...
Music Review By Overground UnderGround
Kit Burns: Apparently the title cut of this three-track EP was inspired by the 1967 Paul Newman film Cool Hand Luke. Having not seen the movie since I was a child, I’m unable to identify the lyrical references to it but it might be noteworthy trivia to the enlightened. For the rest of us, its strengths lies in its Bruce Springsteen-ish rush of power acoustic riffs, electric sparks, and charging drums. It’s beefy Americana driven by Chad Kichula’s big, cocky voice. Sick of wuss rock? This is as macho as it gets without resorting to Metallica. The two remaining tunes don’t pack the wallop of the single but they are nevertheless tasty meat-and-potatoes rock & roll. The violin-powered “Another Love” displays Kichula’s sensitive side, a pretty unplugged number that shifts to the subtle regions of Kichula’s vocals. “Gotta Hold on Me” is an upbeat number that might find a home on radio once the better cuts have run their course.

September 20, 2008
Chad Kichula World Shaker
Review by Whisperin & Hollerin
Adam Harrington: Our Rating: 8 out of 10 Stars... Canadian singer/songwriter Chad Kichula (http://www.chadkichula.com) sounds more south of the border than many of his contemporaries. After having seen stateside college-radio spins for his single "Never Seen the Ocean," Kichula has followed it up with a stirring, swagger-juiced blast of roots rock, "World Shaker." Its outlaw theme may have been influenced by the Paul Newman classic "Cool Hand Luke," but its dark country shadings are straight from Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska." Violins add drama and a tinge of sadness to Kichula's pulpy storytelling, and his commanding, booming voice delivers two-fisted power to this combustible mix of folk, country, and the blues. "Another Love" and "Gotta Hold on Me" bring in extra flavors to Kichula's menu, expanding his acoustic-based arrangements. Kichula's singing on "Another Love" is breathy and somewhat romantic, in stark contrast to the tough-guy image that "World Shaker" projects. Each song helps to explore Kichula's versatile range, and his next full-length CD, judging from the sampler here, should be quite a winner.

January 24, 2008
Regina Singer's Song Popular in U.S.
Article in the Leader-Post
Maria Cootauco: Chad Kichula is shaking his head. "This was never supposed to happen," the 31-year-old Regina-based singer said incredulously. "Indie charts, fine, enjoy it, but to hear yourself on mainstream radio, that was never part of the plan." Kichula is in an interesting position, one that finds him on the Spins Tracking System (STS) Hot 100 Chart -- a service that tracks singles played on radio stations around the U.S. -- debuting his song "Never Seen the Ocean" at No. 65 for the week of Jan. 11. That week, Kichula's song was spun 166 times, reaching listeners 47 more times than John Mayer's own debut song, "Say." At the top of the Hot 100 Chart was Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly," which saw airplay 1,855 times, a fact that doesn't faze Kichula. "I'm just trying to digest everything that's on my plate right now," Kichula said. "This was done with almost zero money behind it and no video. If you look at all the other names (on the Hot 100), there's guaranteed a music video and a big label that's pushing a lot of money." Kichula's plate is large, and the appetite for his music is ravenous, evidenced by the DJs Kichula says are contacting him about his music. One day last week, Kichula mailed out 40 CDs to DJs, record pools and the media across the U.S. Asked how his overnight fame -- it happened literally in the span of a few days at the beginning of January when Kichula sent his album Better in the Mornin' to a radio station in Los Angeles -- got rolling, he responds that it didn't merely roll, it "bounced." "The buzz is going," Kichula said excitedly. "It's a lot of work. I'm spending hours a day just (promoting) this. If this is my shot to make a career out of this and to keep pushing so my next album can go further, it's well worth putting in the sweat now." Before the momentum began, the self-described "roots rock" singer got his start playing small gigs around Regina and recording his first self-titled album on a four-track recorder in his basement. "I started off thinking if I could just play one song in front of one live audience, that would be enough for me," Kichula said. Kichula got his wish -- it happened one night a few years ago at the Exchange. "In front of six people," he laughed. "That's how it started and of course no one stops there." Needless to say, it seems that Kichula's audience of six has seen growth in recent weeks -- on Jan. 18, the single moved up to No. 56 on the STS Hot 100 Chart. "That's the whole reason you start off as a songwriter, you hope the one person you play for, your girlfriend, your mom or your friends, that they like the song. But when you find that your audience has grown, it's incredible," he said. "What I'm making in money off this song, I don't know, it's not really a big concern for me, but I hope it covers the expense of this one so I can do another one. The whole idea is people loving the song and appreciating you as an artist."

July 07, 2005
Album Review
The Globe and Mail-Acoustic Guitar Magazine
Greg Mcguire: [Regarding the album "Chad Kichula"] This is a very tasty slice of recent trends in Americana and powerpop. Kichula does a nice job at writing memorable tunes, and the musicianship is excellent throughout, in particular some excellent lead electric guitar. The vocals, at times, are a touch on the weak, almost monotone side, but overall Kichula manages to convey a nice degree of emotion. An impressive solo debut. Greg McGuire Antigonish, Nova Scotia