Chris Bathgate

July 12, 2009

Chris Bathgate Waits For No One
‘Best Solo Artist’ to perform in Charlevoix

By Kristi Kates 7/13/09

He may have begun his music career in a heavy metal band - but it was when he turned to folk music that Ann Arbor singer-songwriter Chris Bathgate found success and the first indications of burgeoning fame.
Soon, he was touring Europe as opening act for Detroit indie-pop band Saturday Looks Good to me; being named “Best Solo Artist in Michigan” by Real Detroit Weekly; garnering comparisons to Damien Jurado and Iron and Wine; releasing a number of critically acclaimed albums (the best lauded so far being 2007’s A Cork Tale Wake); and having NPR Music pick his tune “Serpentine” as one of its Songs of the Day.
But Bathgate is not one to wait around resting on his laurels; instead, he’s back in the studio once again, working on more recordings.

STUDIO INSPIRATIONS
“I took a bit of a break from shows recently, and have been spending most of my time in the studio,” he says, “I’m working on a new album at Backseat Productions; it’s been simmering since late January, and it’s just about finished. The working title is named after a track on Wait, Skeleton.”
Wait, Skeleton is Bathgate’s latest effort, an EP that was recorded in Michigan and released last year. It perfectly showcases his distinctive voice, backed up with acoustic guitar, piano, strings, and a few horns for good measure.
“Wait, Skeleton was recorded in two studios,” Bathgate explains, “Evolution Helmet, and Backseat Productions; Evolution Helmet seems to have crept into the shadows lately, but it was owned and operated by a great musician by the name of Ben Mullins. We did some guitar tracking there and vocals. Brian Peters of Quite Scientific engineered those sessions; I’m fairly certain that I’ve been trying to replicate his guitar room tone vibe on some of those tracks lately. Backseat Productions is also where I recorded A Cork Tale Wake, although the studio was significantly less developed then than it is now.”
Bathgate is inspired by a variety of things in his songwriting, not least of which are his surroundings and friends.
“I think everything my senses pick up influences me,” he says, “but lately it’s change in perspective and being surprised by people I know well. Those have been the catalyst for my newest songs. As far as topics, recently it has been more about expressing an idea rather than recounting or describing a situation or circumstance; so - ideas or possible futures.”

LIVE CONFIGURATIONS
Those ‘possible futures’ also include two additional EPs that Bathgate says will likely be finished once winter has passed; one EP is slated to be instrumental, the other more acoustic. Plenty of touring is on the schedule, too - including a solo West Coast tour and a stop at the legendary CMJ fest - and fans might be surprised to see how Bathgate achieves his layers of sound when performing solo.
“I’m currently working in two frequent modes live,” he explains, “one is solo electric (sometimes acoustic) and a loop pedal with a very soaked vocal in addition to a house vocal. One of my favorite things to do is record, so this approach lets me record live, as a part of the performance. Often it is off the cuff, improv. My mood usually determines how straightlaced a set is, or how filled with noise it is. I go where I want; and I usually do what I do when I write, which is to try and get out whatever I need to get out that day. There are several songs, though, that have dedicated loops, and musical support that is actually composed, rehearsed, and practiced.”
Bathgate’s other performance persona is with a five to nine piece band - “two electric guitars, bass, drums, fiddle, pedal steel, two horns, and a banjo,” he says, “that group could be described as raucous; I’ve had the pleasure of playing with a great deal of talented musicians, so occasionally I call them all.”
His upcoming performance in Charlevoix is set to be what Bathgate calls “a small troupe, with a chance of light noise.”
“I have not performed in the barn before, though I have heard about it,” he says, “I’m pretty excited to play music in that space.”

Chris Bathgate will be performing live at the Dhaseleer’s events barn as part of the Black Cat Concert Series on Thursday, July 16. For more information, visit the concert series’ website at www.blackcatconcerts.com, or telephone them at 231-547-6945.