We had the good fortune of connecting with Chrome Rhino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chrome, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Enjoying yourself and feeling genuine excitement about what you are doing is the best sign that you need to continue on the path that you’re on! That also works both ways – feeling as though you are doing something out of obligation or a sense of inertia is a sure sign that you need to make some changes. An audience will definitely pick up on whether you’re having fun or not!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
We are most excited about the next songs we are writing! When we wrote our first album – a lot of the songs had already been in the back of our minds when we sat down to learn them as a group. Since releasing that first album we have been lucky to perform with extremely talented artists in Arizona, and it has been inspiring to say the least. The first album we played around a theme of monsters – this next one is going in a more cosmic direction. Our new songs feel like truly collaborative experiments. Every member of the band has brought different ingredients to this next album, and there have been some very surprising and enjoyable moments as we stitch it all together. One of these new songs we are writing is going to be featured through Hookworm Records – it will be on a compilation among some of our favorite Arizona artists and we’re very excited! The writing process is not quite finished yet – but we can’t wait to share it all soon!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We hold most of our band meetings at the Cornish Pasty in Mesa – and would consider this an essential starting point. For inspiration our recommendation would be to spend some time on the Peralta Trail in the Superstitions, or the Desert Botanical Garden. The MIM is also a must-see. There are some excellent open mics to check out: Chop Shop on Wednesdays, Yucca Tap Room on Mondays and El Charro Hipster on Thursdays. Whenever we are in Phoenix we always make a point of visiting Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles too!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When we formed our band we started by performing at open mics. It was at the Chop Shop open mic in Tempe where we first met our friend and longtime collaborator Neil Schwartz. Not only has he always been a great friend and fun person to spend time with – but he also is an immensely talented photographer (neilschwartzphotography.com). He generously shared his time and talents with our fledgling band, and we will always be grateful! We love you Neil!

Website: https://www.chromerhinomusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chromerhino/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Chrome_Rhino

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chromerhinomusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC11MqJTgD8Q2CQBElKGOzqg

Image Credits
Neil Schwartz

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.