CHRISTOPHER WILSON BIO
"Read On"--the second release from American singer/songwriter Christopher Wilson--is a multifaceted indie pop/rock excursion from start to finish. Replete with timeless lyrics, melodic guitar hooks and Wilson’s trademark emotive vocals, each track stands unique in melody and sonic textures, further demonstrating Wilson’s songwriting prowess: "Out There Eddy" trumpets the plight of runaways; "If Only" touches upon the universal feelings of regret and pining for true love; "Opening the Lotus" exalts love metaphorically as the light sustaining all life on earth; "Facelift" unveils the darkness of deception; "No Such Thing" evokes the disillusionment and rage of the struggling working class--hard rock anthem style. "Read On" is about real people in an unreal world of artifice and selfishness.
“The songs I chose to record for 'Read On' were based solely on their lack of uniformity with regard to their overall sound, lyrical theme and vibe” says Wilson, “The juxtaposition of the songs on the CD is totally intentional, taking the listener on a joyride that spans from alternative pop to ambient acoustics to hard rock. All of the songs were inspired by real life situations and a few of them are totally autobiographical.”
Hailed by Indie-Music.com as "a troubadour from olden times who's just visiting this era," Christopher Wilson emerged onto the Houston scene with the 2001 release of his solo debut CD "East Mall Daze" on his own Cattle Call Records label, which eventually hit the streets via Southwest Distribution. The combination of Wilson’s dynamic vocals, guitar prowess and pop/rock writing sensibilities has garnered a range of positive reviews: “otherworldly…not from this time…excellent song arrangements” (Shut Eye Records A&R); “triumphantly upbeat pop poetry reminiscent of R.E.M.” (Outvoice.net); “thought-provoking lyrics reinforced by strong, emotional vocals.” (Outsmart Magazine) East Mall Daze received local airplay in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, Texas, as well as scattered airplay nationwide via internet, public and college radio shows featuring the songs "Calling Kerry," "How Why & When," "Family Function," "Arnold Avenue" and "Wildflower."
This Pennsylvania native began his musical journey at age nine, playing guitar and singing in church in his hometown of Harrisburg. “I learned how to play acoustic guitar from a nun at Catholic school” says Wilson, “She totally rocked my world, until my oldest brother turned me on to Zeppelin!” After a stint in the U.S. Army, Wilson began writing songs while fronting the Baltimore band "Blanket Party," eventually setting out on his own in the East Village scene of New York City in the mid-nineties playing venues such as CBGB’s, Sidewalk Cafe, The Spiral and Kenny’s Castaways. A showcase at the Philadelphia Music Conference soon followed. After a few demo flirtations with industry contacts but no offers coming in, Wilson relocated to Houston and began releasing his music as an independent artist.
In early 2004, Wilson met Houston-based independent filmmaker Jeff Faulkinbury. Their first collaboration was a music video for the East Mall Daze single "How Why & When." The video went into regular rotation on the Austin Music Network. Faulkinbury soon released his first feature film: a script he renamed "Read On," after the title song of Wilson's new CD. “From the word go, it was synergistic energy with Jeff” Wilson avows, “Jeff totally honed in on the variety-bag-of-tunes theme to my new record, which was a moment of pure serendipity since his script had a very similar theme with its variety bag of characters complete with unique storylines.” Both parties agreed that Wilson's new CD "Read On" would also serve as the soundtrack to the film, which features Wilson performing "Smoke and Mirrors," an acoustic ditty which pokes fun at folks who would do anything to be famous, even if it means losing their real self--their true identity. There’s that word again: real.
In June 2006, "Read On" was officially released on Cattle Call Records, and by summer of 2007 has received airplay at well over 300 college and public radio stations throughout the U.S.A., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Belarus, Macedonia, The Netherlands, Italy, and Greece. "Read On" also charted in the CMJ Top 30 at six college radio stations in the U.S.
In February 2007, Delta Air Lines added the East Mall Daze single "How Why & When" to its Boarding Music playlist. Soon after, numerous downloads of the song began selling on iTunes, a vindication of Christopher Wilson’s marketability as an independent artist with no major label promotional dollars to back him. Now based in Baltimore, Christopher Wilson is currently recording his third solo CD scheduled for release in 2009.
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