Chris Marshall – Steps Into The Light
Chris Marshall may be one of the most sincere persons in the music business. And August Light (In Music We Trust) may be the best alt country/roots rock album of 2011. His debut release explores love and loss. It’s a typical expression in the style, but for Marshall, all of this comes from pure honesty as part of this album is coming to terms with the loss of a dear friend. But he gets past it with songs about the simplicity of love and the beauty of life itself. The son of a preacher, he’s spent a lot of his life in contemplation. This album brings it all to life.
I had a chance to talk to Marshall about his debut release, how 2011 has treated him, and what is in store for next year.
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What was going through your mind during the making of August Light? What ideas were you really wanting to get out at the time of writing this album?
My mindset while making the record was pretty much just focused on stretching myself and learning the kind of process that works for me. I put a lot of trust in Jeremy Wilson on the production end and tried to allow for other interpretations on the songs and how they might sound. As far as the writing of the record was concerned, my only intention on that end was to just keep it honest. I don’t think there is any unifying thematic strand, excepting just a general commitment to keeping the songs true. I’ll have to decide if we pulled that off later on down the road.
What is it about the traditional elements of Country music that you were attracted to? How did you see that opportunity to explore the style and make it into your own?
I think it’s probably the immediacy in country music that attracts me to it. You have three or four minutes to accomplish something really specific in a country song, and you either do it or you don’t. There is just not a lot of space to hide behind, and I think that measuring stick keeps it honest. Tell a story, rip a lead, nail a vocal; do what you gotta do to establish a connection with an audience. And while I don’t actually consider myself a straight “country” artist, I think that will always be the barometer I use to decide if something works or not.
All of this transfers to the band of Portland musicians you gathered for this album. How did you get that vision out to this group and what was the process like having prominent indie and alternative rock musicians playing the Country/Americana style?
It was really Jeremy that connected me with the core group of guys that tracked the album, and it really wasn’t a stretch for them stylistically. The grooves were really natural, and Paul Brainard was in the pocket the entire time on steel. I actually really enjoyed watching them flesh out the songs and was able to just kind of get out of the way a lot of the time. Now, that isn’t always the best way to go and I don’t think I’ll approach an album that way again, but for this experience it was a lot of fun.
You took time out to communicate with your bandmates. How did this dialogue help transcend the album?
There was a couple different times where I had unique opportunities to connect with the guys playing the songs, and that was important for me. Allen Hunter actually proved to be kind of a sage in a lot of areas, and there were several times when he offered timely insight that I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
One thing that most impressed me about August Light is that you don’t go out of your way to show off, it’s just a solid album from front to back. Does that have to do with the album’s honesty? Musicianship? What do you think?
Well thanks a bunch, that means a lot to hear actually. I hope it’s all of the above! The only risk in that is that the album might come off to others as being restrained or underwhelming. So I think with the next batch of songs I’m writing, I’m feeling the impulse to take some more risks, but I’ll definitely continue to put a premium on keeping things purposeful and honest.
How did being the son of a minister have an effect on you?
I think to some degree that’s tough to answer, because it’s just my experience and I don’t necessarily have the ability to separate myself from it. I will say that I’m thankful for having been raised with a developed spiritual impulse, because I think it pays off to live the examined life and to be sensitive to meaning, values, truth, poetry, etc. I’m lucky because my folks did a pretty great job of making it a healthy spiritual experience growing up, rather than an oppressive one, which is what a lot of preacher’s kids have to contend with. I was given a lot of room to find myself and my own faith, so for that I’m lucky, or maybe, in this area, I should say I’m blessed.
It’s common for someone with a religious family background to rebel, but for you and this album, you look at natural law and the metaphysics of life. What is it about this time in your life to feel that way?
I think it’s probably just a process of getting older. Because I’ve gone through the rebellion thing like most have, and it was really a cyclical thing all the way through adolescence for me. But at some point it just evened out. I trip up or goof up a lot, but I feel a little more grace for myself these days and am more interested in the larger narrative of existence, not just my own deal all the time, if that makes sense. I guess I just feel more connected to the whole story and I want my contribution to reflect that.
I should also mention that this album is also an homage to the spirit of your friend who unfortunately passed away. What would you like to say to him regarding this album, and what would he think about the sentiment?
That’s a tough one. I’d probably have to ponder that a long while before answering, I’m sorry. Down the road a ways, maybe I’ll get there.
Are you taking the music out on the road? If so, will it be you or any of the other band members involved?
I’ve been doing regional stuff in the Northwest since the album came out, and of course locally in Portland. Right now I’m actually finally able to say I have a full-time band backing me for the first time, and we’re doing an incredible amount of writing, which is what I’m most excited about. The hope is that we’ll get this unit more road-tested here pretty soon, so that is exciting as well. All of the guys that recorded the record are extremely busy with their own projects and other more long-term ones, so I’ve worked really hard at finding the right folks to have on my team to carry the torch forward, and am actually happier than I’ve ever been with where that’s at.
What now and for the future?
Well, just to kind of piggy-back on the last question, the stuff I’m writing right now with the entire band is completely regenerating my love for music. Christoph Cesarez, who plays lead guitar with me, is also contributing songs to the project, and they happen to be really good songs. Such a great group of folks and it’s taking on its own life as a result, so it’s like a whole new beginning really. Didn’t see that coming a year ago when we started working on “August Light,” but it’s exciting to see the evolution and be a part of it.
