Transparent Christian Magazine

Christopher Ames is my favorite type of Christian. If you are a regular reader of Transparent Christian Magazine, you know that we interview people with real-world challenges, walking with Jesus and using their individual gifts to benefit others. Christopher is one of those people!

Earlier this year, Singer/Songwriter Recording Artist Christopher Ames released a new CD titled “Everyday With You.” It is a unique collection of God songs and love songs, and plays like a ‘love letter’ and a ‘hopeful dialog’ with God. We discussed the CD and all the success he has had this year.
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Transparent: It seems that Everyday With You, has caught the ear of some interesting folks… An Acoustic Rock Artist of the Year award from KCCM, a Gold Artist award from RadioIndy.Com, a Distribution deal with Christian Book Distributors, a song on the Global Christian Charts, and recently an on-air performance with Mars Hill Radio Network. Congratulations on that! Tell me about some of the highlights:
Christopher: Thanks for mentioning all of that! It has been very gratifying and humbling for folks to take notice of this new CD. And as cool as the stuff you mentioned is, the highlight for me (so far) has been taking the music that we spent a year and a half writing/recording and translating that to the stage. We did two release parties for the CD - one in Nashville and one in Syracuse and those were so special. Both events were filled with friends who either contributed to the CD somehow or have been friends and mentors to me. Bob Halligan of Ceili Rain, who co-wrote the song ‘Champion’, came to the party in Syracuse and I was incredibly nervous when we played that song in front of him - but the band was great and he (Bob) really enjoyed it… that was like the final seal of approval!

Transparent: Tell me about some of the opportunities and doors that “Everyday With You” is opening, that you weren’t expecting.

Christopher: I think the biggest door that this CD has opened is the bridge to folks who are not necessarily interested in ‘Christian’ music. Obviously, marriage crosses all kinds of dividing lines and people of all backgrounds can relate to the journey and this CD is like a green light to share those common stories. And once you are open to that, once those conversations start, then people can see effect that following Jesus has in your life. And that is a powerful thing.

Transparent: A friend of mine recently made the statement, “All I want is TRUTH when I’m listening to music.” When I hear songs like ‘Everyday With You’ and ‘Pictures of Us’ I feel the truth pour out. Where did this music come from?
Christopher: All the songs on the CD come directly from my marriage. Although, I tried to keep things general enough that anybody could relate to the songs, each word can be traced to actual moments in our marriage. Another aspect is that for these songs to be true, they couldn’t always be happy or easy. I think songs like ‘Tired’ and ‘Last Word’ address parts of marriage that are not so pretty, not so sweet, and anyone who has been there (been married) recognizes those places. I think if we had sugar coated that stuff or if we had just put a bow on it to make it presentable, then the truthfulness of the project would have been compromised. I think people who listen to the songs on “Everyday With You” can sense that.

Transparent: Tell me something that people would be surprised to learn about you.
Christopher: I am a Beatles fanatic… no, most people know that… I am afraid of flying… no, they know that, too… I am fascinated by trains and submarines… interesting but geeky… hmmm, here you go… I can sing ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas’ backwards! (Laughs)
Transparent: Ok, I need to hear that sometime! We’ll do another ‘Catching Up with Christopher Ames‘ around Christmas, for that special ‘e-zine debut!’ (Laughs)

Transparent: What does your fall/winter schedule look like? What’s coming up we should know about.
Christopher: We are out touring behind the CD, here there and everywhere. And there is always room for more dates, so give us a call!

CLICK HERE FOR CHRISTOPHER’S TOUR SCHEDULE

Transparent: I thought the cd was really well done, but it doesn’t do justice to your live performance. I was blown away when I saw you this spring. Tell me about performing live vs. recording. What do you like about each, and how different are they?
Christopher: Performing live is always about the urgency of the moment while recording is about crafting a snapshot in time. In concert, you only get one chance to sing each song, you ride the moment and try to land on your feet. And there is a thrill to that - to see what sounds you can make, what emotions of the day will infuse themselves into your delivery that night, taking the audience response and reacting to it. On the flip side, recording is about crafting a song that will stand up to repeated listening. Layering it so that it unwraps a little more with each play, but being careful not to overdo it. And there is a thrill to that, also.

Transparent: This CD seems to ring loudly with couples. Why do you think that is?
Christopher: The whole concept of the CD is the journey of life and love in marriage. More than just ‘love’ songs, these are songs about the journey of a very singular and unique road… so, it makes sense to me that it would resonate with couples. I have heard from several folks either married, or engaged, (or hoping to be) saying that it addresses things and moments that they have often felt but had not heard music on the radio. And that is exactly what I was going for.

Transparent: What are you most proud of with this record?
Christopher: I think I am most proud of the depth of this record. Both in the preparation and the recording. We spent around 15 months writing songs and then about 2 months recording. There isn’t a line or a melody that wasn’t ripped apart and examined, there isn’t a sound on the CD that was just dashed off and considered ‘good enough’… there are layers and layers to the lyrics and to the sounds that you only experience through repeated listening. That is a very gratifying for an artist.

Transparent: I know you are pretty active with Indieheaven. How has that relationship been a benefit to you?
Christopher: The community aspect of Indieheaven has been the thing that has stood out ‘head and shoulders’ for me. At first it was the Network, getting on and interacting with other indie artists via the internet - talking shop, trading war stories, bouncing ideas off of each other, sharing prayer concerns… Then I attended one of the CIA Summit events that IH puts on each year in Nashville and that ‘virtual’ community took on flesh and blood; meeting those other artists face to face really drove home that this is part of the Body of Christ. There are several artists that have become good friends. And that is all due to Indieheaven.

Transparent: I love the look and the sound of Breedlove guitars. How did that partnership develop?
Christopher: A couple of years ago I was looking for a backup guitar to use in concert, I break a LOT of strings (laughs) and I came across Breedlove in a local music store. These were their lower cost models (called the Atlas series) built in Korea and then set up in America. I was blown away by the quality and sound and price… they were, to my ear, as good as the Taylor I was playing and half the price. I bought that guitar and very shortly ended up using it as my main guitar. I decided to approach Breedlove to see if there might be any partnership opportunities and that began a dialogue that lasted some 8 or 9 months while they checked me out, and eventually blossomed into my becoming an Endorsing Artist with them. That first Breedlove is now my backup guitar (as originally intended) and my main guitar is a USA made Breedlove. I really, really love Breedlove guitars!

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Christopher Ames has released 6 albums during his 20 year career as an independant artist, and has developed a large and loyal following in the northeast. With “Everyday With You”, he is piling on the accolades, awards and new listeners across the country. Go see him in concert and pick up a copy of his CD but only if you can handle the truth!

Jason