Meet Chris Sloan | An incredibly soulful singer/songwriter from the Seattle area.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Sloan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, what matters most to you?
In regards to my music, I think honesty and staying genuine are the most important to me. It can be very easy to change the direction of your music depending on what people want to hear, your community surroundings, criticism and feedback, etc. It was incredibly important to me, that when writing my solo record, that I kept the songs as honest as possible. Meaning, ensuring that my songs came from real places in my life, whether that be certain events that have occurred in my life, certain emotions I was feeling, or specific situations I have lived through. Making sure my lyrics are genuine and vulnerable and honest. I stuck to this during the 3 and 1/2 years writing my record, not veering from the vision I had when I started. I am very proud of that.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I think the most important thing that I have learned in writing my own music for the last 20 years, was learning to not listen to the noise of other people. As a musician and singer/songwriter, you open yourself and your art up to criticism whenever you make your music public. That can come with a lot of positivity and positive feedback which keeps you motivated, but it can come with negative criticism as not everyone is going to like what you create. We all have different tastes and that is ok. But I have never let any negative criticism stop me or discourage me from making the music I want to make. I keep my head down, do my own thing, and create songs I enjoy writing, and I think that approach is apparent in the record and people will notice how genuine the album is.

My first solo record will be released Friday January 6th 2023 titled “Into The Shade”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh man, there are so many amazing places here in the Seattle area and in Washington State. I would take them to Seattle, show them the tourist spots if they have never seen them before. I would take them to the mountains, maybe over to Leavenworth to enjoy the scenery, and good Bavarian food and beer. It’s one of my all time favorite spots as it has the best of everything there.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that I am so grateful for and whom I owe many thanks to who contributed to making my record what it is. The list is long. However, there are a select few who absolutely need recognition for their contributions. Taylor Carroll from Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Wa, who engineered, mixed and c0-produced 11 of the 12 songs with me. His brilliant ear and expertise absolutely pushed me to make the best record I could. Matt McKay, who was there from the start 3 and 1/2 years ago recording the very first song for the record. He played MULTIPLE instruments on this record and it would not be what it is without his musical expertise. Andrew Joslyn, who wrote and performed the strings on my record with a few other musicians. Without his string compositions, those three songs would not sound as big and emotional without them. And Andy Stoller and Ben Smith, (Bass player for Heart and Nancy Wilson, and Drummer for Heart and Nancy Wilson) who came and and tracked with me on this record. Their musical prowess was a huge addition to the record. And finally Amit Amram who has given me so much guidance, advice AND has engineered many additional projects with me at his own studio, including 1 track off my solo record.

Website: http://chrissloanmusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrissloanmusicofficial/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrissloanmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisSloan1234

Image Credits
Black and white photo with red chair and red tie courtesy of Karen Mason Blair Recording Academy photo courtesy Karen Mason Blair Solo shot of me standing on escalator courtesy Karen Mason Blair Studio photos courtesy of Samantha Witt Black and white photo with me tipping hat courtesy of Ivy Green Photo of videographer filming drummer courtesy of Ivy Green