An Interview With Chris Perkins

Q: Can you tell us about your background and how you got started in music?

A: I started off learning guitar as a kid. I grew up watching my sister perform which ended up inspiring me to want to get up on stage. It led me through different avenues such as: theatre, dancing, talent shows, but I was always brought back to music. When I realized that I needed more than just a single guitar to create the music that I wanted, I took it upon myself to become my own band and learned to add different musical parts and fill all the different music roles if I didn’t access to that type of specialized person at the time. If you want to get to know me more, you should listen to my music. It tells the story of my life and it’s where I run to when life gets tough. My music offers something for everyone whether you’re a fan of pop, rock, alternative, folk, or rap. With each release, it traverses a new genre that’s different to something that I’ve done before. The fun part is that everything you hear in my music comes from me which includes: lyrical content, recording instruments, and mixing. My current EP, “Meant To Be” is the culmination of my life these past years and shares the stories of the happy moments and some of my more melancholic moments. This EP is considered some of my best work and shares an extended narrative that is built throughout the songs.

Q: How would you describe your musical style and influences?

A: My musical style is best defined under groove pop or pop/rock. I started making music by playing guitar, so guitars will almost always be embedded in my sound. I grew up listening to artists such as Prince, The Driver Era, Masego, and Nothing But Thieves so I try to blend my favorite elements whether it be a particular vocal style, ideas to craft a guitar solo or a groovy bassline.

Q: What do you think sets you apart from other artists in the music scene?

A: I’m a very deceptive artist. I feel like people assume what I’ll bring to the table or try to label me. But I end up surprising them with my next move. I’m always adapting to what I want to explore next. In a way I’m like a chameleon because I can make music that blends into a distinct genre depending on what I’m listening to at the moment.

Q: How would you describe the overall sound and genre of the EP?

A: This EP is an evolving sound because it jumps across genres and vocal performances whether it be singing or rapping. The hardest part is always labelling my music under one genre because you have songs like “Pineapple” that are a hip hop/boom bap beat and then the project does a complete 180 with “Champagne Kisses” being a funk pop/pop rock track. Overall I would probably label it as half pop rock half rap.

Q: What has been your biggest challenge as an artist and how have you overcome it?

A: The biggest challenge I’ve had is being consistent with content. Ideally, I would love to just focus on the music, but in this day and age you have to be a full time content creator which can be a challenge. Sometimes I feel like I lack the vision to fully appreciate and complement my music. But this year, I’ve been building a visuals team to help take off some of that pressure which has helped me up my content and be able to successfully promote my newer stuff.

Q: Can you share any interesting stories or anecdotes from your experiences in the music industry?

A: I surprisingly got the chance to meet my favorite artist and thank them for their influence. Back in 2021, I went and saw The Driver Era play a concert at the Fonda Theatre. I came up with the idea to try to get on stage and play a song with them. So I just showed up with a $5 poster feeling extremely nervous. Next thing I know, here I am on stage with the people who influenced me to pursue this thing for the long run, sharing the stage side by side. I explained to them how they got me to make music and follow a similar path for my musical career.

Q: How do you balance your creative vision with the demands of the music industry?

A: Honestly, it boils down to time management. I’ve been taking the time to help create more visual content such as short form videos which are the new main source of attraction in the music industry. It has been putting the strength of my creative vision to the test because my creative vision usually lies within the music I make. But I’m expanding it to consistent visual content to gain attention and adapt to the new industry system. It’s pushed me into Twitch streaming to help farm content from and stick with a schedule. It helped build new connections and I was able to turn the challenge into an opportunity!

Q: What do you hope to achieve with your music career in the long term?

A: Just the ability to make this last. I’ve met too many people who had high potential but walked away or weren’t able to keep doing it. My main goal is to just keep doing this as long as I can.

Q: Can you talk about any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re excited about?

A: I’ve got lots of things in the works behind the scenes, but all I can share right now is that I’m building my next project for this year. I have a lot of cool new songs I’m ready to showcase that are a completely different sound than my previous EP.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with your fans and listeners about yourself and your music?

A: Stay tuned because I’m most active when I appear quiet on social media. I’m always working on something behind the scenes. In due time you’ll see it all. Did I forget to mention I’m making a Champagne Kisses music video? Or merch is dropping soon? Just wait and see…

 

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