Chris Singleton
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- This refers to the Irish musician, Chris Singleton. For the American football player, see Chris Singleton (football player). For the baseball player see Chris Singleton (baseball player).
Chris Singleton is a singer/songwriter from Dublin, Ireland.
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[edit] Early life
Christopher Matthew Eamonn Singleton was born in Dublin, Ireland on 21 July 1977, the son of the well-known English linguist Professor David Singleton and Irish environmentalist Emer Singleton. The family lived in the Fairview area of the city until Chris was 7 years old, whereupon they moved to the countryside (neighbouring county Wicklow). Chris' interest in writing music began at an early age (11), after he worked out how to play albums on his father's record player. The album which held particular interest for him, and which he cites as a starting point for his involvement in music, was 'Revolver' by The Beatles. The Beatles became a major influence in his songwriting, which he developed throughout his 20s. Music lessons came from a local choir and Irish singer-songwriter Dominic Mulvany, the latter teaching him piano and showing him rudimentary recording techniques on a four-track tape recorder.
[edit] Career
Chris studied Theatre Studies in Trinity College, Dublin from 1995-1999. After graduating he founded the group "The Lennies", a quirky band with an ever-changing line-up. Chris was the songwriter in the group and his drama background was reflected in the group's theatrical output - their music was often described as 'pop opera'. The band recorded an album called 'Sex and Money', which in 2001 attracted the attention of members of the London music industry. For a while the band were managed by London management company Mumbo Jumbo (most notable for their involvement with Chikinki), before Chris decided to go solo in 2002, deciding that the unstable nature of the band meant that a solo career was preferable to working in a group with no fixed line-up. He was subsequently - and briefly - represented by veteran producer Roger Bechirian, who in the late 70s and early 80s worked with Squeeze, Paul Weller and Elvis Costello (amongst other acts). Bechirian had turned manager and at the time represented the singer-songwriter Tom McRae and Dublin band Bell X1.
[edit] Twisted City
In 2003, Chris decided to take a more "DIY" approach to his career and with the help of some contacts in the London music industry began recording an album called Twisted City. A self-engineered and produced album, it took a couple of years to complete. The album was conceived as a tube journey through London; every song was a 'stop on the line' and dealt with Chris' (often traumatic) experiences of the city, both personal and professional. The album was mastered in May 2006 by well-known engineer Geoff Pesche (Coldplay, Gorillaz, Kylie Minogue) at Abbey Road Studios, London and was released in the UK and Ireland in September 2006 by Right Track/Universal Music Operations. Given the association between the album and the tube, the launch event for the album took place on the London Underground in August 2006 and attracted coverage from ITV News and BBC Radio. "Twisted City" received a warm welcome from rock critics, receiving positive reviews from The Irish Times, Hotpress, Clash Magazine and The Daily Express amongst others. The influences on the record are quite apparent and primarily include The Beatles, David Bowie and The Kinks.
[edit] Hyperacusis
In 2005 Chris Singleton was diagnosed with hyperacusis, an oversensitivy to sound where everyday, 'normal' sounds are perceived as painfully loud. Following hearing therapy, Chris overcame the condition, but it delayed the recording and release of 'Twisted City'.
[edit] Live
Singleton's band is a six piece: including Chris, the line up is vocals, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, keyboards, bass and drums. The band members are session musicians and have performed for a number of well-known acts, including Razorlight, The Killers, Cat Stevens, LeAnn Rimes and Steve Brookstein.
[edit] Unusual gigs
In order to promote 'Twisted City', and because of the association the album has with London transport, Singleton has done a number of strange gigs: he launched the 'Twisted City' album on the London Underground, and subsequently performed in several strange locations, including a taxi, tube, bus and boat. Another series of strange gigs, his 'Monopoly Tour', based on the locations on the famous board game, took place in September 2007 to promote his double A-side single, "Pieces / Gimme Something".
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Twisted City (18 September 2006) BRCDA01CS, released through Brownpaper Records, Right Track and Universal Music Operations.
[edit] Singles
- Worry Number One (18 September 2006) BRCDS01CS, released through Brownpaper Records, Right Track and Universal Music Operations.
- Get Up (22 January 2007) BRCDS02CS, released through Brownpaper Records, Right Track and Universal Music Operations.
- Tonight (18 April 2007) BRCDS03CS, released through Brownpaper Records, Right Track and Universal Music Operations.
- Pieces/Gimme Something (17 September 2007) BRCDS04CS, double A-side single released through Brownpaper Records, Right Track and Universal Music Operations.
Chris also released a 'virtual audio cassette' in October 2007 - a 'viral' offering, containing two free songs; in December 2007, he followed Radiohead's example by making 'Twisted City' temporarily available as a free download.
