Tim and Micah Chandler are from Bowling Green, Kentucky. The brothers developed an appreciation for music at an early age as their father was a preacher and the family sang together in church. Eventually the family moved to Tampa, Florida.
The brothers recounted the influence of bluegrass from both Kentucky and Florida, but said Florida also exposed them to rock and alternative.
“My first love when it comes to music is really jazz and classical,” Micah noted.
He said when the two play together they typically lean toward bluegrass and country, but each brother has his own individual identity when it comes to music.
Said Micah, “I really like jazz-inspired music. A lot of the great pianists of jazz, like Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson and Keith Jarrett, but especially a jazz-inspired pop artist, like Stevie Wonder. You know, there’s a lot of intersection with artists like Billy Strings and Chris Healy. People like that who are really virtuosic on their instrument.”
He explained that playing with his brother has opened his eyes to the complexities of musical techniques and the evolution and intersection of style.
Tim thought back to his musical turning point, sharing, “I remember there was a switch that flipped for me when I started listening to John Prine in particular. He was this folk music singer in the 70s and I got into him not so long after he passed away. I listened to everything that guy ever wrote.”
Though the brothers took heavy inspiration from folk music, they both had to start somewhere. In addition to singing in church alongside their family, they were both tasked with piano lessons.
“I started with piano and originally I was taking lessons – probably in first through third grade, but I just hated it,” Micah stated.
“Yeah, I did and I hated it,” Tim agreed.
Tim walks the line along bluegrass and country, but stated his time at Florida College paved an influential artistic pathway. “We ended up moving to Florida and I found a love for guitar there. I remember missing Kentucky so that’s kind of where I leaned into bluegrass music.”
While Tim and Micah both play guitar, Micah said he found a love for piano in high school. “Eventually my parents let me quit taking lessons and I’m glad they did in a way because I sort of came back to piano on my own later and started sort of teaching myself more or less by ear.”
The Chandler Brothers have been performing together for roughly a year now. They most recently performed at 2nd Fridays, where they performed a four-hour set.
“I love performing at community events. It’s been so great performing with him. There’s a little bit of age separation between us so we just didn’t get to play music specifically together all that much growing up. So I feel really blessed now that we’re both fortunate enough to be living in the same state close enough where we can do that together,” Micah said.
When asked if there was a favorite song the two enjoyed playing together the most, Micah said Tim’s song “Queen of Montgomery” has to be his favorite. “He wrote that for his wife and it has to be a go-to for us. It’s a really great song.”
“My wife’s name is Beth. She’s from the Prattville area just north of Montgomery. Actually the first song I ever released was ‘Queen of Montgomery,’ which was about her,” said Tim. “I wrote that while I was trying to win her over.”
Tim elaborated that this song was especially important, not only because he wrote it for his wife, but also because it was the first one he was willing to share with anyone.
“She was the one who helped bring that artistic side out of me,” Tim explained.
Tim Chandler Music has been around several years, but Micah moved to Birmingham in the past few years.
“I was like, ‘Oh, if he’s that close, we got it. We gotta get together man.’ So that’s kind of what inspired this.” Tim noted that the two always shared a love for music, but had gone with different crowds during their years under in the same room.
The Chandler Brothers have also played in Cullman at Press Rewind Vintage Audio and Puckett’s. Check them out at www.facebook.com/timchandlermusic or https://linktr.ee/chandlerbrothersmusic
To book them, call 813-361-2460 or email info@timchandlermusic.com.
