Paducah based musician and songwriter, Chris Black, premieres the music video for his song "Karaoke Excuse," today here at WKMS. Austin Carter spoke with Black about his upcoming album, the inspiration behind the video, and what's in store for him this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiimMTMBlaA&t=3s
Q & A with Chris Black
Q. Tell me how this video came about and what your vision was for it?
A. Honestly, the video came about because Daniel Yocum (the director) had asked me to collaborate and we finally had a chance to get together. I didn't really know what I wanted to do when we started. I basically told Daniel that I wanted it to be like a documentary about an incredibly boring night after getting home from work. One of those nights when nothing you do is good enough; no matter how hard you try to fill it the void it's still there, and possibly even more pronounced than it was when you first noticed it. That's kind of what the song is about, so I guess I just wanted a visual representation of that. He came over and we just started filming and brainstorming. There was never really a plan. Then I bought an old TV at a garage sale and the storyline kind of came together on it's own.
Q. Why did you pick "Karaoke Excuse" to make a video for and how do you think it represents your upcoming album as a whole?
A. I wrote the song right before I started recording this album and I felt like it really summed up my day to day as a whole at that point. It really doesn't sound anything like the rest of the album, but the lyrics touch on the primary emotions that exist within the other songs. So, I guess I would say that lyrically it hits the nail on the head, and sonically it couldn't be further from the rest of it. I got really lucky to have Patrick Sweany play on it. He's one of my favorite guitar players of all-time. I had met him a couple times and I happened to run into him in Nashville one night at a show. He was kind enough to volunteer to come out to the studio the next day. I honestly couldn't believe he even remembered who I was, but he introduced me to his wife by name. He's a really nice guy. He actually gave me a ride downtown to see the Wood Brothers that night after we got done recording. It was surreal.
Q. Tell me about your upcoming album?
A. As of now the release date isn't set in stone. I just placed the order for the vinyl and there is an 8 week turnaround, so it should be available by April/May. I recorded the album in Nashville at The Stagger Inn ~ House of Immaculate Audio with my friend Ry Evans. I had it mixed and mastered at the Bomb Shelter in Nashville by Andrija Tokic. I reached out to him because of his work with one of my favorite bands, Natural Child. I think their album, Dancin' with Wolves, is one of the best sounding records I've ever heard and he engineered that whole thing. We started recording in July of 2015, so needless to say I'm pretty ready to get this thing out there and move on to the next project. The title (230 West Allmon St. Apt B) is a combination of an old address of mine and my most recent living arrangement. Last year, my apartment at the time (Apt B) started reminding me more and more of the last house I lived in my hometown of Salem, Illinois (230 West Allmon St.) before I moved to Nashville back in the day. I really wanted to record an album that my younger self would have loved, so I went with the old address and tacked on the apartment part. I had about 30 songs I wanted to record and 13 of them are on this album. Ten will be on the vinyl and all thirteen will be on the digital download card inside the sleeve. I'm currently recording the rest with Shelby Preklas at Loud and Clear Studio in Paducah and the winners from those sessions should be out later this year as 230 West Allmon St. Apt A.
Q. What's the best way for people to stay up to date with your upcoming shows and album release information?
A. Currently, I would say you can just add me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/grandpablack. I did just purchase www.songschrisblackwrote.com and will have that updated soon. I highly recommend going to visit that one right now. It's a WIX site and I chose the wedding singer template and then just left it alone. The generic quotes and pictures with my name inserted in them are hilarious. Despite what it says on there, my career did not start in San Francisco in the year 2000. Oh, well. I technically have two months until I need to have that updated so let's just enjoy the laughs for now.
