Chris Farren‘s new album Doom Singer is out today. It was made with help from producer/instrumentalist Jay Som, Chris’ Antarctigo Vespucci partner Jeff Rosenstock on bass and sax, and Macseal’s Frankie Impastato, and it’s one of the most flat-out fun rock records we’ve heard in a while. To learn more about the LP, we asked Chris to make us a list of things that influenced it, and in true Chris Farren fashion, the list and his commentary is genuinely funny, but it’s also sincere and highlights artists like The Weakerthans, My Bloody Valentine, Hard Girls, and more, alongside some non-music stuff. Read a longer review of the album in Notable Releases, stream the new album below, and read on for Chris’ list.
Thundercat – It Is What It Is
This album by one of the coolest living bass players gave me the idea to try to have cool bass lines on my album.
The Weakerthans – The Virtue Trilogy
I wasn’t conscious of it at the time but I’m sure these songs from the POV of a cat influenced my song “Statue Song” from the POV of a 150 ft tall statue.
My Bloody Valentine – Apple Music Essentials Playlist
I only listened to 3 songs of this but I really liked the way the lead guitar sounded.
Tár directed by Todd Field
TAR SLAPS
Hard Girls – A Thousand Surfaces
Frankie and I wanted to rock out on Doom Singer so I was thinking a lot about this Hard Girls album, wherein Hard Girls rocks out, and very well.
Diners – Four Wheels & The Truth
These songs are so well written, so specific, funny, devastating, inspirational. There is such an ease & effortlessness to Diners songs that tricks you into being inspired to write your own songs but then when you try it’s actually really hard and it sucks.
Finances
I have been noticing that many people have more money than me, and they seem to like it. I admit the desire to have just a little more money played a role in influencing me to create Doom Singer. I asked myself “Is there a way I could generate enough interest in my music that I would eventually have maybe just a little bit more money?” My financial advisors unanimously agreed: make an indie rock record. As of writing this, I have not tangibly seen any monetary gain from the album – but the announcement and subsequent press campaign behind it has slightly boosted my profile in the indie music community, opening me up for new opportunities to receive money.
Envy, Jealousy, Spite
Every morning I sit at my little desk and log onto the internet. I love to read articles about myself, but as my 2019 album “Born Hot” shrunk deeper into the rearview of culture, the writings dried up. The features, interviews, playlists – they had shifted focus to artists and bands who are actually not me at all – just totally different people. Often it would be bands I have never heard of – but sometimes even worse…some of these articles were showcasing… my friends but not me. My solution? Make an album so spectacular no other band or artist would ever be written about again.
The Passage of Time & Impermanence of Life
It’s impossible to say for sure, but I suspect over the past 10 or so years I have been incrementally aging. Though often imperceptible to the human eye (especially the way I do it), the aging process and cruel march of time comes for us all. The insurmountable horror of being temporarily alive drives me towards creating art – my own little attempts to create a legacy, to build something that will live on beyond my own mortal lifespan. These ideas rattle around in my deteriorating psyche and give me a false sense of immortality, which feels nice.
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Chris Farren will be on tour in the UK and North America in the coming months, joined on various dates by Diners, Jeff Rosenstock, Sidney Gish, Gladie, GUPPY, and Mo Troper. Chris and Diners come to Brooklyn on September 9 at Elsewhere Zone One. All dates below.
Chris Farren — 2023 Tour Dates
08/29 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange
08/30 – Manchester, UK @ Yes Pink Room
08/31 – Glasgow, UK @ Hug & Pint
09/01 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club
09/02 – London, UK @ The Lexington
09/03 – Newport, UK @ Le Pub
09/04 – Oxford, UK @ Port Mahon
09/05 – Brighton, UK @ Hope & Ruin
09/09 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere – Zone One #
09/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore &
09/11 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd #
09/12 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle – Back Room #
09/13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade – Purgatory #
09/15 – Orlando, FL @ Wills Pub #
09/16 – Tampa, FL @ Hooch and Hive #
09/19 – Austin, TX @ The Ballroom #
09/20 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada #
09/22 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar #
09/23 – San Diego, CA @ HOB Voodoo Room #
09/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Cid (late show) $
09/27 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill $
09/29 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios $
09/30 – Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project $
10/02 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court $
10/04 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall $
10/06 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry $
10/07 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen %
10/08 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups %
10/10 – Hamtramck, MI @ Sanctuary %
10/11 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s %
10/12 – Toronto, ON @ The Monarch %
10/15 – Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom %
# w/ Diners
& w/ Jeff Rosenstock, Diners, Sidney Gish, Gladie
$ w/ GUPPY
% w/ Mo Troper