Chris King & The Gutterballs
Seattle, Washington, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013 | INDIE | AFM
Music
Press
Chris King Chris King & The Gutterballs – It’s hard not to compare Chris King’s voice to that of Brooks Nielsen, lead singer of The Growlers. But since The Growlers are one of the most nuanced and lovely bands around, this is a great thing! The 7-song cassette the Gutterballs released, Hidin’ Out, plays as if the whole thing is a warped record just dusted off and spinning on a small boat floating on the incoming tide; and the "Lo-Fi" is just as beautiful. There is longing and fated remorse in King’s voice, full with want and lack. Your heart goes out to him. Indeed, hearing The Gutterballs is to be captivated and shook all at once. - DLIST Magazine
I heard Chris King & The Gutterballs on a late Sunday night hang at The Blue Moon about two or three weeks ago, and ever since I’ve been playing them almost every day. They’re a mix of The Growlers and The Walkmen while still keeping that original spark. If you purchase the cassette version of their LP, you’ll hear all the recorded wobbles and slinks that only partially come through on electric recordings of their tracks. Either way you hear their music it will be a treat. - The Monarch Review
A trio from Seattle, WA, Chris King & The Gutterballs have put together a cassette with a streaming chaser for their debut titled Hiding Out. The band moves between garage rock and lo-fi soul over the 6 short tracks and show bubbling talent.
The tunes tend to warble around the same vicinity as "Letter At The Station" starts things with muted guitar rock before "Said I'm Through" moves things more towards the low end. Both are fine if not truly memorable but things pick up immensely on the tapes third track "Montana Quinn". The song spreads out close to six minutes before reigns itself, feeling as it could travel even longer in a wonderfully shaggy soul style; an album highlight.
A shorter but almost as successful "Serpent Man" has a kick-drum drive that backs King's developing vocals. His singing contains a level of aloofness but also desire that is a cool combo. The waltzing continues with the "Hidin' Out Blues" as the echo and temp changes move back and fourth (not always successfully) before the quick "Garden of Shame" ends things on a solid classic rock inspired note.
The ramshackle quality posses a charm as the songs worm into the ear via wooly production and heartfelt playing. Just straight ahead tunes that all waltz to their own slightly fuzzy time are found on Chris King & The Gutterballs first release. - Rock The Body Electric
Discography
Hidin' Out:
1. Letter At The Station
2. Said Im Through
3. Serpent Man
4. Montana Quinn
5. Hidin' out Blues
6. Garden Of Shame
7. New Song
Cocktails
- Stories Of Me
- One More Time
- Home Team
- Saga
- Darkest Night
- Cocktails (pt. 1 & 2)
1. Heavens Gate
2. The River
3. Time Takes All
4. Loners Room
5. Mama Gaia
6. Perfect Naked Lovely Day
7. Goin On My Own
8. White Curtains
9. The Door
10. Drops In The Pond
Photos
Bio
On Pain Waves, Seattle, WA’s Chris King & The Gutterballs have crafted a record that breathes in the spaces between Americana, Country, and Rock & Roll. King’s plaintive, near high-lonesome voice and weary swagger belie his youth, though the maturity of his songwriting does little to dispel the illusion. Sometimes life steps on the accelerator without asking permission, and Pain Waves is a snapshot of eighteen months of rapid-fire transition; a rush of reality that these days is all too relatable.
King, who began playing guitar at fifteen in his local church, headed to Seattle a few years back to find his fortune. As fate would have it, he wound up connecting with his band The Gutterballs. They released two acclaimed EP’s (Hidin’ Out in 2014, followed in 2016 by Cocktails), landed spots on the prominent local Upstream, Freakout Fest, and Bigass Boombox festivals, garnered adulation and rotation from local bastion of independent radio KEXP, and hosted a residency at the historic Blue Moon Tavern.
Then what might as well be called “The Blizzard of 2016” hit. “I got sober after a dramatic break up with the love of my life” says King. “We lost our bass player, a band members father died, and my dog passed away. Then we lost our recording studio in Shoreline as our current president was being elected.” As the pressure mounted, King fell into an emotional, existential whirlwind. “It became a pivotal point in my self-perception and my outlook on life in general. I found catharsis in songwriting.”
Once King had the arrangements where he wanted them, they rehearsed five days a week for two months before heading to the studio. All the songs on Pain Waves were recorded live and mixed with Tom Meyers (Prom Queen, Thee Emergency, Country Lips) at Ground Control Studios in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, WA from January-December of 2018. Jon Pontrello (The Moondoggies) lends a hand on pedal steel and vibraphone, Joe Doria plays the Hammond organ, and Jason Goessl guests on backup guitar.
“While this album was written during a trying period, I still believe this is an amazing time to be alive” King explains. "We can be real with ourselves and each other and feel true unfiltered emotion and express ourselves freely. Not a lot of people want to confront the dark side of life, but I’m proud that this record dives in head first. Yet there’s a brighter lining; signs of hope for the future, euphoria thru realism and cathartic release through pain. The last lyric of the album is “Love” and that’s what I hope the listener feels as the last notes ring away.”
Band Members
Links
