I’ve been listening to Chris Church’s music for some time now, and really like his Neil Young as pop/rock approach. A great example of that is his new album Obsolete Path and you might agree after giving it a spin.

Chris was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.

Andrea Weiss: What artists were you listening to when writing and recording this album?

Chris Church: Too many to mention, really. That's always the case for me. There's always Todd Rundgren.

AW: To my ears, the sound of this album is like a combination of Neil Young, Lindsey Buckingham, and hard rock. Would you say that’s accurate?

CC: I definitely think you're onto something there!

AW: The lyrics sound as heartfelt as Neil’s, which I like. Is that who inspired your lyrical approach, or did someone else?

CC: Neil Young is always an inspiration, Todd Rundgren more so perhaps, and I think they're both great examples of being able to lyrically go back and forth between heartfelt, more personal lyrics, and also just whatever else they choose to present. I love the idea of not being nailed down to just one approach.

AW: Of the people and styles I’ve mentioned, which do you like the most?

CC: That’s impossible to answer. I love music so much, I honestly see songs as friends. I've been obsessed with the concept of blueprints and practical applications of building a song since I was about 10 years old.

AW: Who played on the album? They are very good.

CC: Yes they are! The drummer for Obsolete Path is Brian Beaver, a great all around artist who also plays drums with me in our metal band, Däng. The wonderful Lindsay Murray (from Gretchen's Wheel) is singing background vocals yet again, as she has on several of my albums, and is truly a fantastic artist in her own right. Nashville music legend Bill Lloyd co-wrote and plays mandolin on the song "Vice Versa. " Other than that, the versatile Nick Bertling mixed the album, and the rest is me.

AW: Your last album sounded very early 80s new wave, but before that you sounded like 70s Neil Young. What caused the switch in style?

CC: I’ve actually attempted quite a few different stylistic approaches with my recordings, from metal to psych to folky to experimental, but I think I'm mostly landing in the territory of pop rock. I'm always fine with a Neil Young mention!

AW: What do you hope will happen with this album?

CC: I guess I hope it will mean something to someone besides me. I like it, and that's always my main goal.

AW: If you could give anyone one piece of advice about music, what would it be?

CC: Think about your choices, young soldier. Maybe try the stock market instead... Seriously though, if someone is truly an artist, they won't need or even heed a whole lot of advice. The blessing and curse is that they have to do it, and they're going to do it their own way.

Thanks Andrea!