If the phrase “male a cappella group” conjures up an image of students in blue blazers, ties, and khakis singing traditional college songs on ivied campuses… think again. If, on the other hand, it conjures up campy college ensembles singing joke versions of “Like A Virgin” in boxer shorts… think again.
Straight No Chaser are neither strait-laced nor straight-faced, but neither are they vaudeville-style kitsch. As original member Randy Stine comments, “We take the music very seriously; we just don’t take ourselves too seriously.” In the process, they are reinventing the idea of a cappella on the modern pop landscape. Originally formed a dozen years ago while students together at Indiana University, the group has reassembled and reemerged as a phenomenon – with a huge fanbase, millions of viewers on YouTube… and a contract with Atlantic Records. In an era when so much pop music is the product of digital processing and vocal pro-tooling, Straight No Chaser is the real deal – the captivating sound of ten unadulterated human voices coming together to make extraordinary music that is moving people in a fundamental sense… and with a sense of humor.
Straight No Chaser forged a unique style based on a combination of musical brilliance balanced with a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor. “We would dip into something contemporary that you wouldn’t think an a cappella group could pull off. But instead of having people say, oh that was funny, we wanted them to say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe they did that,’” Randy explains. “But at the same time, we’d try to make each other laugh on stage, because if we weren’t having fun, how could the audience be enjoying the show? If we had a good time on stage, then the audience would have a good time as well.”
In 1999, with college graduation looming, the members of Straight No Chaser chose their replacements – putting a plan in place to ensure that the new tradition they had created would continue on with successive generations of IU undergrads. Then, in April 2006, the unexpected happened – Indiana University decided to host a reunion concert for the original members. In honor of the event, Randy produced a DVD of one of their 1998 concerts, and he posted clips from it on YouTube to share with the other founding members. Suddenly, concert footage that was nearly a decade old was available to be seen by millions of people worldwide… and see it they did, in mind-blowing numbers. With no promotion, Straight No Chaser’s version of “The 12 Days Of Christmas” (interpolating Toto’s “Africa”) received more than 7 million views in December of 2007 alone, becoming the hottest viral video of the season. Randy sold out every copy of the DVD he had put together, and his supplier couldn’t even produce new copies fast enough to keep up with rising demand.
In a turn of events that the spiritually inclined might describe as a “higher power” moment, Atlantic Records Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman happened to be among those millions of viewers. “It was completely random and totally unexpected,” says Kallman. “I was surfing YouTube to check out what was new, when I saw this brilliant, fresh, and totally compelling performance. And then I saw how many hits they were getting, and I had something of an epiphany. So I emailed Randy right away.” Randy, not surprisingly, thought it was some kind of prank. “The head of Atlantic Records emailing me at 8 a.m. New Year’s Day and saying he was interested in our group? I thought, ‘yeah, right.’” Fortunately, Randy decided to check it out anyway, and he and Dan soon found themselves having dinner with Craig in L.A. Within a few days, the entire group flew to Atlantic’s offices in New York, and a deal was in the works.
Taking off from the runaway success of “The 12 Days Of Christmas,” Straight No Chaser have released their Atlantic debut album “HOLIDAY SPIRITS”, a captivating collection of Christmas songs. Straight No Chaser are looking forward to a full slate of concert performances, TV appearances, and everything that a major label release entails. But, just as importantly, they are already looking further down the road, to the recording of an album designed for year-round listening pleasure, and to the enthusiastic pursuit of a career they could never have imagined would have taken such an extraordinary path.
The birth of Straight No Chaser’s second life is a story of talent, drive, and some very good luck indeed. But their goal remains the same as it was back in their college days. As Randy says, “We want the audience to not miss the instruments, be surprised by what we’re doing, and in the end, appreciate the songs in a whole new way.”
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