Christopher Griffiths
SBS Covid Relief
Interview with Christopher Griffiths
SBS: Let’s make sure we’ve got everyone on the same page – who are ya? How long have you been doin’ this music thang and what’s the story behind it all? What separates you apart from the rest?
Christopher: My name is Christopher Halson Griffiths. I’m a Libra from Michigan who has been playing music for his entire life. I got a guitar for Christmas really early on and have played it every day until now. Music really spoke to me and gave me an outlet for my energy. It’s my fairly healthy addiction. I guess if there was something special about me, it would be that I’m shameless in my intake of different kinds of music. One day it’s Hank Williams, the next it’s Tina Turner, Dr Dre, Beck, or The MC5. It is more important to me to be genuine than to be liked. I’m not interested in making products. I’m interested in engaging in a musical conversation with the listener where I speak with my sound, and they speak with their reaction, in the case of this EP that reaction should be dancing their shoes off. I am the world’s first 38 year old pop star.
SBS: How has this time in lockdown/quarantine affected you and the music you make? Positives? Negatives? It’s obviously a crazy time for everyone, but certainly musicians throughout the independent scene as well…what have you been doing to make sure the music is still flowing somehow at this time?
Christopher: When the isolation started back in March, my entire calendar got cleared. No Nashville shows, no recording sessions, no Will Hoge tour, nothing. So I was freaking out a bit, but I decided to write one song a day and was just emailing whatever I wrote and recorded to anyone who donated to my Venmo. On one hand I was trying to keep some cash coming in, but also, I wanted to get good at using my home studio which I tend to neglect. I wrote 38 songs and these four just seemed to stick together. When this is over, you will find a much better piano player on the other side. I hate not touring, but I decided if I’m going to have an abundance of time I better do something with it. Sometimes growth is only achieved in hardship. So this is me growing.
SBS: Is there a lesson to be learned in all this Covid-craziness? If so, what do you think it is?
Christopher: Well, I think certainly it has shown us everything we can achieve without fear. All those times the people in my community had said they would do something if they just had time, now they have time. It has left us with no excuses but to pursue our craft. As a notion we have proven we can work from home, we can change and embrace diversity and still be people who produce even from home with a mask on drinking tea in our jogging pants. Which I am doing right now. I should probably find some clean ones.
SBS: What is the most key thing that people can do out there to support musicians during this time?
Christopher: Listen! Listen to music. Listen to new music and dig up all your old favorites. If you open your social media everyday there is a live stream concert, every day someone is putting out something new. Dig in don’t be scared. You can donate to your favorites, you can be a fan, you can be a patron of the arts. You have all this time in isolation so bring your ears to the table and feast on all this creation that’s going on. Or in my case get out of your seat and shake your booty to music I made just so my wife had something to dance to while she pursues her passion for cooking.
SBS: There are some that say there’s ‘no going back to normal’ and others that still think that’s a possibility after all is said & done and we’re allowed outside again…what do you think? Let’s ballpark it…let’s say it’s…September 2020, that’s not too far away…what does the world look like at that point?
Christopher: Hopefully touring and concerts will be back. Normal is so relative. I’m hoping we’ll learn from all this, from the time we have spent with ourselves. This pandemic has been terrible, but for a lot of us took away a bunch of our distractions. Maybe when we get back to a 40 hour week and a social life carving out some of that time at home to pursue passions, to learn, to grow, wouldn’t be such a bad thing. I can tell you I’m a much better piano player, and my garden has never looked better. I can also poach an egg now. If anything, your new normal in September should be the best of what you had before, plus all the new ways you have invested in yourself in your downtime. Introspective growth through disease control.
SBS: What do you miss most during this whole lockdown? What’s the first thing you plan on doing if/when things find their way back to normal, and why is that the most important thing to ya?
Christopher: I am going to any sporting event. I don’t care if it’s wrestling, football, basketball, tiddlywinks, I want to get out and drink a beer with 60 thousand people. And I miss playing live and feeling that winking sort of secret bond you share with an audience. I have enjoyed giving live stream concerts, but it just feels so much better when I can see your faces too. I’ll even put on pants. Probably. There’s a 40 percent chance of pants.
SBS: Open floor! Anything else you want to say to the people out there?
Christopher: Thank you for everything. All of you music lovers, and supporters of the arts, you have really shown up during this trying time. Message me anytime come see me anywhere I play. I’ll be playing bass with Will Hoge this Fall and he has a new album June 26th. I produced a record for Tera Lynne Fister. Her new album comes out sometime this summer and her music sounds great. She is a breath of fresh air. And of course my EP comes out June 2nd, I’ll probably do another one before the years out, so please dive in and never stop dancing.
Find out more about Christopher Griffiths at the official links below!
Homepage: https://www.christophergriffithsmusic.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Cgriffbass/videos
We’ve extended the deadline & we’ll be accepting submissions to the SBS Covid Relief interviews in written, audio, and video forms until the end of May – find out more about how you can get involved right here.
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