CRISTOFER MORLEY
CRISTOFER MORLEY
Cristofer Morley is an independent alternative rock artist from the USA. His music is certainly quite unique and worth a listen. You may download some of his songs from a site listed at the end of this article. Here is the interesting Q&A that I did with Mr. Morley.
*Q: *Would you care to introduce yourself and your music to the readers?
*A:* My name's Cristofer Morley and I'm from Dayton, Ohio, the US. Age? Well, I'm old enough to have been playing and recording since the 80s. I'm a guitar player/songwriter. I consider my music dark alternative or darkwave. I like to tell somewhat abstract, dark stories with my music and lyrics, and I don't always follow the rules...
*Q:* When I heard your songs Thin Dime and Without Walls for the first time on the Internet, I fell in love with the guitar melodies and the choruses. I found that the staff of the website in question (music.download.com) very aptly compared your music to Human Drama and The Chameleons. Apparently, you are not even familiar with the superb music of Human Drama. But do you think there is some Chameleons influence on those guitar sounds of yours?
*A:* Glad you like those songs! I purposefully book-ended the record with those two songs. They're of a style somewhat different from the rest of the record and I thought they make a nice beginning and exit. As far as the Chameleons, I think they came on the scene at about the same time (the 80s) I was getting started, though no one had heard of me! Before I had ever heard them, I was writing somewhat in that style. I love a good, powerful guitar melody. I try not to copy anyone's sound, but I guess you could say there's some influence there, yes. Oh, and I've since bought Human Drama. Good stuff!
*Q:* What are your genuine influences apart from The Chameleons? More post-punk, if I remember correctly� But please go ahead and name the artists that have provided you some inspiration.
*A:* Other influences. Hmm... I'd have to say Gang of Four (I love Andrew Gill's guitar work), The Fall, The Cure and Joy Division. Over the years influences have come and gone and I'm sure they all left a stain on me. Tom Verlaine, Talking Heads, Eno, etc. I've followed Bowie since the beginning. His work on Low, Heroes, and Station to Station is amazing. "David Live" is one of my favorites. I don't know if any of that's rubbed off though! I try to give my guitars a certain dangerous sound. There's a subtle violence when it's done right.
*Q: *You had a band called X-Factor in the eighties. Some of the songs on your Soul Searching CD are from those old days. Were the times of X-factor crucial for your development as a songwriter?
*A:* Interesting question. Actually, I'd say in those days I had a lot of pressure to really churn out the songs. I wrote some really good songs but also several (under pressure) that I'm not very happy with. We were looking to fill a two-hour set with songs so I had to write a lot. Not a very creative atmosphere. On the other hand, practicing with the band nearly every day can't be beat for honing your skills.
*Q: *You've continued to write throughout the years. Do you think it has been a blessing or a curse (or both!) that you don't have to rely on your creativity for a living? Is it actually better to have music as a hobby?
*A:* Every artist has to make a decision early on: Tour and live in the back of a van for 10 years or settle into a more comfortable lifestyle. I was married then and was very happy so I chose the latter. It's a trade off, isn't it? I had a choice of two different kinds of happiness. I think doing music the way I have has been better for the "art" of the music. There's nothing worse than "needing" to write a hit to pay the bills. I'm more interested in music as an art rather than striving to write a pop song. Someone as talented as Bowie, for example, has produced the worst albums under contract pressure. The downside to my choice is that far less people get to hear my music. Perhaps interviews like this will change that a bit.
*Q:* Have your friends and family supported this fine hobby of yours?
*A:* Very much so. I couldn't ask for more support from my family. Friends are very supportive as well. I suppose I'm past the stage of asking people "Is this a good song?". I'm very confident about the music I write. They don't hesitate to tell me if the production work sucks, so that keeps me honest!
*Q: *What made you decide to record your own songs with the aid of modern computer technology? Had you simply written so many songs you thought the world ought to hear?
*A:* I've been writing and recording serious music since the old DOS days with a 4 track Tascam. Those days everything was cassette and getting your music "out there" in a serious fashion was much harder. No one produced their own vinyl and cassettes were just, well, amateurish. With all the Internet sites now supporting more obscure bands, "getting out there" is much easier. Of course, there are a hell of a lot more bands now, too.
*Q: *I think your music is quite unique, especially after one realizes you haven't heard any songs by Human Drama. You just happen to sound a bit like Johnny Indovina. Do you think that you have managed to come up with a sound of your own? Was it a gradual process of finding one's own voice over a long time, so to speak?
*A:* I'm sure different musicians have rubbed off over the years, but I would like to think that I have a fairly unique sound. I've been writing music since I was 14 and back then it was some pretty awful stuff! I'd say the mid '80s is where I started to come into my own style. I've been doing it for quite a while now, so I guess I'm stuck with what I've got!
*Q:* In your e-mail to me you revealed that you like to base your songs around guitar riffs that "carry" the songs. I found that this was true and that you often managed to come up with original and great riffs. On a few occasions (for example, on the verses of Thin Dime), however, there was a noticeable lack of vocal melodies and the songs relied nearly entirely on your riffs and chords. Would you agree that's it's a fair criticism to say there are underdeveloped melodies on some of your songs or do you think I'm entirely wrong?
*A:* This is actually intentional. Thin Dime and Without Walls are the most "commercial" of my songs, but I don't set out to write that way. If it starts to sound too structured and predictable, I usually just trash it and start over. I'm a guitar player, so my music tends to rely on that. I think I have as much to say with the guitar as with lyrics. Great bands like Clark Nova from Sweden are entirely guitar driven, no vocals at all. I can really appreciate that. I feel that a lot of times, the song sort of tells me what IT wants and I go there. I hate to put in certain parts just because it's the norm or it's expected. If it falls into place, great. If not, I still got what I was after. I guess I could sum it up by saying: I'm very good at putting together a well structured song, I just don't necessarily use the same pieces as everyone else.
*Q: *I admire "Falling Again" and "Nasforatu" the most among your collection of songs. I think that on those tracks you manage to capture something unique in mood and tone. Do you have your own favorites on the Soul Searching CD and can you describe why they are so dear to you?
*A: *Well, I've got quite a back log of songs, so for the Soul Searching CD I picked some of the best I had (and also had finished). "Falling Again" and "Nasforatu" are two of my favorites as well. As well as "Wake up". I like Nasforatu because it tells the story of man as a predator to women. I think sometimes that's how women see men. I thought it was a cool idea. I think "Wake up" tells a very good story of what we've done as a society and that, eventually, the storm is gonna come. "Falling Again" is a good, driving song where the guitar switches places with the vocals. The vocals are the chorus to the guitars. A bit of a tragic song.
*Q: *All the songs on Soul Searching both benefit and suffer from lack of genuine production. The raw energy is good for all tracks, but sometimes the sound is somewhat messy as one would expect from a home studio recording. Would you like to go some day and record all the songs in a proper studio with the help of a professional producer?
*A: *I agree that the production is the weak point of this CD. I'm remixing several songs again. Unfortunately, to compete in the industry you need a professional production and that, of course, doesn't come cheap. As I reach a larger audience, I can justify that expense. It's kind of a "cart and egg" thing, you know! To answer your question: yes, I would love to have a professional remix of this CD!
*Q:* Do you plan on recording more of your music in the future? If so, are you going to put some of those songs for free downloading on the Internet?
*A: *Well, it's in my blood at this point. I enjoy it more every day. I have quite a back-log of songs as well as new material, so I'll be recording for a long time. I used to be a bit leery of offering my music on the Internet, but hey, if one person really likes it, maybe they'll tell another and another and on and on. Keep a look out for the next CD, Stone Cold. Like I said, if I can reach just a few people, it makes it all worth it.