Chris Walla

Chris Walla
Background information
Birth name Christopher Ryan Walla
Born November 2, 1975 (1975-11-02) (age 36)
Bothell, Washington
Genres Indie rock
Occupations Singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer
Instruments Guitar
Vocals
Piano
bass
Years active 1994–present
Labels Barsuk
Atlantic
Elsinor
Associated acts Death Cab for Cutie
Martin Youth Auxiliary
Website www.deathcabforcutie.com

Christopher Walla (b. November 2, 1975) is an American musician and music producer, most notable for being the guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie. He is also a former DJ of KCWU, 88.1 The Burg. Walla has also been a prolific producer in the Indie rock community, earning production credits on dozens of albums in addition to Death Cab for Cutie's discography.

Contents

Musical career

Early Bands

While in high school in the early 1990s, Walla was in a short-lived band called The Wallflowers, not to be confused with The Wallflowers (of California). Later, in 2001, he was an early member of the Seattle, Washington band The Long Winters.

Death Cab for Cutie

Main article: Death Cab for Cutie

Death Cab for Cutie began in 1996 when Ben Gibbard needed help recording new songs he had written as a side project from his main endeavor, Pinwheel. Chris Walla, who had recently acquired new recording equipment, offered his time and gear helping capture the material, resulting in an 8-song cassette for the project, You Can Play These Songs with Chords. Walla was recruited as a full member of the band in 1997 along with Nick Harmer and Nathan Good. Good subsequently left the band in 2000, replaced by new drummer Michael Schorr – he too left, in 2003, and the band's third and incumbent drummer, Jason McGerr, stepped in.

Solo projects

Walla has recorded a lot of solo material, some of which has been released under the moniker Martin Youth Auxiliary. Most of these efforts, however, have never been intended for general release.[1] Under this name, one cassette was recorded and released in 1999 on Elsinor Records; only several dozen copies were made. Martin Youth Auxiliary shows are also very rare, but there are few that have not been recorded. In the past, Walla has stated plans to release a Martin Youth Auxiliary record, but his first solo album was eventually released under his own name.

On January 29, 2008, Walla released Field Manual on Barsuk Records. Barsuk has made the track "Sing Again" from Field Manual available for free download from their website. Before its release, it was reported that Field Manual would feature two tracks that were recorded for Death Cab for Cutie's album Plans,[2] but whether this is the case is unconfirmed.

Studios

Chris Walla has also founded his own recording studio located within his home in Portland, Oregon named the Alberta Court. Prior to moving to Portland, Walla was the owner/proprietor of Seattle's legendary recording studio, the Hall of Justice, where Death Cab and many NW luminaries (Nirvana, etc.) recorded over the years.

Discography

Producer/Engineer/Mixer/Writer

Selected Credits

References

  1. ^ 'Chris Walla'. Barsuk.com. Barsuk.com (1970-01-02). Retrieved on July 7, 2011.
  2. ^ 'Death Cab For Cutie star preps solo album'. NME.com. Nme.com (2007-01-25). Retrieved on July 7, 2011.

External links

Death Cab for Cutie
Studio albums
Something About Airplanes (1998)  · We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes (2000)  · The Photo Album (2001)  · Transatlanticism (2003)  · Plans (2005)  · Narrow Stairs (2008)  · Codes and Keys (2011)
Other
EPs
Singles
Filmography
Related articles
Category:Death Cab for Cutie · Template:Death Cab for Cutie
The Long Winters
John Roderick · Eric Corson
Sean Nelson · Chris Walla · Michael Shilling · Michael Schorr · Chris Caniglia · Darren Loucas · Mike Squires · Nabil Ayers · Jonathan Rothman
Studio albums
EPs
Related articles