There’s something about Chuck Ragan’s voice that grabs you by the collar and pulls you into his world—a world where life’s heavy burdens are worn openly, without pretense or varnish.
It’s that unmistakable amalgam of grit and vulnerability that has shaped both his career and his personal life, and it’s never been clearer than on Love and Lore, his first solo album in a decade, set for release on October 25, 2024. This record didn’t come easy, and neither did the life it reflects.
Ragan’s journey from the conceptualization of Love and Lore in 2016 to its completion in early 2023 is marked by pauses and pivots—life, as it often does, got in the way.
“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,” Ragan admits. Balancing his music career with running a fly-fishing operation in Grass Valley, California, and the demands of fatherhood, Ragan’s chaos became part of the process. This struggle is woven into the fabric of Love and Lore, a collection of songs that refuse to be constrained by time, label, or even genre.
Unlike the raw, punk-fueled ethos that powered his earlier years with HOT WATER MUSIC, Love and Lore ventures into a different territory. Tracks like “Echo the Halls” are full of chiming pianos and rich guitar tones, a testament to Ragan’s ever-evolving sound. But the album doesn’t lose that core essence—Ragan’s trademark authenticity. His voice, weathered yet resolute, carries themes that resonate deeply: the pull between home and the road, the relentless pursuit of balance in a life that rarely offers any.
“Wild In Our Ways,” one of the album’s standout tracks, offers a reflection on freedom, wildness, and the moments that make life feel electric, even if fleeting. “When you find yourselves in those moments of clarity where you recognize that you are truly doing something wild and free, savor it,” Ragan urges. It’s a sentiment that echoes throughout the album—this idea of clinging to the moments that matter, while acknowledging the toll life can take when those moments are few and far between.
Despite the chaos, Ragan’s creative process remained rooted in collaboration. Todd Beene’s guitar work brings a distinct flavor to the record, and longtime collaborators like George Rebelo and Spencer Duncan help create a dynamic backdrop that allows Ragan to explore these new musical territories without losing himself in the process. Love and Lore feels like a labor of love—raw, real, and unapologetically honest.
At its core, Love and Lore is an album about resilience. It’s about the weight we carry and the moments of lightness that get us through. The journey to its completion was anything but smooth, but that’s precisely what makes it Chuck Ragan’s most compelling work to date.
Dive deeper into Chuck’s thoughts on the record, his balancing act between music and family, and his reflections on life in our full interview below, where we discuss everything from the chaotic recording process to the moments of clarity that shaped Love and Lore.
Love and Lore—the title evokes a sense of both passion and storytelling. What does this title mean to you, and how does it encapsulate the essence of this new release?
I would say it embodies just about everything I’ve learned throughout my life. It seems we’re born into pain and love and along the way experience lessons of life little by little.
This collection of songs seem to encapsulate as you call it a timeframe in my life of acknowledging the position that I am in as a dad, a husband, a brother and a friend. The love that it takes to be any of those along with the trials and the lessons we learn when we’re not.
It’s been a decade since your last solo release. What took you down the path to finally create Love and Lore after all these years?
The extended time between the releases were both intentional and at times very much unintentional. For starters, I never wanted to stack too much work up against what I was doing with Hot Water Music only because for one it’s tough on the family to be doing both or promoting both.
It’s also hard on energy and stamina to be getting out there and putting everything you have into multiple things and multiple focuses at the same time. In a lot of ways, there can be no off button and no downtime.
When this record was first conceptualized it was at a time that Hot Water Music was Touring after just releasing Exister. Since Rise Records was completely fine with me taking my time and doing it whenever there was not a huge importance on getting anything done in a hurry. What we didn’t see coming was a global pandemic. It seems that once we started to really get the ball rolling and had a date set for the studio, It landed shortly after the world shut down. A lot of the key players coming from all over the country was a difficult task to complete.
After that, I needed to simply go back to work to provide for my family and make ends meet. What a lot of people don’t realize is people like me don’t make a living writing songs or making records. In fact, it’s the opposite often for us when writing and recording we’re typically spending time and money to do that. The living comes long after that timeframe if you’re lucky.
Otherwise, hit the road and go sell some merch! Anyhow, after an extended period of time, we were able to get the ball rolling again on the recording. But even when we did, it sure seemed like everything that could stand in the way did to prevent us from making this record happen.
The journey of this album began in 2016 but was put on hold due to various life events, including COVID and your fly fishing operation. How did these experiences influence the final sound and direction of the album?
I think it definitely added to some of the angst and excitement on the record.
Also, the fact that some of these songs were written so far apart from each other, that the styles and the energies were very much coming from different places. I necessarily don’t see that as a bad thing, it is just different.
You’ve often spoken about the chaos of juggling your musical career with family life, especially with a young child. How did becoming a father shape the themes and emotions in Love and Lore?
It’s the most beautiful yet terrifying thing that could happen to any human being. I’ve always wanted to be a father and maybe it’s a fact that I feel quite a bit of guilt because I had told myself when that day comes I would never want to be an absent dad.
Unfortunately, the line of work that we chose and being an independent worker that has to hunt and nurture and find our own security, means that in many ways I’m gone from my family often. Doing my best to change that to be more present in my son’s life.
When you live a life or do work that keeps you away from your family, your family adapts. Your family gets used to you being gone. Your family finds rhythms to live and thrive, that have nothing to do with you. You simply don’t matter as much. That takes a toll on everyone.
“Wild In Our Ways” is a powerful anthem for survival and struggle. Can you delve into the creative process behind this track and what inspired its defiant message?
This song is an acknowledgment of a memory of how we used to live at one time. Wild and free. Some of the meanings in this tune are personal and probably not all that appropriate to share so all I can say is this, live life to the fullest friends whenever possible. When you find yourselves in those moments of clarity where you recognize that you are truly doing something wild and free, savor it. Enjoy it to the fullest and fight like hell to hang onto it as long as possible. If you let go of it, you never know if you’ll be able to get it back or if you’ll ever even find it again.
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The album stretches beyond your folk roots, exploring new sonic territories. What motivated you to step out of your comfort zone and experiment with different sounds on this record?
Todd Beene and Ryan Williams. I personally always want to do something different than whatever it was that we had done before. That’s the point in writing music, that’s the point in creating records. I have no will or drive to create the same song twice. So the fact that we’re always searching and always looking to broaden our horizons means we’re always looking for new sounds, rhythms and emotions.
Todd Beene was a huge influence on these songs as he played quite a bit of guitar on them and brings something very unique to the table as a guitar player to me. Having Spencer Duncan bounce between both electric bass and his upright bass brought in the elements that I feel we needed.
Having Ryan Williams engineer and help Todd and I produce the collection of songs was also a key factor. Ryan has recorded many things that I’ve done from Hot Water to the video game soundtrack and he knows very well my abilities and what I’ve done in the past.
So he also knows or has a great idea of where to push me that I haven’t been into the future when I lose track of it myself.
What was it like collaborating with them, and how did their input shape the album’s overall vibe?
I could never speak highly enough about all the crew that helped out. I know from the bottom of my heart that everyone who has anything to do with the music that they’re playing believes it wholeheartedly. Have so much passion for it and take it completely seriously. It’s nothing but true honor to work with any of them.
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You’ve always had a deep connection to your Southern roots. How does your upbringing in the Southeast and your experiences as a co-frontman in HOT WATER MUSIC continue to influence your solo work?
It’s all one and the same my friend. This is one life I’m living surrounded by many beautiful people. Surrounded by a lot of great music. Surrounded by a lot of great friends all over the world live and breathe music and make this world complete. I’m from a lot of places. I’ve lived many lives and they’re all one in the same.
Your passion for fly fishing led to a significant shift in focus during the album’s creation. How does your love for the outdoors intersect with your music, and did it bring any unique perspectives to this project?
Again, it’s all one in the same to me. It’s just this life and they do intersect constantly. A lot of melodies and a lot of songs get written in the boat. A lot of melodies come from running these engines. There’s a lot of commuting in that work for me from driving to and from the waterways to commuting in the boats, a lot of time on the water, etc. Many lessons learned out and about not to mention many stories are made or learned from both myself and from others.
The theme of resilience is prevalent in your music, and “Wild In Our Ways” speaks to the underdog. How do you see your role as an artist in giving voice to those who might feel marginalized or overlooked?
I’m not sure. What I am sure about is that It’s my duty to speak truthfully and from the heart if I’m given a microphone. It’s my duty to play every show as if it were my last. It’s my duty to look at the silver linings in life, and to keep a positive head when things get dark.
It’s my duty to take care of my family. The best I possibly can, and if people become inspired by all of the things or influenced by those things that’s wonderful. But that should never be the reason that we do these things.
You’ve toured extensively and have a long history of collaborations through the Revival Tour. How have these experiences with diverse artists influenced your approach to songwriting and performing?
Everyone we play with or come in contact with on the road has many things in common, but when it comes to methods and processes, and what not for songwriting and performing, has their own rhythm or their own ways to do things.
I think we all pick up a little something from each other, and retain little bits of knowledge from each other. Stack that up over the course of a few decades and you were definitely not the person that you were when you began.
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“Love and Lore” took shape over several years, with periods of pause and reflection. How do you feel the album evolved during these years, and what changes surprised you the most?
I think what surprised me the most is the fact that we actually finished it and got it out.
You’ve always been a storyteller, both in your music and in your book The Road Most Traveled. How do the stories you share in Love and Lore differ from those in your previous works?
There is no difference my friend. We are all telling the same stories. Every movie you see, every song or album you hear, every word on the street or chapter in the book are all telling the same stories. We speak of love. We speak of conflict. We speak of will, strength and weakness. The list goes on, but the list is very short.
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Balancing life as a musician, a father, and a fly fisherman must come with its challenges. How do you manage to stay creatively inspired amidst these different roles?
The challenge for me mostly is recognizing the fact that I have the ability to create. Or remembering that I have the ability to create, or most of all making time to create. More often than not I find myself in a constant grind, and the biggest challenge is stepping away from it.
You’ve been known for your honesty and integrity in both your music and your personal life. How important is it for you to maintain this authenticity in your art, especially in today’s music industry?
It’s my duty. If we ever lose any of that, we do not belong in front of people. We do not deserve to be in front of people if we lose integrity. I’d rather die.
With Love and Lore set to release soon, what are you most excited about as it finally reaches your audience?
Most likely the closure. For me that is usually always what I’m most excited about for any record. And many ways it’s like finishing a journal that you’ve been carrying around and protecting for the longest time and releasing record in many ways is like filling that last page, closing that journal and either throwing it into the fire pit to burn it up forever, or putting it on a bookshelf that you don’t ever have to look for it again.
It’s finished, it’s done. It’s time to begin a new page in a new book.
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