In honour of World Mental Health Day, American pianist and wellness advocate Chad Lawson has released Where We Are, Together, a three-track companion to his 2024 album Where We Are. The new EP, available through Decca Records US, sees Lawson expand on his unique blend of modern classical composition and mindfulness with an ensemble of collaborators including VOCES8, Esther Abrami, Seth Parker Woods, harpist Ashley Jackson, and poetry by Rupi Kaur.
Lawson, who serves as the first musician UN ambassador for the World Federation for Mental Health, describes Where We Are, Together as “an invitation to decompress.” The EP was arranged by Geoff Lawson, with visual artist Morgan Harper Nichols contributing the cover artwork. Each track reimagines a piece from his previous record, transforming the intimate solo piano works into shared musical conversations designed to foster calm and connection.
“Where We Are, Together was created for World Mental Health Day,” Lawson explains. “At its core, it’s about how healing feels more possible when we don’t feel so alone. I didn’t want this to be a solo project. I wanted it to feel shared, like something made with others, not just by me. That’s really what the title means – not just where I am, but where we are, together, because being human was never meant to be a solo act.”
This latest release continues Lawson’s ongoing mission to use music as a vehicle for mental health awareness.
Earlier this year, he issued Where We Are: Unity Edition, an expanded version of the original album featuring new arrangements, previously released reworks from Where We Are: Sleep Reworks and The Light Within, as well as the new composition You’re My Everything. The Light Within was created in partnership with the World Federation for Mental Health and included the organisation’s official World Mental Health Day theme song.
Lawson’s work occupies a rare space where contemporary classical music meets wellness. His delicate piano melodies have found a vast audience – his recordings have surpassed one billion streams globally – and his compositions have appeared in television series such as The Walking Dead, Vampire Diaries, and Lore, as well as major advertising campaigns for Microsoft, IBM, and Delta.
Beyond the studio and stage, Lawson is a certified breathwork educator who often conducts mindfulness and relaxation sessions for major companies including Amazon, Nike, and Peloton. He also collaborates with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, bringing music and breathing exercises to children’s hospitals throughout the United States.
Lawson’s impact extends into the podcast world through his award-nominated iHeart Radio series Calm It Down, which pairs meditative storytelling with his music. The show has been downloaded more than six million times and was a finalist in the ‘Health, Wellness and Lifestyle’ category at the 2024 Webby Awards.
In recent years, the pianist has been at the forefront of a movement that fuses emotional wellbeing with musical composition. His 2022 double album Breathe, released in conjunction with National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, was praised by Forbes as “melodic and soothing,” while Variety named him among the artists “leading the wave of music for slumber and relaxation.”
Where We Are, Together Tracklist:
Solace (Together) [with VOCES8, Seth Parker Woods, and lyrics by Rupi Kaur]
Sanctuary (Together) [with Esther Abrami]
Like The Stars In The Sky (Together) [with Ashley Jackson]
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