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The music of world-renowned pianist, podcaster, and certified breathwork educator Chad Lawson has struck a chord with listeners worldwide with plays of his recordings totaling a billion streams, including 700MM on his last two albums breathe and You Finally Knew. Today, he releases his new album Where We Are, via Decca Records US, which features original solo piano works inspired by messages from these listeners about how his music has affected their lives.

With the album, Lawson also shares the official music video for Where We Are track “Gentle,” which he wrote, as he says, “to celebrate kindness and softness in a world that often values the opposite. It's a call to embrace gentleness, both towards ourselves and others.”

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Chad will be doing a Spotify Listening Party, the first ever from a classical artist, on Tuesday, July 30th at 1pm ET. Presented as “Calm It Down Live,” Chad will be playing tracks from the new album, discussing mental health topics mentioned on his podcast, and doing a guided breathwork/meditation session. RSVP link for the event HERE.

Stream Where We Are 

Watch “Gentle” Music Video

“My role is to impact the heart rather than impress the mind,” Lawson explains. “That’s how I see my music. Right now, it seems like everyone is very tired. So, I’m trying to meet people Where They Are—which is where the name of the album came from. I’m going to be in the thick of it with them. I’m putting my hands out and saying, ‘I’ll hold you through this’.”

In 2023, poignant audience interactions, including a particularly moving encounter in Baton Rouge, guided the direction of Where We Are.

“A listener approached me in tears,” he recalls. “She shared with me, ‘My dad is battling cancer, and your music and podcast have been the only thing I've been listening to. I just had to come and say thank you’. I noticed listeners don’t come up to me and say, ‘You’re an amazing pianist’. They say, ‘You’re helping me right now’. I was initially going to make an album about chasing dreams, but it wasn’t the right time. Given the current social climate, I felt compelled to create something simple yet sincere. Where We Are is an invitation to decompress.

“I hope this album allows you to press pause on the world and heal however you can by listening,” he concludes. “Where We Are is me being okay with who I am and not trying to be a different pianist. I’m just writing music I think people will benefit from. I’ve realized that I like myself, and I hope I can inspire you to feel the same way.”

Chad’s connection with his audience has only strengthened over the years. As a musician since the age of five, he has carefully honed his craft via dozens of albums and countless shows. Chad’s last two albums, breathe and You Finally Knew, have spent 132 weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 Classical Albums chart since September 2020, while his songs have spent 154 weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard Classical On-Demand Streaming chart since April 2020. In 2014, The Chopin Variations vaulted to #1 on the Billboard Top Classical Albums Chart. Meanwhile, 2018’s seminal LP, Re: Piano, saw him return to the Top 5 of the Billboard Top Classical Albums Chart in addition to reaching #1 on the iTunes Top Classical Albums Chart.

Known for exploring the intersection between music and wellness, Lawson also teaches meditation techniques soundtracked by his music on his iHeart Radio Award-nominated podcast Calm It Down, which has earned over 5 million downloads to date and was recently named an honoree in the 'Health, Wellness and Lifestyle' category for the 2024 Webby Awards, alongside Jay Shetty. Chad is also often invited into corporate offices to do presentations and mediation/breathwork workshops to help bring some relaxation into employee lives. Just in the past few months, Chad has done these corporate office visits at Amazon, Nike, and Peloton among others.

Throughout his career, Lawson’s presence has coursed through popular culture with placements on The Walking Dead, Vampire Diaries, and Viceland, the score of Prime Video’s Lore as well as campaigns for Chevrolet, IBM, Microsoft, Purina, Delta, and more. He has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, NPR’s All Things Considered, and GRAMMY.com’s Positive Vibes Only. In 2022, he presented his double-album breathe in conjunction with National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. Forbes hailed the LP as “melodic and soothing,” and Variety christened him one of the artists who Lead the Wave of Music for Slumber and Relaxation.