Reasons why...

I get a lot of "why do you have so many different projects and bands?" The answer is anything but simple, but I'll try to explain. Even though I write a lot for all my endeavors, I am not wanting just one band to be a "variety" band. I would not want Fly in the Ointment to be electronic or acoustic. I would not want The Antikythera Mechanism to have guitars or anything other than just keyboards. Spineless was truly all over the map and was a versatile unit made of great people with great parts. This is the reason that Stego is so raw sounding, it just is how we sound live down to single guitar and single lead vocal. It's not just a preference but each project; just like pieces of art, have a special vibe and individual idea. I pick the vein and we're off. I'm just glad to write music that is honed down to whatever the projects call for. To be a better song writer everyday is my goal no matter what the inspiration.

Southern Weather

Amidst the cold snap and all the rain I find myself writing and pondering the months ahead. The love of music and the desire to push the limits of what I can play drive me forward. Stego has had a tremendous start to the year with so much radio support and new fans. Many new bands have shown us so much kindness love over the past few months, it's amazing. We trashed our old set list with the exception of a few choice covers and “Comet Scar,” bringing a whole new flavor to the table. It's been exciting. With videos in the works and a new EP being hammered out, the guys I play with continue to reward me for my efforts. I think I am writing the best music of my life right now. Big thanks to Krankit Radio out of Boston and WVNA 105.5 The Big Dog in Muscle Shoals for airing us on their stations. Your support has been so fantastic! We are truly humbled!

Ease over to https://www.facebook.com/cthomaschandler and like my solo artist page. You can find Stego as well here: https://www.facebook.com/StegosaurusRocks

We made it out of the Dark.

2012 was a turbulent year full of darkness with bits of light only penetrating every so often. So much self realization, reflection, and growth. Music and art are quite like therapy.  Without such times of out of the box thinking I'd be lost. We find ourselves in the darkest places at times and survival being what shapes us as human beings.
I've watched my trio Stego shape shift from a project into a full blown band. Justin Keef on drums and Jon Carrasco on bass have become a great rhythm section and the creativity is running over. I have also had a wonderful year writing for the 1st acoustic based album in a decade. To be surrounded by such good people that push you to be all you can be is so amazing.  I am very fortunate.
Many new pieces of artwork are up in the portfolio as I dabble further with 3D and Zbrush.
There is much to do in this new year and I will update as much as possible. Stego is back to writing and a new EP is in the works. It's exciting new material that we cannot wait to share with you.
I hope you all find what you're looking for as we start a new era in all of our lives. Thank you so much for reading and the support!

Happy holidays

I'm always surprised by the way time flies, especially as we get older. Time with family is always fantastic, even with those that look down their nose at you. I always tell myself to remember it's those kind of judgmental types that ruin the whole barrel. Life is short and I've been fortunate to have been blessed with the outlets of not only music, but also art. I believe if there were more who could express themselves this would be a much better world. Be kind to one another we're only here for a short period of time. Be safe.

My musical inspiration as of late has been all over the map. Here's a few things that have been stoking the fires beneath my feet. Starting with Sucioperro from Scotland and ending with Biffy Clyro from Scotland.
Suciprerro



The National



Interpol



Dry The River


 
Millencolin


Biffy Clyro

Coffee, Cigarettes, Pencils & Notepads.

The morning gives a new direction on writing sometimes. A clear head can definitely achieve a higher level of clarity on revision of the free writing from yesterday. Ideas come through that you didn't see before. Two new songs are taking form when I usually work on just one at a time. The capo lends a freshness to “untitled song 2” and makes me think Bob Mould. This is probably not surprising to those that know me well, Mould has been a huge influence on me over the years. It's very tempting to flesh some of these ideas out with more instrumentation even though I want to keep this record strictly acoustic and minimal. Reverting to more of a southern rock kinda sound “untitled song 1” comes across as a bit more agitated and rabid than any other composition on this record. Perhaps it's time to spill a different angle on this mellow project. “Ships in Bottles” and “What's For Sale” remain the most popular so far but I am willing to bet one of the new ones may take precedence. 

My writing partner Meshuggah.

 

Truly great band I grew up listening to still making great music.

The Descendents