Lawson did not come from a musical family, Lawson started composing songs when he was given his first keyboard, a
Korg M1, and played piano in a cover band during high school. later attending the
Appalachian State University for a semester to learn computer science, before moving to
Charlotte, North Carolina. and
Unforeseen (2004), an album that mixed original compositions with jazz standards, as well as covers of
Soundgarden and
The Police. and privately with the head of the
Manhattan School of Music, Garry Dial. In 2009 after returning to the United States, Lawson released his debut solo album
Set on a Hill, a primarily improvised jazz piano album produced by
William Ackerman. After the release of the album, Lawson moved back to Charlotte after experiencing health problems. His sophomore album,
The Piano (2011), was awarded the SoloPiano.com classical album of the year. Lawson's 2013 album
The Space Between was mostly written in a single day, which was widely successful, reaching number one on the
Billboard Top Classical Albums chart. Lawson followed
The Chopin Variations with a second classical re-imagining in 2016, this time of
Bach's chorale works. From 2016, Lawson began acting as the composer for the podcast
Lore, as well as the podcast's
Prime Video adaptation. Lawson collaborated with
Lore creator Aaron Mahnke again for the soundtracks of his podcast
Unobscured, and the theme song for the podcast
Cabinet of Curiosities. Lawson's 2018 album
Re:Piano saw him experiment with loops and effects using an
iPad, and reached number five on the
Billboard Classical Albums chart. In 2020, Lawson released his debut major label extended play,
Stay, through
Decca Records US. The album was written in honor of
Mental Health Awareness Month in the US. Decca Records US released his debut major label album,
You Finally Knew, on September 11, 2020, and a Deluxe Edition of the album the following year. Decca released his next album, a double album titled
Breathe, on September 23, 2022 to coincide with National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. It was recorded at
Abbey Road Studios and included collaborations with violinist
Esther Yoo and cellist-composer
Peter Gregson. In 2023 Lawson performed at the Universal Music + Health Summit hosted by
Arianna Huffington and
Sir Lucien Grainge. In July 2024 Decca released his next album,
Where We Are.
Calm It Down Chad Lawson created, writes, voices, and produces the independent podcast,
Calm It Down. The podcast airs on a weekly basis, and is released every Tuesday. Launched in September 2020,
Calm It Down guides listeners through techniques for breathing and meditation while tackling mental health subjects such as anxiety and suicide. Lawson first had the idea for the
Calm It Down podcast from the many messages he received from fans of his musical career, who would recount to him how his music helped them through many dark and difficult times in their lives. By combining his music, experiences, and meditation techniques, Lawson is able to bring his passion for mental health and emotional wellbeing to an even bigger audience. == Artistry ==