What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.
When I was 15 my older brother began taking guitar lessons from my mother. We always had a sort of competition between us so I began teaching myself to play because I wanted to be better. After a month he quit taking lessons but I just never stopped.
Provide us with some info about your latest release…
Tell Your Mother I Hope She Is Well is based on two experiences I had, which in turn are the created from the same situation; I was the first person told by two people that their mothers had passed away. The first person being my best friend and the second person being my father. Though the song is sad in content, the message left is optimistic. I ask them both to remember that when they too pass away to tell their mothers how I hope she is doing well.
Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?
Music wise, my main influences currently are Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, Slow Club, Jeff Rosenstock, Tennis.
Non-music wise, my main influences are Wes Anderson, Jack Kerouac, and others that I can’t think of right now.
In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?
I’d consider my style folk music, but not completely. It differs because I feel I that over the past 16 years I writing I have created my own style within the style. Originally, I defined my music as a blend between Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Nick Drake, but eventually the influences starting becoming from my own catalogue and building off of my own style. Of course, subconsciously I feel I continued to be influenced by more than a dozen artists and sounds I’d hear over the years, but I’ve always let my music write itself, not forcing a style.
Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…
Albums – Saves the Day – Stay What You Are, Slow Club – Complete Surrender, Tennis – Yours Conditionally
Movies – The Mummy (with Brendan Frasier), The Royal Tenenbaums, and Step Brothers.
Books – The Alchemist, Tristessa, The Lord of the Rings
Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?
Absolutely studio. Over the years I’ve found I honestly don’t love performing. It’s fun to do a living room show here and there but I get so much more satisfaction from writing and recording those ideas, lyrics, melodies, etc. I’d rather email my songs to friends than perform them live.
Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?
I once was asked by a small town in Utah to headline a Halloween concert they were putting on. They told me they would advertise and get me on the town’s college radio for a few weeks before the show. Well, they forgot to get me on the radio, and having zero connections there I didn’t know what to expect. The show turned out to be in the basement of a pizza parlor, with the opening act being an elementary school girl’s dance recital. Those little girls and their moms ended making up 95% of my audience.
Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?
From my 2013 album Chrissy Whissy – 2013’s Approach To Emo, my song called “Can’t Sleep”. This entire album are all songs written and recorded on the spot. So, this song included, did not exist at all until I began playing it. It came out very experimental for me with unique and jarring lyrical and song structure.
Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?
Recording and collaborating with other artists in high quality recordings will be my focus for this year. It’s going to be great.
Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…
What jobs have you had?
Baker, barista, server, bar tender, busser, customer service agent, tech support guy, office manager, pizza delivery person, bookstore employee, curator for archaeology collections at natural history museum, researcher, web developer, lyft driver, freelance audio engineer.
Photo credits: Madison Vibbert
Curated by: Christos Doukakis
Recommended listening:
Connect with Chris Bjornn:
https://soundcloud.com/chrisbjornn