Introducing Chae Houston - Tenement TV

We caught up with Chae and asked him a couple of questions about his work, TTV, Scottish Music Industry, his current top tunes, Resonate and his involvement as one of the panelists.

What is your role at TTV and what does that involve?

As the founder of Tenement TV I am at the forefront of the music scene in Scotland and immerse myself in it! My role is pretty eclectic, but mainly it’s keeping a finger to the pulse of the music industry and bringing a forward thinking approach to the business. As Director of our music festival Tenement Trail, that’s also a really big part of my time and I work with my team to book the line-up and deal with the organization of the event as a whole.

What made you get involved in music and TTV?

I started off at Glasgow Kelvin College where I studied music performance. From there I started a band and got in and about the scene, repping shows for local promoters around the city. Tenement TV was born out of an idea 6 years ago and things have just massively grown and progressed from there.

What are your most memorable TTV Sessions?

Bastille, Cage The Elephant, Hozier, Catfish & The Bottlemen  and The Temperance Movement are all massive favourites. For example, Cage the Elephant are one of my favourite bands and to have them come up to my flat at 2 am after supporting Foals and play that session is as good as it gets!

What do TTV look for in an artist / band to give them a TTV Session?

Originality. Hard working. Exciting. Something fresh and new and something people will be excited about. A band with attitude, cutting their own path is a TTV band!

What are your thoughts on the Scottish Music Industry right now?

Amazing! One of the best cities in the he world for discovering music is our home, Glasgow. The amount of brilliant gigs on, every single night is incredible and the live venues in Glasgow are some of the best in the world. Scotland needed a platform like TTV and we’re really proud of the work we do in the industry. 

Are you looking forward to Resonate?

Yes really looking forward to Resonate and speaking alongside people such as Geoff Ellis. It’s an event that is supporting the scene in Scotland, it’s great to see it happen in the East End. BAaD is a great space and I am looking forward to meeting so many other like-minded people.

What can we expect from your views on the ‘Are You Even Listening’ Panel?

Honesty and positive feedback. At Tenement TV, we’re all about supporting new music so hopefully this panel will provide another platform for me to support new music.

From your own experience, do you have any advice for start-up music businesses?

Step outside your comfort zone. Explore options and then go for it! Impossible is nothing at TTV and we always think outside the box.

What top tunes have you been listening to recently?

The Big Moon / Neon Waltz / Catholic Action / The Ninth Wave / Cheap Teeth