Questions w/ Chris Paul Overall

In this installment of “Questions”, I have the pleasure of introducing you to another long time friend of mine. Chris Paul Overall has been a fixture in the southern California indie scene for years whether as a solo artist or the frontman for his band, Wonderlove. One of the things I’ve always loved about Chris’s songs is his seemingly perfect grasp of melody. It’s just some of the catchiest stuff I’ve heard. All of his solo albums, as well as Wonderlove’s albums, are available on iTunes. Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out the links below to learn more about Chris Paul Overall.

StSL – Your band, Wonderlove, reunited late last year after a four year absence. How has it been for you to play that music with those guys again?

CPO - It's been amazing playing with those guys again, but that music is from 5-6 years ago. It's fun and nostalgic and all but we are ready to do a bunch of new tunes. We're itching to create some new music together.

StSL – You’ve said before that you believe Wonderlove’s sound, though arguably unique and timeless, is what held the band back from industry success during it’s first run. Given today’s musical climate, are you starting to see those walls come down?

CPO – Well that was probably an ignorant thing for me to say in the past. So much of success in the music industry has to do with timing and mostly luck. There is no winning formula these days. In my opinion its all about creating what you think is great and listening to that inner voice. If you gain success, awesome! If not, at least you still have your dignity.

StSL – One of my favorite songs of yours is “New York City”, which I know you actually wrote several years before recording it for your solo album, “The Bruiser”. What’s the story behind that song and what made you wait so long to release it?

CPO – An old friend of mine, was working with a producer at the time. She wanted me to write a tune for her to sing and so I kind of wrote it from her perspective. She had always felt misunderstood and out of place here and thought that if she could just move to NYC, she'd be among her peeps. She loved the song but it didn't really work for her so I just wound up masculinizing it and singing it myself. I actually wound up rewriting it a few years later with my dad and sister because I always felt like it wasn't quite right. The result is what you hear on "The Bruiser"...Now if I could just get it to sound right :-)

StSL – In 2007, you and singer/songwriter AJ DeGrasse released “AJ+CPO: The Hymns Collaboration”. How did that project come about and do you and AJ still work together?

CPO – AJ and I were sharing the Tues night residency for a while over at the Gypsy Lounge. We kind of ran out of material one night because we had continued to play after the bar had closed. I looked over at AJ and asked him if he knew any hymns and we sang hymns for 2 more hours. It was fitting since a lot of the old old hymns were actually pub melodies with a spiritual message. I completely like that old school feel of theology mixed with pub-ology. "Let's talk about God and life over a pint!"

StSL – As a songwriter you’re able to bounce back and forth between aggressive rock songs and more laid back folk songs very effectively. Is that deliberate or are there just two natural sides to CPO?

CPO – First of all Thank you, haha. But, I guess the best way to explain that is to tell you I love all kinds of music and am influenced by all of it...and I'm slightly manic :-)

StSL – What have you been listening to lately?

CPO – The Beatles, Kings of Leon, Spoon, Otis Redding and Mutemath. I always listen to Mutemath when I'm at the gym.

StSL – A stranger comes up to you and says, “Play me the best song ever written.” What do you play?

CPO – "Something" by The Beatles

StSL – Let’s step away from music for a second. What’s your favorite movie quote?

CPO – "Obviously you're not a golfer." -The Dude(Jeff Bridges), The Big Lebowski.

StSL – Can you tell us about what you’re focusing on right now, and what we can expect in the near future from CPO?

CPO – Right now I'm actually focusing on school. I'm studying applied Math with an emphasis in Science and engineering. I'm really fascinated and interested in Quantum Physics and time and space. It boggles my mind how vast the universe is. Oh wait, you probly meant musically...new Wonderlove music.

Thanks to Chris Paul Overall for taking the time to talk with us! Please visit the links below to learn more about Chris, and join us right here in two weeks when "Questions" returns with Andrew Belle.

Chris Paul Overall’s Official Site
Chris on MySpace
Wonderlove on MySpace