Interview: Chris Stringer

Hey guys!

I am so pleased with how house in the sand is slowly but surely becoming a home for MANY music lovers. A lot of people just come over to find new music which means the world to me.

I know that a lot of people are here to find new music today (statistics tell me, don't worry, I'm not stalking you.), and I'm absolutely happy to show case Chris Stringer for you!

Chris Stringer is a singer/songwriter from Swansea, UK. His sounds combines acoustic guitar work with expressive vocals.
Inspired by the 80s and the time when dinosaurs ruled the world, his influences are acts like Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen and a lot more.

I'm a massive fan of Chris' music, therefore I can't wait for you to find out about it. 

Chris took some time to chat with us about his upcoming (and really exciting) projects such as an EP release, touring, music tips and a whole lot more.

Check it out!

house in the sand: Hi Chris, lovely to see you back on house in the sand. How is the music life treating you?

Chris Stringer: It's pretty good, thanks. I'm pretty busy with work right now (Christmas in retail is a killer), so I'm taking it easy outside of that; just practicing and writing little bits. I've got lots of exciting things in the pipeline for 2015, so I'm enjoying the calm before the storm!  

HITS: Can you tell us a bit more about your upcoming EP “Sinking Ships”?

Chris: Well, it's been a long time in the making - it started life as a full-length album - but I feel like I've had the chance to really get into it and deconstruct it. I think that working with Gerwyn (Davies, producer) has allowed me to get the best from the selection of tracks. 

HITS: The artwork for it has already been revealed and wow, it looks great! Rachael Smart designed it. What was it like to have somebody else do it for you? Did you come up with the idea behind it?

Chris: I was originally planning to design it myself, but then I really wanted to get an independent illustrator involved. A friend got in touch and suggested her sister, Rachael - I'd seen her work before and knew how talented she was. The idea very much follows the lyrics of the track 'Sinking Ships', and was pretty much the idea from the get go; Rachael did an incredible job with the composition and I could not be more happy with it.

HITS: Is there a song you are most proud of? If so, which one is it and why?

Chris: Pride isn't something I do well! But I am extremely happy with how 'Bones' is sounding - it was originally planned to be a very stripped back and raw recording, but has since evolved into a carefully layered piece of music. I also think that lyrically it's quite strong, that the emotion I'm trying to covey comes through. 

 

HITS: Are there differences between your old and new material?

Chris: I think there's definitely a significant difference in my techniques and abilities - vocally, lyrically and instrumentally speaking - between these songs and the 'Frontroom' EP. I'd say that the 'feel' of the music, is very much the same though; if a little more refined. 

HITS: Just because we are really nosey, please give us a look behind the scenes: what do you do before and after you do a gig?

Chris: I'm the least rock and roll person ever. I write my setlist in a notepad just before I go on - I have a little thing where I write the venue and the date at the top of the paper - and then tear the page out. My guitar case is full of them. I can't drink beer or fizzy drinks before I play, my vocal chords close right up; I have to drink room temperature water only! Makes me feel like a right diva. The only other thing is that due to the water, I need to pee a lot.

HITS: Do you have any music tips for us? What songs does the world need to hear?

Chris: This could go on for hours, but I'm gonna give you a few albums off top of my head:

Liberty 37 - The Greatest Gift

Villagers - Becoming A Jackal

Nizlopi - Make It Happen

Duran Duran - Rio

Bhi Bhiman - Bhiman

HITS: Imagine you could go on tour with any musician/band you wanted, who would you choose?

Chris: That's a tough one - as I mentioned earlier, I'm pretty tame! I'd love to play with Bhi Bhiman, Amos Lee, and a whole host of fantastic unsigned artists I've come across. But as far as touring is concerned, I'd love to be able to tour parts of the US with someone. 

HITS: Is there anything else you would like the house in the sand readers to know?

Chris: Well, since we're on the subject... I can announce now that I will be going on tour in March 2015! It's a short tour of the UK, starting in London and finishing up in Dublin, with an American guy called Anthony James from a band called Rattlesnake Gospel. He got in touch with me online and is coming over from the US to tour together - I'm really excited for it, it's going to be awesome.

HITS: Please complete the following sentence: I am Chris Stringer and I …

Chris: ... really love dinosaurs. I'm very excited about the Stegosaurus skeleton recently unveiled at the Natural History Museum. 

Thank you tons for taking time to answer those questions! We’re excited for “Sinking Ships”!

 Make sure to check out my favourite song, "Bones" performed live! :)

Chris Stringer online: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Soundcloud

Thank you for reading!

Credits // Text & Questions: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Answers: Chris Stringer