A Chat with KRISTOPHER(15.12.23)
To say listening to singer-songwriter KRISTOPHER is a moving experience is an understatement. With a clear voice, soul-stirring instruments, and poetic lyricism, KRISTOPHER sends chills down your spine with each release. Along with his heartfelt songs, the US-based musician is winning fans across the globe. Recently, he performed a major live show in Brazil as the first performance at Artimus Music and Storm.io’s first Sthorm Festival in Sao Paulo, so I’m guessing his large following in Brazil is even greater now. We speak with this natural talent about his latest single ‘I Don’t Want To Fall In Love’, binge-worthy shows, music videos and future plans.
OSR: A cliché question asked tons of times before but what drew you to music? Why did you want to become a musician?
KRISTOPHER: Music has always played an important role in my life. I connected with it pretty early on and I was lucky enough to be able to learn several different instruments although I hated doing so at the time. In all honesty, becoming a musician wasn’t necessarily something I thought would ever happen but the more I connected with my emotions and channeled that into creativity and music, the more confident and comfortable I felt with the idea of truly pursuing music as a career.
OSR: You recently released the single ‘I Don’t Want To Fall In Love’. What can you tell us about it?
KRISTOPHER: ‘I Don’t Want To Fall In Love’ started as an incredibly simplistic, two-chord riff that I played around with until it became a ballad. It was realized that the song had pop potential and needed a sturdier hook and I really wanted the chance to experiment with pop so I rewrote the chorus and solidified a catchier hook which turned it into the song it is today. It’s pretty self-explanatory as far as the content goes but I know there’s a lot of fear surrounding the vulnerability of falling in love. It can be dangerous because you’re opening yourself up to potential heartbreak and I wanted to capture that.
OSR: What do you hope people take from it and your music?
KRISTOPHER: Ultimately, I want people to connect with their own emotions while listening to my music. Whether it’s a chance for catharsis or an opportunity to be honest with themselves I want the audience to see themselves in the stories I tell. It might be a little cliche or cringe but I do lay my heart out in the music I write. It’s incredibly personal but I also try to write from a general perspective sometimes so that people can connect as intimately as possible.
OSR: A music video was also released for ‘I Don’t Want To Fall In Love’. In my eyes, there aren’t any “bells and whistles” to the video with crazy backdrops or fast-paced acting; in fact, it is rather simplistic at first glance. How do you feel the video represents the theme of ‘I Don’t Want To Fall In Love’?
KRISTOPHER: This is another cliche, but love is messy. Love is also beautiful and vivid. I thought the use of colorful paint would be a simple enough metaphor to represent boundaries and the process of tearing them down to create something new. In this case, primary colors mixing in a pretty messy way to create new colors that eventually cover those involved.
OSR: In many cases, some amusing things happen behind the scenes or in those edited parts of the video. What was the best and worst thing to happen during filming?
KRISTOPHER: What a great question! I can honestly say that no part of the video was bad at all. The entire thing was so much fun. If I had to choose something I’d say repainting the wall white after we wrapped. It was a very long day but I still enjoyed the repainting and clean up honestly.
The best part was working with Alexander Ríos, the actor that played my love interest. He helped me feel super comfortable with being on camera and fabricating something so intimate. He was so professional and fun! Alexander is the reason we got so many great shots of us being silly and ridiculous on set.
OSR: If you could, what one thing would you change about the single and the video?
KRISTOPHER: I tend to be a perfectionist and am always left feeling like I could have sung something better or made a different vocal choice somewhere. Because the song is pop I tried not to use vibrato as much but If I could re-record the song I would probably put a little back in.
As far as the video goes I would just take some more acting lessons beforehand.
OSR: You note that your music aims to bring comfort and solace through cathartic melodies. Does this theme stem from personal experiences? If yes, would you feel comfortable telling us about your experiences?
KRISTOPHER: Absolutely! Music has always been an escape for me. I know it sounds counterproductive but when I’m sad, listening to sad music helps me feel better. It’s almost like the music absorbs my emotions or listening to a song that matches whatever emotion I’m feeling validates me. I get pretty dark in some of my songs and I think I’m subconsciously writing the music I need.
OSR: What is your greatest achievement (not necessarily as a musician)?
KRISTOPHER: That’s a tough question. I’ve done a lot with theater that I’m very proud of but I’ll probably say that my greatest achievement has to do with my mental health. It’s a struggle a lot of the time but I decided to get a degree in psychology originally to become a therapist. That goal has since changed but getting that education was monumental for me in understanding myself and becoming more self-aware. Those aren’t easy things to do.
OSR: What is your opinion on tattoos?
KRISTOPHER: I love them. I have none of my own, but I think body art is so beautiful and I have a ton of respect for the talent it takes to create. My problem is I’m too indecisive about it and I overthink what tattoo I’d want so I just haven’t gotten any.
OSR: What is your favourite binge-watching show?
KRISTOPHER: My favorite TV show is Avatar: The Last Airbender and its successor, The Legend of Korra. I have watched both shows so many times I could probably act out most of the episodes myself. I also find myself rewatching Glee a lot but that’s just because I’m a theater kid and stupid humor is entertaining to me.
OSR: Do you have any future plans?
KRISTOPHER: I’ve got a few more singles to release and then I’ll FINALLY be done with the first album. I 100% will not be releasing another album or EP unless I have all the songs at least demoed first. It’s been a hectic ride.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
KRISTOPHER: Thanks so much for checking out my music! I appreciate all the support I get and it means the world to me. Be sure to give The Other Side Reviews a follow if you haven’t already!
Many thanks to Kristopher for speaking with us! For more from this talented musician, check out his official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Discover more pop tunes on The Other Side Reviews Pop playlist:
