We recently connected with Chris Sloan and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Learning how to write songs has been an ongoing, tedious task for me. It’s taken me so many years to really navigate the songwriting craft, expand on my lyrics in order to tell a story, and write catchy melodies. Not to mention literally finding my voice. It’s taken me years and years to find the soul and grit in my voice, and to be able to let go and sing with emotion and not worry so much on pitch and perfectionism. I’ve loved the learning process and I still have so much learning to do, but it’s been a very rewarding process for me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an aspiring singer/songwriter in the Seattle area. I say “aspiring” because I’m still learning, still growing, still maturing as a songwriter and vocalist. I have always been an huge music fan, from the second I bought my first Michael Jackson cassette tape when I was in elementary school. It started from there. Growing my eclectic list of bands and artists I began listening to. Eventually when I was 18, I slowly started to teach myself how to play guitar and started to write little tunes of my own. From there, I started fronting some bands as a vocalist only, while also continuing to write my own songs, growing my catalog of my own singer/songwriter based tunes. Over many many years, my catalog of original material became extensive and I decided to put out my own solo record in Jan of 2022 titled Into The Shade. It’s a record I’m incredibly proud of as I wrote every song on the 12 song album. I think what I want fans to know is, I write my songs from real life experiences or feelings in my own life and relationships. Although that can feel vulnerable, I think it’s important to write songs that people can relate to. It’s also very therapeutic for me to write a song about what I’m going through or feeling.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Gosh, there are a couple things that come to mind. I think the first is just hearing the final product. Hearing the final track. You invest so much time writing the chord progressions, then writing the vocal melody, then writing the lyrics, deciding which instrumentation route you want to go, harmonies, etc. So when a song is fully tracked, mixed and mastered and you get to finally hear that final product, it’s a very proud and humbling moment knowing how much time, effort and emotion you put into that song.

The second would be seeing/hearing peoples reaction to one of your songs. It makes me so happy to hear someone say “I needed to hear that song today. Thank you.” Or “I can totally relate to that song right now”. Whatever feelings we are having, we tend to listen to songs that correspond, and help us navigate what we are feeling. Music instills such emotion in people and it feels great to know that people connect with your lyrics and that the song made them feel better.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Honestly, I think it starts with local support. Go to local live shows. Share local music on social platforms. Buy their songs and digital platforms. Stream their songs. Buy local musicians’/bands’ merchandise and wear it. Talk about them. Tell people about them. Go support them in whatever they are doing. All your favorite “larger” bands all started in the same place. Small, local, unknown. I know I want to be supported as an artist in my local community, so I try my best to support the other local talent in my area. There are so many brilliant musicians out there that deserve to be heard and seen.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chrissloanmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrissloanmusicofficial/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisSloan1234

Image Credits
Ivy Green Samantha Witt