Chip & The Charge Ups is an alternative rock group from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who have been putting out songs since 2018. With multiple songs under their belt, the band closed 2022 with “Paying Back the Devil,” a single which was released on December 1st. It a tremendously catchy rock music that lasts 3 minutes and 37 seconds and has fascinating-driven guitars that play over a powerful drum rhythm with amazing flavors. It’s a lovely tune that makes an excellent first impression. That aroused our interest, so we sat down with Chip Dominick, the band’s vocalist and guitarist, to learn more about them and this project. Read on to find out what we discussed.
Songweb: Describe your background and who you are.
Chip Dominick: Chip & The Charge Ups is a hyper-energy heavy rock band out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and ready to conquer the world!
Songweb: What inspired you to pursue music?
Chip Dominick: My brother was a big classic rock fan. He introduced me to Led Zeppelin’s music when I was 13 and that started my love affair with rock music in all its glorious forms: classic rock, metal, glam, pop-punk, and so on!
Songweb: What is it about music that evokes such strong emotions in you?
Chip Dominick: Words alone can convey so much. But when the right words are combined with the right music, it multiplies the emotional impact and can connect with listeners on such a deeper level.
Songweb: Describe the steps you take to create a new song.
Chip Dominick: For Chip & The Charge Ups, the songwriting process can vary from song to song. There is one process that is more common for us than others. That process begins with me getting a vocal “hook” in my head. I will then grab my guitar and work out music to go with the words and melody for that hook. Piece by piece, I will write the rest of the song, demo it, and bring in Maleena (bass) and Nolan (drums) to take it to the finish line.
Songweb: Describe your newest project, “Paying Back The Devil” for us.
Chip Dominick: We are so excited about “Paying Back the Devil.” It represents a bit of a turning point for us. We brought a lot of new grit into this tune and weren’t afraid to let out our angry side! As soon as we released it into the world, the feedback we got was amazing. The aggressive edge it had, combined with the message of getting up after being knocked down, clearly connected with people. It set us on a track that we’ll be following for the rest of the album, which we’ll release in mid-2023.
Songweb: What societal impact do you believe this project will have?
Chip Dominick: We have the idea developed for the conceptual music video for “Paying Back the Devil.” It will have a surprise ending, so I don’t want to give too much away. But, there will be a suggestion of who the “devil” in the song is that could change the way people think about what’s holding them back in life. We hope it makes a difference for people!
Songweb: What do you hope the critics will say about your newest project?
Chip Dominick: I just hope it evokes a passionate response. If they like it, I hope they love it. If they don’t like it, I hope that they hate it so much that their reviews will inspire their followers to check out our music to see why it’s so response-provoking!
Songweb: Identify the best and worst aspects of being a musician.
Chip Dominick: The best part is being able to express your innermost thoughts and feelings in a format that enables a connection with a listener in an almost spiritual way. The worst is feeling like you’re “competing” in this world of digital content. No matter who you are, it seems like someone else is “beating” you in terms of the number of likes, comments, shares, streams, views, followers, or whatever. It can be demoralizing when evaluating the success of your music is reduced to numbers on the screen of a device when you’re pouring your heart and soul into your songs.
Songweb: What can we do to support your career advancement?
Chip Dominick: Any time a media outlet – or any fan for that matter – shares a band’s music or video or even their name, it helps us reach more potential fans. It helps us feel valid and worth something. So, simply acknowledging that we exist in this crowded digital world goes a long way. Saying we’re great and sharing our music is even better.
Songweb: Describe your future artistic plans.
Chip Dominick: Right now, we are focused on 2023 being an explosive year for us. We have started recording our next album – it will be our fourth – and it’s easy to see that this will be our best. So, we want to leave it all on the table in producing music that sounds amazing and making sure that as many people as possible hear it this year!
Overall, “Paying Back the Devil” is a highlight tune for me, and I’m confident that lovers of alternative rock music will fall in love with it as well, thanks to its powerful percussion, gorgeous harmonics, and throbbing guitars. The track’s appeal rests in Chip Dominick’s vocals, which are sweet, pleasant, and magical to the ears. The band’s musicianship shines through in this single, and they’ve created a piece that sounds as fresh as ever whenever you hear it.
Listen to “Paying Back the Devil” by Chip & The Charge Ups on Spotify and let us know your thoughts.
You can follow Chip & The Charge Ups here for more information.
