ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Quinn Christopherson

This week’s ANCHR Artist of the Week goes to singer-songwriter Quinn Christopherson, who I recently got the chance to see perform during The Wild Hearts tour with Julien Baker, Sharon Van Etten, and Angel Olsen.

Photo by Emma Sheffer

Christopherson hails from Anchorage, Alaska and is the youngest of four children from his Native Parents; his mother is Ahtna Athabascan and his father is Iñupiat. Christopherson’s impeccable lyricism likely stems from the storytelling he grew up surrounded by at family gatherings. He has shared that storytelling is a key facet of his culture, and a way for one generation to impart values and history to the next. Before putting his words to music Christopherson began writing poetry and continued in that pursuit until his dad gave him a guitar at the age of 20. Eventually, he brought those stories to life at local dive bars and open mic nights. Throughout the years, he has released several singles, including “Erase Me,” “Good Boy” and “Bubblegum.”

Most recently Christopherson released the single “Celine,” which sticks out to me as one of my favorites from his set on The Wild Hearts Tour. The track’s explosive chorus is prefaced by glittering synths and Christopherson’s detailed depiction of his mom’s special moment in the karaoke spotlight and getting compared to the legendary Celine Dion. “The smallest moments can be as important as you perceive them to be. When my mom came back from karaoke saying they told her she sounded just like Celine, it was everything to her - she believed it with her whole heart. Her truth was as important in that moment as anything else in the world,” he says about the inspiration behind the song. If that wasn’t sweet enough, the official music video for the song even features Christopherson’s superstar of a mom.

“Celine” comes from Christopherson’s upcoming debut album Write Your Name in Pink, which will be released September 16th. As a trans man and Native songwriter, Christopherson has said that the album addresses the question of “How do you own the parts of your identity that make you who you are while also acknowledging that they are all mutable and that you are ever-new, always in flux?”

Make sure you pre-order the new record, and see where you can catch Quinn Christopherson on tour here.

PREMIERE: "We're All Gunna Die" by Waltzer

Photos courtesy of Waltzer

Today we’re giving you the first listen to the new single “We’re All Gunna Die” by Waltzer, the brainchild of singer-songwriter and recent Chicago transplant Sophie Sputnik.

The well-traveled track was written when Sputnik lived in Florida and recorded with Felix Fung at Little Red Sounds studio in Vancouver. Now, it’s finally getting its release in Chicago. “I like to think this song reminds me of Little Shop of Horrors, but instead [it stars] Roy Orbison and The Supremes,” Sputnik says, describing the existential crisis-inspired song.  “It's a pretty dramatic show-tune, but it leaves room for sarcasm. There's no doubt I've had some long nights obsessing over my mortality and the next morning dealing with my emotional hang over,” she adds.

Reminiscing on the recording process, Sputnik says, “We used an electro-voice re15 mic, a lot of reverb and compression for the vocals, the drum machine on an old Lowery Orchestral Holiday organ, and my buddy Rob (Fuzzbaby Records) as the Zombie Elvis voice in the end. Recording this song was one of the best last minute decisions I've ever made, and I've made a lot of those.”

To follow up this first release of 2019, Sputnik says she’s already working on new material. “I'm currently in the process of recording more songs with Chris Kulwin, who does about a million incredible things (Rookie, Luke Henry, and The Trinity Irish Dance Company) as the producer in his studio, The Workshop.”

Now that you know the backstory, take a listen to “We’re All Gunna Die” below! You can also catch Waltzer live at Burlington Bar on February 22nd with Elk Walking, Aunt Kelly, and Captain UFO.

Flyer for Waltzer’s Chicago Debut Show

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