Chris was born in London, England some time ago. He emigrated to Canada with his family when he was a little boy. They moved from Dulwich in central London to Grande Cache, Alberta in the 1970s, when the town was not much more than a pile of Atco Trailers around a mineshaft. Needless to say it was somewhat of a culture shock. Chris has remained in this headspace since then, his roots in the old city but comfortable to assimilate and join in the opportunities that a new and exciting country like Canada has to offer.
His enthusiasm for this new world became apparent in his founding of Captain Tractor, one of Alberta’s most successful indie bands ever. Deeply connected to Canada’s rich traditions in roots music, Captain Tractor toured the world, partied a lot and sold in excess of 60,000 records. Their latest offering, North Of The Yellowhead, has just been released by Six Shooter Records.
Chris’ new album, Skywriting, is his first solo effort and is more a return to the old world. Though he grew to love his new home in the West of Canada, eating beef and playing hockey, he still had an affinity for all things English; rain, tea, the smell of diesel fuel, Arsenal FC and a special love of dour British Pop music. Skywriting is the musings of this prairielocked English kid who has been around the globe a few times and who has landed somewhere in the middle of it all. Between Manchester United and the Oilers. Between the burger and poutine and the fish and chips. Between Jasper Avenue and Charing Cross Road.
Skywriting was produced by Chris along with James Murdoch (Indica/Aquarius) and was recorded in various locations around the West including a hotel room bathroom in Saskatoon, SK and James’ grandparents’ house in Whitehorse, YK. It was mixed by John Whynot (Blue Rodeo, Dave Mathews, Big Wreck) in Los Angeles, California.
