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Chris Milam: Local Record Reviews
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Local singer-songwriter Chris Milam debuted this double-sided single, his fourth official release, a...Local singer-songwriter Chris Milam debuted this double-sided single, his fourth official release, as a digital download last week. The A-side, "Never in Love," features contributions from a slew of well-known local musicians, including Jeremy Stanfill, Star & Micey's Josh Cosby and Geoff Smith, and the City Champs' Al Gamble. But, for my taste, the song is a bit too by-the-numbers, easygoing, folk-rock-sounding (aka the dreaded Jack Johnson comparison) ... which is what makes the stunning B-side such an absolute sucker-punch.
"Always in Love" is stripped down and gorgeous, featuring essentially only Milam's voice, his guitar, and a few sparse piano tinklings here and there. The song is heartfelt and memorable — it reminds me of some of Cory Branan's best moments. I find myself listening to it over and over.
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Chris Milam Releases New Single
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Emerging local singer-songwriter Chris Milam officially releases his new double-sided single - "Neve...Emerging local singer-songwriter Chris Milam officially releases his new double-sided single - "Never In Love"/"Always In Love" - today via Amazon, Itunes, and all the usual digital music retailers. The record features several noteworthy local musicians playing behind the earnest pop strains of Milam, including Jeremy Stanfill, Star & Micey's Josh Cosby and Geoff Smith, Susan Marshall, Dave Cousar, and The City Champs' Al Gamble, and also boasts excellent production from Ardent's Jeff Powell.
Milam, a native Memphian who recently returned to the city after starting his music career in Nashville and New York City, spoke to the Flyer this week about the new record, his busy tour schedule, and more.
Flyer: First off, what brought you back to Memphis?
Milam: Once the touring schedule ramped up I wanted a less expensive home-base. And, of course, I can't think of a better place to call home than Memphis.
How did you get started in music?
I played my first "show" when I was five, banging on some Fisher-Price drum kit accompanying Sgt Pepper. So I guess it was always there. It was a pretty normal progression - played in church first, then high school bands, then studied music in college and started playing out regularly, then took the plunge after graduation. I consider myself really lucky to have grown up in Memphis. It's a special place to grow up loving music - you can get an education without even trying.
What was the recording process like for your new single?
Honestly, recording at Ardent was a longtime dream of mine. I'm a huge fan of the records that have come out of there, and always wanted to record at Ardent. When Jeff and I talked about working together, I thought the timing was right. It was an awesome, surreal experience working with those musicians in that room. I can't wait to do it again.
Are you happy with the finished product?
I'm really excited about it. I wanted to write two songs as companion pieces - I'd never done that before. They have a lot in common, they're kind of two sides of the same coin. I thought the challenge in the studio would be to make them each work independent of each other, but also to highlight the things they had in common. I'm thrilled with the way both songs came out. Everybody in the studio brought their own indispensable piece to each songs. All the great performances, all the happy surprises - they all added up to something I'm proud of. I can't wait to share them with everyone.
Are you satisfied with being a solo artist/performer, or would you rather have a band?
It depends on the songs I'm singing. I played with a band in Nashville after the first two records. Then, Up was more stripped down, so it worked to tour solo. Now, I'm itching to get a band together again. The new songs have a fuller sound, and I miss the energy of playing with other musicians. I'm in the market! Know anyone?
I understand you're on the road a lot.
Yeah, I've stayed busy, thankfully! I love the road. I was gone about six weeks in the spring, mostly around the west coast and midwest. This summer I circled the south. I was gone all of September, mostly east coast. And the rest of the fall (November and December) I'll be in the midwest or the southeast. And, of course, I'm always playing around Memphis when I'm back home. I'd really love to get to the U.K. soon. I've never performed there, and I hear the crowds are awesome.
So, which is it - are you never in love, or always in love?
Ha! Can't say. Ask me again in an hour.
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Chris Milam To Play Rockwood Music Hall
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Milam is a former New Yorker who moved back to his birthplace of Memphis but made sure to take some ...Milam is a former New Yorker who moved back to his birthplace of Memphis but made sure to take some big city spunk along with him for the road. He just finished working on a double-sided single entitled Never In Love and is working on a full length album for 2012. Milam’s witty lyrics and acoustic prowess have garnered him a ridiculous number of Paul Simon comparisons from fans and critics. His charm and warmth lead to a great live show, and Milam is sure to make this homecoming a memorable one!
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The Warm Up with Chris Milam
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Chris Milam doesn’t like Kickstarter – too passive he says. So instead, he has decided to stage his ...Chris Milam doesn’t like Kickstarter – too passive he says. So instead, he has decided to stage his very own fundraiser to raise money to record a new album. He’ll be playing from 4 until 10PM TODAY in front of the I Love Memphis Mural in Cooper-Young. If you are a fan of TVD, you might have already come to know Milam from his excellent Another Cup of Coffee series of interviews. If you are not reading his blog or following on Twitter – you are missing out!
Take a listen to some new songs he’s been working on and then if you’re a local, go give him some love tonight. He told us to tell you to bring beer. (And if you don’t live in Memphis, you can donate on Milam’s website!
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Ardent Presents Chris Milam
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Chris Milam is not only a gifted singer/songwriter, he is also a fantastic writer and contributor t...Chris Milam is not only a gifted singer/songwriter, he is also a fantastic writer and contributor to this site. You can also find him all over the interweb on Twitter, Facebook, and the Youtubes. Check out his upcoming tour dates on Chrismilam.com. You can purchase his music iTunes, Amazon and CDbaby.
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Live From Memphis Album Review: Chris Milam Up
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Memphis native Chris Milam grew up as the son of a college professor and a teacher of Greek drama. A...Memphis native Chris Milam grew up as the son of a college professor and a teacher of Greek drama. As one could imagine, his family environment contributed to his unconventional career path. As Milam writes on his website, “I was doomed from the beginning. Banking wasn’t an option, I can’t even add."
Link for more...
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Chris Milam: American Songwriter Writer of the Week
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After the success of 2008’s EP Tin Angel, singer/songwriter Chris Milam was receiving praise and ind...After the success of 2008’s EP Tin Angel, singer/songwriter Chris Milam was receiving praise and industry attention in Nashville, but still felt something was missing. After a winter of soul-searching and a move to New York City, Milam is back with a new album titled Up. American Songwriter had a chance to speak with him about the new sound on the record, as well as his life-changing move to the Big Apple. (Be sure to check out Chris’s profile on American Songspace.)
Growing up the son of a professor, what drew you to music? Were there any experiences early on when you realized music was your passion?
In a way, it was my parents. Dad’s an English professor and Mom teaches the humanities. They aren’t musicians, but they’re great fans of music. Literature and music were big dinner table topics. I was lucky, it was cool to love the arts in our house. I was also unlucky: I was pre-destined to be bad at math.
So, music was always around. Dad liked the old singer/songwriters: Dylan, Willie, George Jones, Gram Parsons, etc; Mom loved 60’s pop: Beatles, Beach Boys, Motown, Stax, etc. My brother and I gave impromptu Beatles concerts. Somewhere, there’s a picture of me at age 5 playing a Fisher-Price guitar along to “Ticket To Ride.”
In high school, I overheard some guys say they needed a bass player for their band. I got a left-handed bass and started learning Red Hot Chili Peppers songs. Of course, they never formed the band, but I rushed out and learned bass because I was so desperate to play music. Later, I stole my brother’s right-handed guitar and learned some chords upside-down. I did everything I could to be a musician. Or imitate one.
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You’ve been compared to Simon and Garfunkel, among others. Would you say that the singer-songwriters of the 60’s and 70’s are some major influences in your work?
Definitely, this album in particular owes itself to that era. Simon and Garfunkel packaged lyrically-intensive songs with these gorgeous pop melodies; they helped bring poetry into pop music. That was a major influence on Up.
I’ve always admired how different their songs are, but how unified their albums feel. They put a folk song like “Kathy’s Song” next to an R&B tune like “Somewhere They Can’t Find Me” and it still sounds cohesive. It still makes sense. That’s something I’ve tried to do, too.
I also admire their use of black turtlenecks. That’s something I’m incorporating into the next album.
Considering the industry attention in Nashville you were receiving for your songwriting, what was the deciding factor that led you to New York City? Was there a defining moment for you when you just knew New York was where you had to be?
It was basically the decision of what kind of career I wanted. Nashville’s an amazing town for songwriters, but writing country songs just isn’t my passion.
There was a real turning point in fall 2008. I came to New York to play a record release show for the Tin Angel EP. Something just clicked that trip: other artists I met, the new fans and friends at the show, the whole atmosphere of the place. I was drawing inspiration from everything, writing songs a mile-a-minute—just feeling revitalized as an artist. I knew it was the right place for me and the kind of music I wanted to make.
Your new album Up was created in a few short weeks here in Nashville using very little instrumentation. Is this raw, organic style of yours a trademark?
It’s certainly a trademark of this album. The two before it were very different records, but this group of songs is the most intimate, narrative, and deeply personal I’ve written. When Steve and I talked about Up, we knew it needed to be a stripped-down production to match that intimacy. It’s basically an acoustic record, but every song has at least one more instrument. I joked with Steve: “I don’t want it naked; just kind of undressed.”
So, we recorded much of it live because I wanted the listener to feel like they’re in the room with me. I wanted the vulnerability and intimacy of these songs to really come across. So, you can hear the occasional chair-creaking, or tongue-clicking. It was more about capturing a moment than “producing” an album.
In that way, it feels similar to recent albums by artists I admire: Josh Ritter, Bon Iver, the Monsters of Folk, etc.
You worked with producer Steve Martin on your newest album Up, a very bare bones album. How was your experience working with him in the studio?
Steve’s a rising star in Nashville, and someone I’ve known for a while. I’ve always appreciated his talents as a sound guy, grower-of-beards, and scarf-enthusiast.
When I gave him the demos of these songs, he said, “Don’t worry about time, don’t worry about money…we have to make this album.” Steve’s one of the few producers who wants to understand the song before he ever considers recording it. He simply gets it.
We worked really quickly, and we played every part ourselves. Even though we didn’t have much time, we experimented a lot. Steve’s great about bringing in ideas and sounds from left field that make the song better. There was one guitar line in “Thirteen Hours” we played simultaneously. Every time he picked it, the G string buzzed in a weird way. So, as he played the part, I crouched down and muted the G string. I wish someone had gotten a picture of that.
Your 2008 EP Tin Angel was a more pop driven work. Do you feel that the intimate tone of Up is more in tune with your personal vision as an artist?
Absolutely. Tin Angel was a pop songwriting showcase, kind of a super-polished publishing demo. In a way, it matches my vision as an artist because I love pop music and love writing it. But all of those songs were really written with other people in mind—they didn’t tell my story.
Last winter, I holed up in Arkansas and wrote songs for two months. For the first time, I really focused on telling my own story, in my own language. Something clicked. I probably wrote 40-50 songs that winter. Eight of them are on Up. The ninth is a Paul Simon song, “The Boy In the Bubble.”
Since arriving in NYC, do you feel that your work has reflected a shift away from the south, so to speak?
It’s funny, but it’s kind of been the opposite. I write more about something once I have some distance from it. When I still lived down south, I rarely wrote about it. Now that I’m up north, I see it pop up more often. Of course, New York is a huge well of inspiration, too.
Right now, I’ll try anything, as long as the melody’s good. Who knows: maybe the next album will be alt-country. Maybe it’ll be trip-hop. Maybe it’ll be nothing but Morgan Freeman reading E.E. Cummings over an instrumental loop of “Mmm Bop.”
No matter what it is, it’ll probably have the south’s influence in there somewhere. It’s where I’m from, and it’ll always be home.
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Chris Milam Speaks!
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I scribed a little on aspiring young, country/folk artist Chris Millam the other day. His track ‘Col...I scribed a little on aspiring young, country/folk artist Chris Millam the other day. His track ‘Coldweather Girls’ is quite remiscent of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘America’ in the simple structure, occasionally whispering voice and dialogue in the lyrics. He has kindly taken five minutes from promoting his new album Up’ to answer a few questions, though I suppose this would be considered promotion so he hasn’t really. Still it’s the thought that counts…….Thank you Chris.
M – What was the first record you ever bought?
CM – Green Day’s Dookie.
M – Why?
CM – It was the first I wanted a CD that my older brother didn’t want. Before that, he’d buy something (R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Radiohead, etc.) I liked anyway, and we’d share. Then, Dookie hit my middle school. He was a big, bad high schooler and was far too mature to buy an album named after poo. So, I had to buy it myself. Of course, he loves Green Day now, and got me 21st Century Breakdown for my birthday. The lesson: maybe 6th graders know something 10th graders don’t?
M – Would you say the US country / western scene has changed much over the past decade?
CM – Hard to say, because it’s a world of music that hasn’t influenced my own too much. But, living in Nashville for several years, I did see some changes. There’s definitely a split between the pop country of music row and the alt-country/Americana artists that are all around town. I wouldn’t say one’s good or bad–they’re just doing different things. There are a ton of great, independent artists in Nashville that are doing something different than the country norm, and fully deserve a big audience.
M – If so, which artists have shaped this shift?
CM – Of popular artists, the wave of roots-influenced music from the last decade continues to influence folks: Whiskeytown, Ryan Adams, Wilco, Son Volt, Old Crow Medicine Show, the Avett Brothers, etc. Again, I’m largely talking out of my butt; an alt-country artist could list 100 names.
M – Which artists would you say have held influence on you and your work?
CM – The new album (Up) was mostly influenced by artists from the 60’s; Simon & Garfunkel, for example. They packaged lyrically-intensive songs with these gorgeous melodies; that’s what I wanted to do with this record. Some others: Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon’s solo work (I cover “The Boy In the Bubble”), Tom Petty, Elliot Smith, Josh Ritter. Motown. The Beatles. Raphael Saadiq. The usual.
M – What is the most nervous / disastrous performance you’ve had?
CM – I came out of the womb a polished performer and savvy showbiz veteran; I have no idea what these words even mean.
Truthfully, it was probably my first performance. I sat in on a songwriters-in-the-round set, and they let me play one song. I sang the first line and suddenly forgot everything else. I couldn’t remember a thing. Instead of bowing out gracefully, apologizing, and sprinting to my car, I launched into a medley of “Free Ride,” “Slow Ride,” and Nelly’s “Ride Wit Me.”
I’d call its reception “mixed.”
M – At present, to you who are the most interesting artists in world?
CM – I’m a fan of pop music–that’s what I write, and listen to, and am most influenced by. So I’m interested in anything that can broaden the definition of pop, and artists that incite new trends with every release. Artists like Radiohead and Outkast alter the landscape every time they release an album. My Morning Jacket. I’m always excited to see what Jack White will do next. I know frat guys that love MGMT, which is a testament to their pop sensibility underneath all that great sonic weirdness. I’m interested in artists that can make someone like a song they wouldn’t expect to like.
Of singer/songwriters, I’m turned on by anyone who says something I haven’t heard before: Josh Ritter, Cory Branan, Amy LaVere, to name a few. They’re amazing songwriters who continue to surprise me.
And, finally, Justin Timberlake.
M – Do you have any plans to play the UK in the future?
CM – I do! Tentatively, this summer. We’re working out the details, but yes–hopefully sooner rather than later. I can’t wait to get to the UK. Great fans of music over there.
M – In a perfect world whom would you like to work with (alive or dead) and why?
CM – Many of the same heroes I listed above, with some consideration for who would be fun to work with.
Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Michael Stipe, Jack White. Eddie Vedder, because no band has (or probably will) mean more to me than Pearl Jam did in my teenage years. Chris Bell from Big Star, and Gram Parsons, are two favorites that I wish I could meet. I wouldn’t want to work with Kurt Cobain, but I’d love to meet him. I’ll include Bono, because if I’m working with Bono in any capacity, I’m probably about to buy a Bentley or attend a G8 summit.
I’d just like to take this opportunity to once again thank Mr Milam for taking the time to talk to us. Cheers Chris, and all the best!
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Chris Milam's Leaving Tennessee
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So after a long hiatus filled with house guests, insanity and tequila, I sat down to review the albu...So after a long hiatus filled with house guests, insanity and tequila, I sat down to review the albums that seems to building up from inattention here at HCT HQ. [I am taking time off from the same, PLUS there's my busy scifi-viewing schedule which is too copious for me to insert mean remarks here.—Mimi]
At the top of my stack is Chris Milam’s Leaving Tennessee which I’ve been meaning to review since he came and did a podcast with us a while back.
I find myself in hard position writing this review. See, being in Nashville means I get to hear a lot more from musicians than just what they have released. Chris is one of those musicians that’s close enough for me to stalk and follow closely live and as a person. Chris is good enough that I do exactly that.
For one, he’s an exceptional songwriter. There are a lot of songwriters here, since it’s Nashville and all. I could go hear half a dozen of them nearly every night if I devoted myself to nothing but songwriting rounds in Nashvegas. But I don’t, I sit around and listen to a handful of what works for me, a small handful that includes Chris Milam. There is a compelling immediacy to Chris’s lyrics. Whether he’s writing about love and loss or politics, he crawls through blues, rock, country, folk and pop with definite impact. His skill as a songwriter surpasses many artists twice his age.
On “Whenever it Rains,” Chris sings of being haunted by a girl now gone, though I hear underneath that the changed season here in Tennessee, the cold, autumn comes through. The song carries the same melancholy as a season that’s left the warm blanket of summer behind. It’s more a slow pop song than anything else on the album, but it doesn’t suffer because of that.
“On a Wire” and “Ain’t the Way” almost seem to channel love songs of the 50s or early 60s. There’s a slow melodic tempo to these that sends you back to times past, if you’re my age, times you don’t even remember but still carry a strange fondness for. “On a Wire” has a roughness to the lyrics that fill in images of sweet-voiced boys in white t-shirts, with cigarettes rolled up in their sleeves. Especially when Chris sings, Well, the stars are out, but they don’t look bright/ Let’s drink some gasoline, maybe start a fire/Let’s park the old Supreme, maybe start a fight. “Ain’t the Way” is a little sweeter, lighter and sadder, painting a picture of a girl I always imagine with hair sprayed up, long skirt swinging around her calves as she looks sadly on at the singer, stirring something in him that he longs for but can’t quite define.
The stand-out lyrically on Leaving Tennessee is “Lisa, My Dear (I Look Better Alone).” The production on this song isn’t quite as heavy as it is on some of the other songs allowing the strength of the words shine through. There’s such a loneliness here–the protagonist sends the object of the some away, saying he looks better alone, until it finally comes through that really he thinks she’s better off without him. I don’t know if it’s autumn being the season of melancholy or something else, but I really feel a sharp ache whenever I listen to this.
“Memphis Queen” stacks Memphis girls up against girls from other places. It’s a great song, definitely the most radio friendly of the bunch, and here I mean that as a compliment rather than an insult. If Chris chose to be a pop singer, he could use this as a launching pad and send himself out into the ether of popular music with songs like this one.
But like I said I’m in a unique position here in Tennessee. I’ve heard the songs not on this album and I know first hand that those are what Chris should be showcasing. He’s growing exponentially as a writer. Moving into more folk and blues. He really is at his best with just him and his guitar, allowing an audience to not only focus on the incredible lyrics, but to really feel the emotion and passion beneath them.
Some of his new songs, like “Talking Divinity Blues” veer into the political without being heavy-handed or trite. There’s a level of writing here that’s both more subtle and more detailed than the songs on Leaving Tennessee.
Chris is touring this winter, showcasing his new writing. I’ll be seeing him as often as I can and you should too. I’ll post dates as they come up or keep an eye on his site for news.
In case you missed the podcast, or care more about songs than us HCT girls chattering at musicians, here’s a few songs Chris recently recorded (right click and ’save as’ to download). It’s a zipped file that includes mp3s of “A Song I Used to Know,” “Maria, Maria,” an acoustic version of “Memphis Queen” and “Talking Divinity Blues.” You can hear these alongside the album and get the best idea of the range of stuff Chris is doing, from the almost pop country of the album to the folky strains he produces when it’s just him alone without the band behind him.
Leaving Tennesssee is available on iTunes and our beloved CD Baby.
