Hot Chelle Rae performed at the Amp Your Campus concert on April 30, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts.

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Hosts T.J. Taormina and Loren Raye with Hot Chelle Rae at the Music Choice & Xfinity TV “Amp Your Campus” Social Media Challenge Event at Boston House of Blues on April 30, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts.

By Dave Richards, Erie Times-News
Staff Writer

It’s no longer odd to see sons or daughters of famous rockers carve out music careers: Jacob Dylan, Ziggy Marley, Rufus Wainwright, Hank Williams Jr., Roseanne Cash, Norah Jones.

It is unusual, though, to see them all in one band like Hot Chelle Rae, the Nashville-based pop group that broke through in 2011 with “Tonight Tonight” and “I Like It Like That.”

Guitarist Nash Overstreet is the son of country singer-songwriter Paul Overstreet. Ryan and Jamie Follesé are the sons of Keith Follesé, who’s written hits for Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Lonestar, Faith Hill and more.

Then there’s bassist Ian Keaggy, whose father Phil is a recording star in the Christian music world and started out decades ago in Glass Harp — a Youngstown, Ohio, band that developed an avid regional following.

“It’s been great having parents in the music business,” Ian Keaggy said. “Not only do they support us in our decision to pursue music as a career, but while growing up, they inspired us. They uplifted us and gave us encouragement.

“Really, it’s getting into this industry that is the difficult thing,” he added. “Being a songwriter is difficult; there’s so much competition. We get to go to our parents — ‘I have this idea’ — and play it and they’ll critique it and give us advice. It’s wonderful having that. To this day, they’re right on board with us.”

Keaggy remembers the best advice his dad ever gave him.

“He said, ‘Never compare yourself.’ That’s simple, but it’s so effective. In this world, what we do is art and it’s creative. You just have to just really love what you do personally in order for others to love it, too. You don’t want ever to be like, ‘I have this song, but is it as good as this song that some other guy did?’”

They knew “Tonight Tonight” was special after recording it for “Whatever.” The song cracked the Top 10 on Billboard and helped them land opening dates with The Script, We the Kings and, later on, Taylor Swift, who sang it with them at one of her shows.

“When we started writing for ‘Whatever,’ we were naturally moving into a more pop direction,” Keaggy said. “Once we wrote ‘Tonight Tonight’ and finished it, we were like, ‘Wow. This song is actually really good.’ You always hope for your song or your single to do what that did. You can’t know for sure. But it blew up all over the world and was so exciting for us.”

Hot Chelle Rae’s follow-up to “Whatever” should be out during the summer; the breezy lead single, “Hung Up,” is already on the radio. Any pressure to duplicate their previous success?

“I suppose there is. We’re not super worried about it,” Keaggy said. “I think we feel very confident with the music we’re writing right now; we’re all stoked about it. The people close to us have heard it and they all really love it. So, I don’t think there’s any negative pressure. We’re excited to get new material out.”

After a short college tour that includes Saturday’s concert in Edinboro, Hot Chelle Rae will tour with Carly Rae Jepsen. It’s the Rae-Rae tour! Keaggy laughed.

“It is! That is funny,” he said. “(We) should brand it.”

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