A great songwriter is born from experience; work, love, pain, death, the ebbs and flows of every day life – each providing another layer of depth to the lyrics that share their stories. Chris Canterbury is one of these songwriters. Raised in a a working-class blue-collar family in Haynesville, LA, Chris’ ability to write about life’s struggles, often from the point- of-view of those who aren’t always heard, connects with his listeners on a relative level. On September 23, he released his latest album Quaalude Lullabies, a 9-track release featuring songs that center on the struggles of addiction, depression, and loneliness.
We recently caught up with Chris to talk about his musical journey, his songwriting process and the new album.
CN: For our readers who may not be familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
CC: Elevator pitch – I’m a singer-songwriter from Haynesville, Louisiana now living in Nashville Tennessee for the better part of ten years.
CN: How did you become a songwriter?
CC: I got a late start in the music game – I was well into college before I ever picked up a guitar. When I discovered Guy Clark’s Old No. 1 and Todd Snider’s Near Truths album that’s when I was like, “Yeah, I wanna do this kinda thing.”
CN: Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?
CC: I try not to. Haha. Actually, I remember the first song I wrote that I was proud of. It was a country blues tune called “North Louisiana Country Club Kitchen Blues”. I wrote it for some buddies that were chefs and line-cooks at a local country club. I’m sure you can find it online if you dig deep enough.
CN: Which musicians have influenced you both personally and as an artist throughout your career?
CC: I’d probably have to say Guy Clark would be the most influential. Steve Earle, Townes, Rodney Crowell – pretty much that whole group of friends that just wrote songs and lived them. They all cut each other’s songs, produced each other’s albums. Beyond that, Todd Snider is another songwriting savant that I can dig into and park for hours.
CN: Do you have a favorite songwriter?
CC: Definitely Guy.
CN: On September 23, you released your new album Quaalude Lullabies, which you have stated is a “straight-forward Saturday morning kitchen conversation.” Is this how you approach your songwriting in general or was it different for this album?
CC: Yeah, that’s my day-to-day approach to songwriting in general. I feel like the lyrics need to be accessible, no matter the subject matter. You can wax poetic about things all day long, but if it doesn’t translate to the listener or flies over their head, it’s just music and words that might rhyme. And that’s totally fine ,but I always strive to make a point that relates to someone somewhere somehow.
CN: Can you take us through your songwriting process?
CC: I don’t write every day. I make notes in my phone or on a scratch pad (usually strewn among my grocery lists and general to-dos) and when I have a melody idea or a solid lyric, I’ll scan the notes for something I can use to tie everything together. I listen to conversations, read commentary on various topics and themes, and just generally pay attention to what’s being said around me. As I’m writing, I tend to view my songs as little movies in my head. There’s a character, a setting, a mood, etc. That really helps me get the visual aspect of the lyrics to where I think they need to be.
CN: The tracks are very honest about difficult themes: addiction, depression and loneliness; 3 that have become even more common in our society following the pandemic. Where did the inspiration come for this album?
CC: I’ve always leaned towards writing darker songs and touching on more controversial topics, but this album was kinda born to be a loose concept album similar to Springsteen’s Nebraska. I absolutely love that record and it’s always been one of those albums that I can’t stop listening to the simplicity in it. I wanted a record that punched all of those topics in the jaw, but also felt like I cut it on the fly – just hit record and roll with it.
CN: How cathartic was the process of writing and recording this album?
CC: I’m not a session regular, so recording studios intimidate the hell out of me. Always have. But after we tracked “The Devil, The Dealer, & Me”, I remember thinking, “This is how this is supposed to feel.” As far as writing goes, “Felt The Same” took about 10 years to write, and I finished it around 3AM on a drive back to Nashville from South Alabama. I remember finding the last verse somewhere near Chattanooga and sang it the whole way home so I wouldn’t forget it. That was probably the most refreshing moment I’ve had finishing a song.
CN: As the songs are autobiographical, were they easy or difficult to write?
CC: Not all the songs are autobiographical, but I tend to write a lot of first-person because it puts the listener in those shoes for the next 3-4 minutes. I try to relate as much as possible with whomever is diving into the lyrics. If they’re still listening after this first 4-5 seconds, I want them to stick around til the end. Ha.
CN: Do you have a favorite track on the album?
CC: I think either “Devil & Dealer” or “Felt The Same”. Production wise, both turned out so much better than I could have ever imagined, and lyrically, I don’t think we could have written either of them any better.
CN: Is there a song out there that you didn’t write but you wish you did?
CC: So many. And way too many to list. But I’ve been digging Zack Logan’s “Annalee” for a long time. Zack is a hell of a songwriter and a dear friend. The opening line kills me – “In a dress that’s as red as the blood on your hands…”
CN: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?
CC: Idyllic.
CN: What was the first concert you ever attended?
CC: Reba McEntire & George Strait – Hirsch Coliseum, Shreveport LA. Sometime in the mid 80s
CN: Will you be touring in support of the new album?
CC: We had a short tour set for the week after the release, but Hurricane Ian rescheduled it for us. I’ll be doing release shows around the country and some one-off house concert runs in the fall. We’re kicking off 2023 with two big festivals (Steamboat & Key West), and I’m working on another Motel Poet’s Series acoustic tour with Erin Enderlin, slated for spring of 2023.
CN: What’s next on the horizon?
CC: Time to start working on the next one, I guess.
Quaalude Lullabies is available for purchase on CD and Vinyl here.
For more information on Chris Canterbury, visit his website www.chriscanterburymusic.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.