Meet the artist
About
Chris
St John
Chris St John has been on a roll these last two years, having written dozens of songs which have appeared on two separate albums. His first album, I’m Dreaming, which was released in 2021, gained critical acclaim and commercial success. The album had four chart-toppers on the World Indie Music Charts and the Euro Indie Music Network, including “I Called You Rose,” which climbed all the way to No. 3.
Recently, Chris was in Nashville, working with legendary producer Stephen Wrench, as well as some of the finest session musicians in Music City, to record his upcoming album Fly Away. During the production of the album, Chris released the song “Hey Siri,” which quickly hit No. 1 on the World Indie Music Charts and the Euro Indie Music Network and remained there for five weeks. “Hey Siri” has a playful, rolling African groove reminiscent of Paul Simon’s Graceland. This clever, lively, and thought-provoking song focuses on the drawbacks of modern technology. Stylistically, it’s an outlier of sorts, scratching only the surface of the deep and impactful artistry Chris showcases over the course of 13 tracks.
The diversity of the songs makes it very hard to fit Chris’ music into any one genre. His voice is velvety and clear on the album’s ballads, and heartfelt and rocking on the up-tempo songs. His tenor voice has remarkable range and clarity, and his different vocal stylings on each track make it hard to believe it’s the same singer throughout the album.
Fly Away is set to soar. The title track is a soulful, poetic, and powerful song about the birth of his son, John, and the times Chris spent with him from childhood through his recent graduation from high school. He wrote the song as his son was preparing to head off to college. All parents whose children have left the nest can relate to Chris’ heartfelt lyrics: “I just held you I cannot believe it/You’re heading off to live on your own/A million hours, tears joy laughter/I treasured it all, the best years I’ve known…”
The song is set for release on February 25, 2022, his son’s birthday.
With its playful rolling African groove, reminiscent of Paul Simon’s Graceland vibe, “Hey Siri” is a clever playful, and thought-provoking song about the drawbacks of modern technology.
The next single set for release is the title track, a soulful, poignant ballad about the birth of his son and their time together over the years. He wrote the song as his son was preparing to head off to college. All parents with children who have left the nest can relate to St John’s heartfelt lyrics: “I just held you I cannot believe it/You’re heading off to live on your own/A Million hours, tears joy laughter/I treasured it all, the best years I’ve known…” The song soars with the full band and string accompaniment. The album also features a gentle acoustic version of the song as a bonus track.
Fly Away might be one of the few albums in music history to be produced by the same guy who helped create an artist’s earlier hits on the radio promotion end.
For St John, who has been writing songs since 14, the album is an opportunity to share his natural passions for everything from pop, rock and country to folk, soft rock, and Americana.
Though generally personal in nature, his material offers an ongoing, freewheeling celebration of the music he grew up on and which inspired him to work towards his goal, now coming to beautiful fruition, of becoming a recording artist himself. In addition to Simon, chief influences include The Beatles, Eagles, Cat Stevens and the Grateful Dead. St John’s songs are unique though, and it is hard to characterize the genre of his work.
When asked about his success, St John said “I’m proud of this body of work. I worked hard to write and sing these songs.
St John’s voice is velvety and clear on the album’s ballads, and heartfelt and rocking on the up-tempo songs. His tenor voice has remarkable range and clarity, and his different way of attacking his vocal parts on each track make it hard to believe it’s the same singer throughout the album. His voice has a uniqueness that pulls you in and makes you feel welcome, like he is your friend. His songs offer deep, thought-provoking timeless poetry. Though generally personal in nature, his material offers an ongoing, freewheeling celebration of the music he grew up on and which inspired him to work towards his goal, now coming to beautiful fruition, of becoming a recording artist himself. In addition to Simon, chief influences include The Beatles, Eagles, Cat Stevens and the Grateful Dead. St John’s songs are unique though, and it is hard to characterize the genre of his work.
While “Hey Siri” and “Fly Away” are earning the most buzz and traction, St John has a has a handful of favorites he would like listeners to pay special attention to get a sense of his stylistic and thematic range.
St John brings his wealth of life experiences to his musical palette that could never have existed had he gone the proverbial starving artist route earlier on in his adult life. In addition to his many years practicing law, having been a judge and prosecutor along the way, he studied and taught Chinese in Beijing. He worked in the State Department for then Secretary of State George Schultz, participating in the Reagan-Gorbachev Summit in 1986. He was later a trade delegate to a trade mission to China in 2007, in Xian, China. In addition, the singer is the co-founder of HALO Missions (Health and Learning for Orphans), which provides hands-on medical care and educational assistance to orphans in developing countries. He is also a volunteer professional firefighter.
“My favorite professor told our class you can lose your money, property, and liberty, but that no one can take away the things we learn,” St John says. “I feel that way about music. What we create today lives on well beyond our time on earth.”