Every time Chey ‘Chey Presley’ Habib gigs in pubs across the Top of the South, his listeners can’t help falling in love with the 18-year-old, earning him regular requests for future performances.
His middle and stage name may mirror the King of Rock and Roll, Chey isn’t a tribute artist, preferring country music and covers of legendary rock bands like Guns N’ Roses, Dire Straits and The Eagles.
His fanbase could proliferate now that his debut single, All My Time, has dropped on streaming giant Spotify after being tapped on the shoulder by Nelson songwriter and producer Bryce Wastney to record and release.
Written with friends Olivia Clark, Breanna Daniel, and Kobe Gribble during a late-night stop at Richmond Skatepark, Chey hopes listeners resonate with the lyrics, on top of supporting up-and-coming local talent.
“It’s about a breakup, or however you want to interpret it… I had my guitar and picked up four chords to start off, and it sounded nice and we just came up with lyrics as we went,” he explains.
“All four of us brought in our own little bits of input and then put it together with my music, my singing, and then we made the song.
“I hope [listeners] actually take in what was written, because I enjoy listening to the lyrics and enjoy how it’s all written and rhymes.”
Chey has been performing since he was five, including regular appearances at the annual NZ Sun City Country Music Awards in Richmond, but live music is now his income stream.
“The fact that I can do what I’ll do in my room, playing guitar and singing, except I’m doing it in front of an audience and getting paid for it, it seems like a win-win for me,” he enthuses.
He says he will receive about 0.003 cents for each stream of All My Time, and plans to release a second track, Sit and Wait, around May.
The month will also be the start of four months in California for Chey, mentoring guitar to kids aged seven to 15 through Camp America, a summer exchange programme for young Kiwis to work as counsellors.
“Me doing what I’m doing now and singing for people is one thing, but if I inspire young people, I think it’s quite important to me,” he concludes.
