By Yolanda Melton
Staff Writer
Out from the shadows of San Diego’s amazing, yet difficult to navigate music scene comes a voice unlike any other. Someone who’s unbridled passion shines through the obscurity like a flashlight with brand new batteries; blindingly bright and eye-opening. That someone is Chauncey Maynor; a talented R&B artist who is hitting the ground running and paving his way through the scene, no holds barred.
Maynor, 31, is a singer/songwriter from a small New Jersey township called Montclair, but has been residing in San Diego for twelve years. Growing up in a healthy and positive environment, thanks to his grandparents who raised him, he was afforded the opportunity to pursue his musical aspirations in his teens through church choir and various talent shows. Maynor’s move to California was originally his grandparents’ idea so that he could be closer to his mother, who had been here for a number of years already, yet he never lost his passion for the music.
When asked what is it like to be a local artist Maynor stated, “It’s a grind. If you don’t have originality then you’re in the back, in the darkness. I feel [that] being an independent artist, you definitely [have] to have originality, drive, and the grind to put in hard work.” Although it was a long time in the making, in 2012 Maynor released his first studio album entitled Juke Box, a name that he decided on because he says that the idea behind it is like a jukebox with how there’s a variety of music selections available. “It goes from hip-hop to R&B to acoustic; it’s just well-rounded,” Maynor says.
However, sticking to R&B’s soulful roots Maynor’s upcoming album The Love Card Experience, which already has a single out on Band Camp entitled “Friends with Benefits,” is more focused on just that; love. And keeping with that theme the album will be released this Valentine’s Day also on Band Camp.
Listening to Maynor’s music, one will notice that he definitely puts his all into his lyrics. He states that he is inspired by everyday situations that he encounters and that his goal is “to reach whoever feels it. If my music touches somebody or makes them feel a certain way or they can relate to a certain record, then that will make me feel that I’ve done my job.”
This can possibly be attributed to the fact that he has been heavily influenced throughout his life by Michael Jackson’s Thriller album as well as Stevie Wonder’s life and his entire work of music. “He has so many barriers to fight [and] he’s so musically inclined; it’s amazing to me. [He] is one of my favorites,” Maynor said of Wonder. Once someone has gotten a chance to hear Maynor sing, it’ll be clear that he makes an effort to mix a little bit of old with a little bit of new all the while creating a unique sound for R&B and bringing a little twist to what San Diego already has to offer.
To catch up with Maynor, contact him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/chauncey619, and to hear/download his music go to http://chaunceymusic.bandcamp.com.
