Morgan Ganem and Sownds: Becoming a Big Part of the Kansas City Chiefs

Living in Sand Springs, Okla., you will not find a Chiefs bigger than Morgan Ganem. Ganem is the lead vocalist for his small band, Sownds. Ganem’s biggest passion in life is writing and making music.

As a diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan, Ganem wasn’t sure how to combine the Chiefs with his music until he and his family formed a creative idea that helped their band receive a lot of recognition.

Ganem and Sownds put together a fight song for the Chiefs and is now occasionally played at Arrowhead Stadium during games.

The masterminds behind “Chop It Up” had their song featured on KCChiefs.com. The song was heard by fans, and many asked where they could download the music.

After realizing he had exceeded his expectations, Ganem put the song on his website and was available for fans to buy.

This past summer, Sownds came to Kansas City for the first time and performed “Chop It Up” in front of many Chiefs fans in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

I’ve had the opportunity to interview Ganem on the show twice and interviewed him for a third time recently. Here is the Q-and-A of the interview on The Chiefs Zone.

Farzin Vousoughian: What was it like to perform in front of Chiefs fans in Kansas City?

Morgan Ganem: It was a cool experience because we have never done that in the area before. Everybody was very responsive, and we actually had people coming out to see us and see what we have done for the Chiefs and what the Chiefs have done for us. It was really eye-opening and really nice to meet all of the people. Everyone was really cool. A lot of good-hearted people in that area. We just tried to take it in as much as we could and make the best of it, and we’ll probably end up going back fairly soon because the days of “Chop It Up” are not over. We still have a long ways to go, and who knows why I might do for the Chiefs? We’re going to keep that going and keep that vibe going because we've got a good team coming along.

FV: What are the reactions you continue to receive from Chiefs fans about this song?

MG: I still get emails daily, pretty much. People are just saying how much they enjoy it and how they like to turn it on when they watch a game or tailgate and whatever. The response is still very good, and we’re just looking forward to the future and see what that holds for us. Everything is great. I couldn’t ask for anything more. It’s really incredible how we basically took nothing and made it into something. It’s opened a lot of doors for us. The NCAA ended up getting a hold of some of our other music and used it partially because of our connection with the Chiefs. It’s really great, and things are good. I can’t complain at all.

FV: Have their been any other opportunities, big or small, that have really helped you guys expand and get recognized?

MG: Yeah, absolutely. One of them I can’t mention exactly what the film is, but there is a potential for one of our newer songs that I’m writing for to be on a major, major future film. We’re still waiting to hear back about it. But it’s definitely a possibility, and if it does go through for us, it can be something that will really slingshot us out there in the musical community and really help us spread the word about the music. It’s really exciting. We’re also talking about booking a college tour, as well. I also did a song for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and I have a lot of friends who go to school in OSU here in Oklahoma. I found that the college market is really awesome. There are a lot of intense kids out there blogging, and if you hit that certain genre and market of people, they just go out there and blast it (the music) all over the internet, in a good way.

FV: What can fans do to help you guys expand?

MG: They can always sign up for our mailing list, which is on our website, and a lot of times we’ll send out an email monthly, depending on what’s going on. In those emails, I have things in there for people [who] would like to help us out, and that is one of the best things to do to keep up with us. Also keep in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter. We appreciate everyone spreading the word as much as possible, and if we have a show, come out and see us and talk with us!

FV: What were your expectations with “Chop It Up?”

MG: To be honest, when we first released the song, I had no idea what it was going to do because, like I said, we literally took nothing. Just the base idea, my mom came up with the idea and said, “You should write this song.” We had no idea what it was going to be called or what it was going to sound like. I had no idea that it was going to have the impact that it has on the Chiefs and the fans. Really, it’s just like one of those deals where you step back and you have to realize where it’s gone and how awesome of an experience it is to be part of something like this. It’s beyond my wildest dreams, honestly. I didn’t know what it was going to do.

FV: Do people know you for your original work with Sownds, or are you referred to as “those Chiefs guys” who came up with the Chiefs chant?

MG: Some people only know Sownds as the bands who made “Chop It Up,” and I’m cool with that because generally when they looked into that and they find out about it, they also find out about our original music. A lot of times they don’t even know about the chant maybe because they’re not a Chiefs fan. Sometimes they end up becoming Chiefs fans because they like our music and support the song, and that’s cool because that means the Chiefs nation is growing every single day and you can see that. Sometimes we’ll play “Chop It Up” live, and sometimes we don’t. It depends on the crowd and where we play. I’m just happy to be known for anything in this music industry. It’s difficult these days to make a splash and make a difference. I’m just blessed to be able to do what I love to do.

FV: Your father, I.J. Ganem, is also a musician. How big of a role does he play in helping Sownds?

MG: He does so much for me and for the whole band. It’s almost like we’re the same person some times. He puts in so much time into what we do. As far as “Chop It Up,” he was there to help me write the song when he helped me come up with the concept. He sat there and brainstormed with me. Along with my mom, as well, she’s been a huge part of what I do. The family is awesome. I have the most supportive family you could ask for a guy who does music because a lot of time your family will be like, “You need to go to college and get a job.” They don’t put that pressure on me, and I’m so lucky and fortunate for that. My dad is by far my biggest influence inspiration. He’s the one who put together the whole business plan when we did shoot the idea to the Chiefs for “Chop It Up.” None of this would have been possible without him and my mom, too. They’re a huge blessing, and I could not ask for better parents, honestly.

To stay in touch with the band, follow them at Twitter.com/Sownds, "like" them on Facebook.com/Sownds and on their website at Sownds.net

You can also keep in touch with Ganem by adding him as a friend at Facebook.com/MorganGanem and follow him at Twitter.com/MorganGanem.