Chris Pureka is the kind of musician you kick yourself for not having known about sooner. Her songs resonate with such artful cadence that you can’t help but feel astonished as to how something so compelling could have eluded you for so long. Those familiar with her music know exactly what I’m talking about. Those who aren’t, well, you’ve been seriously missing out.
With her intricately crafted guitar parts and a knack for weaving deeply personal lyrics into poetic brilliance, Pureka’s songs sound more like confessions and love notes than a conscious construction of chorus and verse. She is among the few who possess the ability to convey heartache in its purest form – not the kind you find in pop songs or Hollywood movies – the real soul-hurt kind, the kind you have to crawl out of on your hands and knees, stunned and amazed at how you ever got there in the first place.
An independent artist with three full-length albums and an EP released to date, Pureka tours much of the year, winning over fans wherever she plays. She took the time to answer a few questions for us about what inspires her, her identity as a queer artist, and why if you’re ever stranded on a desert island, you had better hope that Lyndell Montgomery is there too.
While LGBT artists are susceptible to becoming pigeon-holed into the “queer musician” category, queer fans are also known for their fierce loyalty and ardent support of artists within the community. What has the process of building your fan base been like for you over the years? Has it been difficult to find a musical identity that extends beyond the LGBT-folk singer niche?
Genre and identity labels are tricky. They seem like a necessary evil. I have had mixed experiences with both the “queer” and “folk” labels. My primary goal is, and always has been, to be recognized and respected in the music community. The “queer musician” label has impeded that in some ways because it is harder to be taken seriously in the music community if you are considered a “niche” artist. I have also found, as you mentioned, that the queer community is extremely loyal and supportive and that has been an asset to me as well.
Similarly, the term “folk” is a label that is commonly used to describe my music for lack of a better term. It’s such a vague descriptor. It doesn’t really seems to mean anything other than “acoustic” music. I have a hard time trying to describe my own music. Obviously terms like “folk” or “singer-songwriter” are relevant but don’t go very far. Today I will say that my music is acoustic, Americana and indie rock influenced alt-folk.
If you were stranded on an island, whom of you and your band mates would be the last one alive?
The “last one alive” is a little morbid – so I am going to tell you which band members I would choose to be stranded on the desert island with! I have so many rotating members of my “band”. Different people play with me at different times, but if I included everyone that was in my band over the last two years, I would have a dream trio for a desert island. Lyndell Montgomery who plays fiddle and bass with me is a total woods dweller. She is a wood-chopping, garden growing earth type and she is super strong to boot. One time I surprised her by signing us up for a “wild edibles” hike where we learned how to identify naturally occurring edible plants in the northeast. She was very excited. (Okay so was I!) Sebastian Renfield plays electric guitar with me and he is a total information sponge. He is the one in the van that could tell you all about the inner workings of a church organ or rifles used in the civil war. He would be perfect for trying to “re-invent” handy stuff on the island. He is also a carpenter so that might be pretty darn helpful all around, especially in building that escape raft.
What are some of the obstacles you face as an independent artist with your own record label? What are the rewards? How has this shaped your views of the music industry at large?
I have been releasing my records on my own Sad Rabbit Records since 2004, and I have really enjoyed this path for my career. But there are absolutely pros and cons and I don’t feel in any way “purist” about one thing or another. What works for one person is not necessarily going to work for someone else.
The main dilemma in being an independent artist is how to get exposure. The major labels have giant advertising and networking forces that inundate the market with buzz about their bands. It is a lot easier for these artists to get press, to get tours, to get people to check out their music. It is a lot harder as an independent artist just to get your music heard. I have to rely on much smaller, word-of-mouth outlets and constant touring to spread the word. The result is that it takes a lot longer to get my name out there. One of the big down-falls of this is the giant lag-time between artistic output and fan response. People are just now “discovering” my first record that came out in 2004. It was almost 10 years ago that I wrote those songs and I have grown so much as an artist since then. Bands on major labels get the media to focus on their current work.
There are, of course, many advantages of being an independent artist and owning your own label. I think the most important advantage is getting to make all artistic and business decisions. As owner of my own label, I get to decide on everything from what songs to record, who produces my records, when my records come out, to what I wear and how I spend my money.
Regarding the music industry, I think that different paths work better for certain people. Some people don’t actually want to have to be involved in the business side of things. For those people, labels offer an essential service and opportunity. I enjoy being involved in that side of things and maintaining creative and financial control. It fits better with my ethic and my personality. I am something of a fringe dweller by nature so I don’t think that I would be as happy on a mainstream path.
While lyrically intricate, many of your songs hinge on the well-crafted guitar parts you are known for. Can you speak about the relationship you have with your instrument and how it dictates your musical landscape?
I was a guitar player before I was a singer or a poet. I started playing guitar when I was 16. I was really shy with my voice and so I ended up using the guitar to be its own voice as much as I could. Especially early on in my career, it was extremely important to me for the guitar part to hold its own. I enjoy writing instrumentals and have included an instrumental track on all of my albums. Since then, and in general in my songwriting, I try to focus on all elements of the song – guitar, vocals, lyrics – to make the strongest piece that I can.
What is your favorite chord?
A minor or E minor.
What was it like making the music video for “Wrecking Ball”? Did you have a clear vision of how you wanted it to turn out or did it unfold throughout the collaboration process with director Melody Murray? How did you two end up working together?
Melody Murray emailed me several years back saying that she was a fan of my music and in the film business and that she wanted to make a music video for my song Compass Rose. But that was several years after Compass Rose had been released, so I proposed that we start thinking about a music video to help promote the upcoming record. Wrecking Ball was the title track and the “single” from that record so we thought that would be a good choice. Mel came up with some ideas and she sent them to me and then we bounced them back and forth. The basic concept was hers, but I had input on everything and approved all the concepts and production. It was a really great collaboration project and I would love to work with her again.
You have been working on a video for “Shipwreck.” When can we expect this?
One of my guitar players, Andrea Alseri, lives in LA and has a background in film. I thought it would be fun to work on something together. I came up with a concept for a music video for Shipwreck and we bounced ideas around and tried to figure out how to execute it. We filmed it in LA and in Portland this spring. It is in the editing stages now and should be out sometime in the fall.
What has been your greatest source of inspiration and your biggest challenge to date?
Love.
Lastly and most importantly, what is your spirit animal?
Sad. Rabbit.
You can find Chris Pureka’s music here, through iTunes, or check out her Myspace page.