SOLD OUT - Chuck Ragan (of Hot Water Music)

105.5 The Colorado Sound Presents Chuck Ragan with Noah C Lekas
People discover Chuck Ragan in different ways. Some people know Ragan from the pioneering punk act Hot Water Music he’s co-fronted for the past three decades. Others are aware of his successful solo career or the Revival Tour, a collection of traveling troubadours that included his peers like Frank Turner and the Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon. Some folks may have even come across him from the successful fly fishing operation he runs out of Grass Valley, California. The one throughline through all this is the way that Ragan approaches everything with a level of honesty and integrity that can’t be faked—and that sentiment is undeniable on Love And Lore, his first solo collection in ten years and one that’s being released as Hot Water Music take a well-deserved victory lap for their breakout album Vows, which came out earlier this year.
In some ways, it’s a miracle that Love And Lore even exists. The album was first conceptualized by Ragan in 2016, studio time was booked in 2019 and right before the recording was set to take place, COVID happened and all of Ragan’s musical projects had to be put on hold so he could focus on his fishing operation to provide for his family. “We got serious about making this album again in 2022, but I didn’t have a ton of time to devote to it between being physically exhausted and having a toddler,” he admits. “It was just chaos.” (This also includes a tree falling on guitarist/pedal steel/multi-instrumentalist Todd Beene’s house.) Eventually Love And Lore was recorded in early 2023 and the result is an album that showcases Ragan further transcending the “folk” label to create a collection of songs that see him stretching out as a songwriter to fearlessly explore new sonic territory.
Lyrically, the album sees Ragan digging deep into his own psyche to craft lyrics that are brutally honest when it comes to themes such as relationships, family and the daily struggles that are an inherent part of living. “There’s so much heartbreak that comes with this life and I’m not just talking about myself, I’m talking about the people around me,” Ragan explains. “As someone who spends a lot of time away from my loved ones, there’s a lot of darkness at times and a lot of questions—and a lot of these songs are very much reflective of that and very much about therapy and finding peace and solace in nature, on the water and with loved ones, you know?” In that spirit, the stripped-down acoustic ballad “Reel My Heart” sees Ragan exploring the way balancing life on the road with his family obligations can still feel like a Sisyphean task much of the time.