Chris Mess Interview
Q: Can you talk about your history as an artist?
A: I’m a Seattle native, and the clichés about the city are true—it has always been steeped in music. Growing up, I was obsessed with 1970’s radio playlists. Glittery pop on AM, deep cuts in hard rock, glam, and psychedelia on FM. The first vinyl album I ever bought was “Frampton Comes Alive” by Peter Frampton. It’s still one of my favorites! I started playing guitar at age 10, began writing songs soon after, and then started singing. I had a hair-raising time gigging in Hollywood, California in the late 1980’s, which got me a sort of honorary graduate degree in rock n’ roll, thinking back on it (lol)! I soaked it all in while there, watching local (at the time) artists like Gilby Clarke of Kill for Thrills (later of Guns ‘n’ Roses) and Jizzy Pearl of Love/Hate (currently of Quiet Riot and Love/Hate) play live, hanging out in the clubs, playing shows myself. All of these experiences, learnings, sounds and influences floated around my brain. Eventually I returned to Seattle, played in a few indie bands, then started Chris Mess.
Q: Can you talk about your themes on your new release Every Disaster?
A: There’s observations, infused with humor. That’s the Chris Mess way. Themes like keeping a close eye on dangerous, unconscious people and their shenanigans (“No Good”); moving beyond regret and failure to recognize the silver linings in missteps (“Disaster”); and working through ego-based static in relationships or behind the wheel (“Blink”). There’s also an imagined conversation between Ziggy Stardust and a fan, as the glam star contemplates retiring his persona (“Requiem”).
Q: Were there different approaches on this release compared to other music you have worked on?
A: Yes, this EP is our first release in which our producer Brandon Busch applied his preferred approaches for vocals, and the results are evident. For our previous one, I recorded vocals myself, at my own home studio. Brandon has amazing ears and production skills—among other Northwest artists he works with, he records the solo work of Lee “Low Rider” Oscar, founder of the 1970’s band “War”. The choruses in the songs on “In Every Disaster” have three-part harmony across five vocal tracks, recorded via various vintage and modern microphones—each with distinct audio footprints. In the mix, Brandon panned the array of vocal tracks in a fan pattern, and blended and sonically treated them to create a vivid soundscape. Every element has a cool and clear place to exist in the mix and contribute to the overall mood and vibe. Similar approach for guitars! We haven’t done a recording like that before, and wow, you can hear the impact on this EP.
Q: What is your recording process like? And has it changed over the years?
A: It has definitely changed over time. With the advent of affordable home recording a few years ago, I got a little lost in the fun of recording the band myself, for our early non-official demo releases. I eventually learned that there’s a reason pro engineers and producers exist. These days, I work on being as good as I can be as a singer, songwriter and bandleader—and leave producing, engineering and sonic sorcery to experienced pros, for our official releases! That gets me access to the kind of magic I mentioned earlier above. Starting out any session these days, we work on getting great drum sounds, play live to capture the best drum performances, and then add bass and glittery stacks of guitars and vocals. We season with some ear candy studio trickery, here and there. These days, Northwest legend Chris Hanzsek, known for his work with Soundgarden, Melvins and more, does our mastering to finish things off. I feel fortunate to have some great people willing to work with us.
Q: What is your creative process like?
A: It’s kind of like having an antenna up all the time. Song titles and lyrical themes often come from things I hear people say in conversation, in bars, in restaurants, anywhere. My wife co- wrote the lyrics to “Blink” and “Requiem”—she is super creative and talented, and we’re always batting around ideas. From there we trim, sand down, apply finishes. For the music, it always starts with playing my 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom, listening to other artists, then finding a free mind space to experiment with riffs and melodies, listening for good stuff coming into the receiver! Then I demo the ideas, and my guitarist, bassist and drummer bring them to rock n’ roll life. Watching “The Beatles: Get Back” documentary, it’s clear I’m not reinventing any wheels! It’s a tried-and-true process that a lot of artists employ. The stylistic influences come out naturally from the music I love: original era glam rock n’ roll, hard rock, power pop, indie.
Q: Have you started playing shows or virtual shows?
A: Yes, we are currently playing locally throughout Seattle—with all the safety precautions that implies. My longer-range plans are to expand out beyond that. Check our website for upcoming performances.
Q: What else should we know about your music?
A: Our release tagline states: “While the songs came out of the dark milieu of the times, they are infused with dive-bar-sized jello shots of rock n' roll elation.” That’s pretty much it: there’s darkness, light and joy in the music—the last one just as important as the previous two. In closing, I want to say I’m thankful for each and every listener, and to Divide and Conquer Music for the interest in the “In Every Disaster” EP. Until the next one then!
Q: Can you talk about your history as an artist?
A: I’m a Seattle native, and the clichés about the city are true—it has always been steeped in music. Growing up, I was obsessed with 1970’s radio playlists. Glittery pop on AM, deep cuts in hard rock, glam, and psychedelia on FM. The first vinyl album I ever bought was “Frampton Comes Alive” by Peter Frampton. It’s still one of my favorites! I started playing guitar at age 10, began writing songs soon after, and then started singing. I had a hair-raising time gigging in Hollywood, California in the late 1980’s, which got me a sort of honorary graduate degree in rock n’ roll, thinking back on it (lol)! I soaked it all in while there, watching local (at the time) artists like Gilby Clarke of Kill for Thrills (later of Guns ‘n’ Roses) and Jizzy Pearl of Love/Hate (currently of Quiet Riot and Love/Hate) play live, hanging out in the clubs, playing shows myself. All of these experiences, learnings, sounds and influences floated around my brain. Eventually I returned to Seattle, played in a few indie bands, then started Chris Mess.
Q: Can you talk about your themes on your new release Every Disaster?
A: There’s observations, infused with humor. That’s the Chris Mess way. Themes like keeping a close eye on dangerous, unconscious people and their shenanigans (“No Good”); moving beyond regret and failure to recognize the silver linings in missteps (“Disaster”); and working through ego-based static in relationships or behind the wheel (“Blink”). There’s also an imagined conversation between Ziggy Stardust and a fan, as the glam star contemplates retiring his persona (“Requiem”).
Q: Were there different approaches on this release compared to other music you have worked on?
A: Yes, this EP is our first release in which our producer Brandon Busch applied his preferred approaches for vocals, and the results are evident. For our previous one, I recorded vocals myself, at my own home studio. Brandon has amazing ears and production skills—among other Northwest artists he works with, he records the solo work of Lee “Low Rider” Oscar, founder of the 1970’s band “War”. The choruses in the songs on “In Every Disaster” have three-part harmony across five vocal tracks, recorded via various vintage and modern microphones—each with distinct audio footprints. In the mix, Brandon panned the array of vocal tracks in a fan pattern, and blended and sonically treated them to create a vivid soundscape. Every element has a cool and clear place to exist in the mix and contribute to the overall mood and vibe. Similar approach for guitars! We haven’t done a recording like that before, and wow, you can hear the impact on this EP.
Q: What is your recording process like? And has it changed over the years?
A: It has definitely changed over time. With the advent of affordable home recording a few years ago, I got a little lost in the fun of recording the band myself, for our early non-official demo releases. I eventually learned that there’s a reason pro engineers and producers exist. These days, I work on being as good as I can be as a singer, songwriter and bandleader—and leave producing, engineering and sonic sorcery to experienced pros, for our official releases! That gets me access to the kind of magic I mentioned earlier above. Starting out any session these days, we work on getting great drum sounds, play live to capture the best drum performances, and then add bass and glittery stacks of guitars and vocals. We season with some ear candy studio trickery, here and there. These days, Northwest legend Chris Hanzsek, known for his work with Soundgarden, Melvins and more, does our mastering to finish things off. I feel fortunate to have some great people willing to work with us.
Q: What is your creative process like?
A: It’s kind of like having an antenna up all the time. Song titles and lyrical themes often come from things I hear people say in conversation, in bars, in restaurants, anywhere. My wife co- wrote the lyrics to “Blink” and “Requiem”—she is super creative and talented, and we’re always batting around ideas. From there we trim, sand down, apply finishes. For the music, it always starts with playing my 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom, listening to other artists, then finding a free mind space to experiment with riffs and melodies, listening for good stuff coming into the receiver! Then I demo the ideas, and my guitarist, bassist and drummer bring them to rock n’ roll life. Watching “The Beatles: Get Back” documentary, it’s clear I’m not reinventing any wheels! It’s a tried-and-true process that a lot of artists employ. The stylistic influences come out naturally from the music I love: original era glam rock n’ roll, hard rock, power pop, indie.
Q: Have you started playing shows or virtual shows?
A: Yes, we are currently playing locally throughout Seattle—with all the safety precautions that implies. My longer-range plans are to expand out beyond that. Check our website for upcoming performances.
Q: What else should we know about your music?
A: Our release tagline states: “While the songs came out of the dark milieu of the times, they are infused with dive-bar-sized jello shots of rock n' roll elation.” That’s pretty much it: there’s darkness, light and joy in the music—the last one just as important as the previous two. In closing, I want to say I’m thankful for each and every listener, and to Divide and Conquer Music for the interest in the “In Every Disaster” EP. Until the next one then!