We were lucky to catch up with Christopher Shaw recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Christopher thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I think that’s the question looming in every full time artists mind. I’d go as far as to say that in general it’s the “grass is always greener on the other side” concept for most humans. I just think it’s risky to go out there and do what you love for a full time career and lifestyle. It’s just scary and not safe and it’s way less stable than showing up to a desk and knowing a paycheck is coming in exactly two weeks. All the cliches are true, artists need to make art just like a carpenter needs to create pieces out of wood. Art, in our country just has a “not a real job” perception so it’s tough getting over that. You do it because you have to, and if you’re privileged and brave enough you just figure it out.

Christopher, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Chris Shaw my brother and I Andy Shaw have played instruments since we were little. We hadn’t collaborated much until about 2006 when we quickly formed into what is now the Andy Shaw Band bringing our dad Jim into the fold on keys. I play drums and sing background and then we spun that off into a duo called Shaw Brothers where I lend my skills on violin and songwriting duties. I then in 2014 formed a soul/funk/pop band utilizing my middle name called Topher James and Biscuit Brigade which is now my main writing/creative project. We play all over Ohio and beyond at festivals, markets, restaurants, clubs, and have run the gamut on professional musicianship. We have toured extensively in Florida and been all over the country with various projects. In 2009 I personally played fiddle in a country band touring 7 countries in Europe back in 2009 and am very proud of everything Iv’e done and the fact that I haven’t had a “real” job in about 20 years is just insane.

I want people to know that living as an artist/musician is just really hard and not at all what the layman thinks. It’s like any other business (if you’re making a living). It’s getting up, working hard, putting your head down, and never expecting any thanks. That’s not to say there are no benefits, and I truly love every minute of it, well maybe not tax season. Being a working musician is like any business you build from the ground up, is very difficult, takes a long time to get going, and at the end of the night you are the one mopping the floors and locking the doors.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love to live through my music. What I mean is that I’m so lucky that music is there to kind of guide me along, I can always point to it. When I meet new people it’s an easy topic that everyone can relate to, it’s an excuse to talk to people because meeting new people might mean you gain a new fan. I don’t do it for that, but it’s more of a way to get out of my own anxiety. The reward is that I met a new cool person that might be an actual friend. I can have a gathering at my house of people from all walks of life and the only thing connecting us may be music, how cool is that? Having people in my life that I otherwise just wouldn’t have met from CEOs, to cooks, to people that have spent time riding trains illegally, it’s crazy. Music brought me to so many different people and through that I understand that we are all exactly the same and just want to be loved and have a house and just being able to see humanity in people is so cool.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I graduated with a BFA at Columbus College of Art and Design in Graphic Design. I was working freelance at many big corporations and rehearsing at night gigging on the weekends. My boss told me they weren’t going to ask me back because essentially I wasn’t working long enough hours, which by the way, they never told me when to leave. I had things going on at night so I wasn’t able to stay as late as they wanted. After talking to other friends in the industry and co workers, I realized that they just needed me to devote my life to the business. I luckily had an out because I was already working as a musician. This was a pretty quick pivot and since I already had the music thing going it was kind of easy…smart? financially stable? Maybe not, but I do not regret it for a moment!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.topherjamesmusic.com
• Instagram: @topherjamesmusic
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/topherjamesandbiscuitbrigade
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8zDWTNJWWnUYogIrFc7ROw

Image Credits
Dan Mitchell and Tiera Suggs (Shaw Brothers photo)