Altsounds: How did you learn how to play the bass?
Chris Wyse: Ummm... by worshiping Steve Harris from Iron Maiden. [
laughs] Then I got into Black Sabbath. But really it was all about Steve Harris. I only met him once, actually, just a couple of years ago.
So did you teach yourself?
Yeah, I taught myself, but later on I went to school for music. I just did community college in upstate NY. I was already teaching before I started in school so I was way deep into theory. School was a good experience for me. It made me get into the upright a little heavier and playing classical pieces. I thought about going into teaching, but I was already teaching and already playing live. So, I just did a 2 year thing. It was great.
So you've been experimenting with your instrument and creating new sounds for many years. The work you've done with The Cult is great, but the new work you're doing in OWL is in another orbit. How do you determine what is appropriate for what project?
Well, thank you for recognizing the difference. It really is it's own orbit. In my own project, it's whatever feels good between me and Dan [Dinsmore] and Jason [Mezilis]. The fortunate thing for the group I got is, I just put it out there and they're with it. Nobody says to pull it back in. There are many sections where we just let it fly like Zeppelin or Pink Floyd.
Was there ever a time in The Cult where they DID tell you to pull it back?
Oh yeah! When I was first working with them, I was kind of just thrown into the situation. I made all kinds of suggestions. I brought in my upright and was like, "Check it out!" If you go out on a limb sometimes, it's gonna break sometimes. I learned a lot in those 10 years. It's kind of like being an actor, I think. You play the part. You don't start writing all of your lines and making up a new part unless you're asked. And to their credit though, my sound is well documented on their work. The Cult has quite a bit of range so I've been able to put my stamp on it. They did let me play upright bass on one of the ballads. They gave me some freedom. I think if you check the last two records, you'll hear distinctive bass parts. The Cult is always growing and always changing. They're always open, so it's a great group to be in. We're actually about to head to Europe again.
It seems like you started OWL with a clear vision, and then brought in some very talented musicians with their own voices. Did you ever have to communicate to them what it is you're looking for, or were you all already on the same page?
Dan was having problems in his band Clay People, and I was kind of dealing with similar problems... different kinds of energy, really. Our lineups weren't working, so we said, "Hey, let's work together!" He owns the production company that we put the Owl records on. Jason had been to a ton of my shows and I just knew he fit right in. I asked if he wanted to record with us. I just wanted to do an album and I didn't even know who the lineup was going to be, but BAM! it just happened. It's the genuine article now. It's interesting the way it worked out. I am going all the way back to my roots and early friendships with Dan, someone I have known for a very long time and used to compete with in school. We were always pushing each other to be bigger or better. And then Jason is from a totally different chapter of my life. We're all really good friends, so this it's great being able to do this with them.
You also produced this album for Owl... I know you've spent a lot of time in studios, but have you ever produced a record before?
I've produced stuff before, yeah. There was this Nine Inch Nails tribute record. I produced a version of "March of The Pigs" that was so tweaked out it almost sounded like a different song. I did a thing with The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Then Owl. Then Behind The Sun. I produced a couple little things when I was still getting started. I've worked with a lot of great producers- the best of the best. I knew what I wanted and I didn't want anyone to pull me along on their schedule or push their vision on me. I didn't want anyone telling me how I was going to sound. I didn't want to ASK anyone what I should look like or sound like. I want to tell people what's going on. If they're into it, they can follow.
That's how it's supposed to be, you know? It's all supposed to happen around the artist. The industry side should come in later. Now it's the other way. Everything is backwards. It should be all about the artist. It was a big task to produce the Owl record and be in The Cult and write songs. I really spun myself out hard. When you're producing, you just have to know when it's done. It doesn't matter if you can play it cleaner or better. It just has to be right. You have to feel the vibe and you have to be able to call it right there and then. I'm really psyched with the way it came out. I was a little unnerved there for a while. By the time it was all done and all put together, I really think it was worth all of the work. A year and a half of touring and recording and finishing up songs... it's nice to hold the actual product in my hands.
It's funny that you ask that. There are some layers on the record, but like where I am drawing the bow, I'm not JUST drawing the bow. I'm using a wah wah and a delay or some other effect, so some of those things are there live. Sometimes there will be a 2 part harmony with me and Jason, but it's a 3 part harmony on the record. The audience forgives us. I believe it's all about the energy and the intent behind the parts. Like if a song can be stripped down to acoustic and still sound great, then that's a real song. We tweak and we do things live. If you ever see Dan play it's like bombs going off. He's really like no other drummer I've ever played with. Our sound is really raw live, but I think that's better. We're already thinking about doing a live record. The melodies are good and you can really hear the songwriting. Some of it may be even better live. There are little things that obviously we can't do on stage with just the 3 of us, but as long as we bring the energy, people will forget about it. They're looking for a crazy sled ride down a hill where they don't know if it's going to break or not. The live show is a ride because it's a totally different energy.
Your music has a very dark cinematic scope. Are you a fan of film?
Yeah, naturally so. I was very attracted to comic books and art as a kid. I'll be honest, I love superhero movies. I know it's cliche. Like when I hear they're working on a new Batman, I get so excited. I loved Watchmen. Just the way things look in those films, it's like an immediate attraction. I think about those things when I'm writing... the colors and the visions. But I keep the lyrics vague enough that you can make up your own story. The songs have strong visual content. Like 'Violent Center' really takes the listener on a journey using the music. I love when a great producer makes things sound right or when a film director makes it look right, and that's what I am trying to do.
When I went to school for marketing, I learned something like 80% of what grabs people is the visual aspect. Looking good is important. That's why we got into the video... well 'looking good' like looking interesting. The video has great coloring. It's kind of a modern comic, animated vibe. You'll see it in the live performance too.
Have you ever considered composing for film?
Being a string player, definitely. I see the Owl music as being perfect for film or games. I think the strings at the end of 'Alive' could be a beautiful intro or outro to any movie. I am already kind of there, mentally, so hopefully these things will come along in my future. I may want to do that later on in life when I'm tired and don't want to travel so much. I would love being a part of bringing a movie to life.
So, I'm a fan of ghost stories and I heard that you've had some experiences...
I have a love for the metaphysical and supernatural. Look at the record- there is definitely a belied in more. 'Ghost in the Starlight' gets into eastern concepts and music and is based on a supernatural experience. I live in a house in the Hollywood Hills and I was doing this development stuff for Owl. While we were there working on the songs, you could hear someone muttering and the lights kept flashing. I was seeing lots of weird things. A lot of people experienced this presence there. When we had women in the studio, they would comment. Women, I think, are more in tune with that side of things, but really everyone picked up on it. We don't really know WHO she is, we just know she's there. I felt so bad for her when we were in the studio, which is what inspired the song. It's about feeling empathy and compassion for someone you don't know and can't touch. It's a very fleeting thing.
She reacted to the music all the time, knocking on the door or just making sounds. Maybe it was the pitch or the key that would make her react. It was very wild. She seemed sad and we speculated about these different Hollywood actresses that might be haunting the building. There are a lot of stories about her up on Wonderland Avenue and you can't help but feel bad for her. I just wanted to give her a hug and ask what's wrong. 'Ghost in the Starlight' ended up being one of those songs where every time you play it, it's different. Oh, when I wrote 'War on Drugs' I was working on the demo. I was alone with the engineer and we were working on the song and then out of nowhere there was this pounding on the door. Like loud pounding on the inside door. Meaning someone would have to be in the building to knock on it and we were literally the only ones there. I told the engineer about the ghost while we were on the road, so he got to witness it first hand. It really scared him, so I felt validated.
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