We’re glad to have the opportunity to chat with you. You have such great tunes! First and foremost, what would you tell us about yourself that we wouldn’t be able to find on the internet or infer from your music?
– Thank you for the kind words! With social media, I’m sure there’s not a lot you couldn’t find out about me. I once did almost 1,000 jumps on a pogo stick. I don’t think you can find that anywhere online and I have yet to write a song about it.
“It’s been said that you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure.” Andy Bernard, as quoted in The Office. How did you find your pleasure in music, and realise that this is what you’re passionate about doing for the rest of your life?
– When I got my first experiences playing on a stage in front of an audience, it was an incredible feeling and it instantly became something I was very passionate about.
You’ve played in a lot of bands as the frontman, guitarist, or bassist. Would you like to tell us more about your experience as a member of a band?
– Playing in bands has lead me to playing some cool venues and meeting lots of interesting people along the way. These experiences have given me a deeper appreciation for music and I could spend hours telling you stories of fun gigs, practical jokes and bizarre conversations.
Having worked solo and in bands, do you want to pursue a career as a solo musician or form your own band in the future?
– I’d love to get back into a band when the time is right. I’m hoping that comes soon since my recorded songs have a full band sound rather than just a voice and a guitar. I believe my upcoming unreleased songs deserve to be played by a full band in a live setting.
Each musician, without a doubt, has role models in the industry to look up to. If you have the chance to play with one of your biggest influences, who would it be?
– My biggest musical influence is Stone Temple Pilots. In 2019 I was fortunate to play a song with their guitarist, Dean and bassist, Robert at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp. It was an incredible experience and if I had a chance at one dream collaboration, it would be those guys. I just love their style of playing and writing. Their music along with drummer Erik Kretz and the late, great Scott Weiland is one of the biggest reasons I became so passionate about music.
If a talented and popular artist would cover one of your singles, who would you want it to be, and which one of your songs would you like to hear him sing?
– My 5 year old son recently asked me if anyone made fun of my song. I think he was referring to Weird Al Yankovic. I think it would be amazing to hear a Weird Al parody of one of my songs. He can take his pick of the song. I’d want to be surprised.
Among your tracks, the only one has a music video is “Deal with the devil”. Why this single in particular, and should we be expecting music videos for the rest of your songs anytime soon?
– Deal with the Devil was a new beginning for me. At that point, it was the best song I had ever written and I got to work with an amazing team to make it sound bigger and better than my previous material. Video was a medium I was underutilizing, and this was a good point to start focusing on adding some video. There is a video currently in the works for Good Old Days and future releases will get a video as well.
You have five releases, each of which has its own distinct quality. Which one would you choose if you had to build an album based on the same vibes?
– I currently have an EP in the works. It includes some of the songs you’re referring to along with some unreleased ones. Deal with the Devil is the sound that shaped the collection. Some songs are lighter and some are heavier, but they all have a classic rock influence with a modern twist.
Your latest release “Good Old Days” is quite moving. We’re a little curious to know everything that happened behind the scenes before it was brought into the light. The inspiration behind it, your emotions while writing the lyrics, and the music-making process for it.
– It’s funny you mentioned Andy Bernard earlier. Another one of his quotes gave me the idea for the song. “I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them. Someone should write a song about that.” I had a peaceful guitar riff that went along with the sentimental vibe of these lyrics. The lyrics were inspired by my family. Our day-to-day life can be stressful with everything going on, not to mention the challenges of the pandemic. This was just a moment of reflection to just pause and appreciate my people at their current state. The kids are growing up so fast and I just like to make sure I take moments to appreciate them as they are, because they change so rapidly.
“Good Old Days” has the ability to conjure up in one’s mind the ideal video for the best days of one’s life, past or current. What would your version of a music video look like?
– The video is actually in the editing phase right now! It includes lots of shots of my kids playing on the beach. I was picturing this as I was writing the song. There are many peaceful aspects of the beach that I think contribute to the song’s vibe.
In comparison to your earlier songs, the music on “Good Old Days” is clearly lighter, even down to the guitar and drum solos, which are in line with the lyrics and nostalgic vibes. Which style of play did you find to be the most enjoyable and relatable to you?
– I slightly prefer playing more energetic songs, but I think it’s important to change the pace every now and then and play a slower or lighter song in order to have some variation.
You wrote “Good Old Days” to embrace living in the moment. What would you say to someone who lives in past, refusing to let go, since his memories are the only good days for him?
– You can’t change the past. Treasure those memories and embrace those lessons as you move forward.
Finally, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Tell us, with 2020 coming up, what would “Chris Scheler” new year’s resolution be? And professionally-wise, what are your plans for the coming year?
– My resolution is to release content more frequently! Not only official releases, but some acoustic videos and maybe even a collaboration or an official cover. I am planning to release my completed EP within the first quarter of 2022.
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Viola Karmy
