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There is a fearless quality to the music of Christopher Paul Stelling. A voice that sounds both old and young, an effortless yet intricate finger-picking guitar style and lyrics that are both dramatic, and intensely confessional. It’s a sound that channels the restless spirit of a young man who left home to travel the country, haunting and impassioned songs formed by endless nights alone on stage with a guitar, playing to packed houses, other times to nearly empty rooms. Stelling estimates that he’s played over four hundred shows in just the past three years. It places him within a longstanding tradition that serves to nurture ones character and art.
“It takes a lot of work to stay on the road,” he says. “You learn to rely on your songs as a sort of resting place amidst all of the unfamiliarity. You fill your head full of places, and sounds, and ideas — and it all comes spilling out. When the things around you change constantly, you change too. And the things that stay the same become who you are. It’s nurtured my songwriting, knowing that the inspiration is all around you. If you aren’t seeing it, then look harder, and if you still don’t see it, then turn the corner, and if you still don’t see it then look at things differently, because it’s right there in front of you.”
After self-releasing his debut album Songs of Praise and Scorn in February 2012 and his second, False Cities, in May 2013, CPS has toured the US and Europe relentlessly, averaging over 150 live performances per year. Singing his songs with a pure uninhibited delivery, Stelling has become known for the intensity and passion put into his live performances. Owing as much to the bards and troubadours of times long since past as to his contemporaries, Stelling’s ever developing commitment to his craft is obvious.
His ANTI Records debut, 2015’s Labor Against Waste received near unanimous praise and excellent reviews. Upon release of the record, he played nearly 40 European dates and then embarked on a mammoth 200+ date North American tour (which kicked off with a performance [and marriage proposal on stage!] at Newport Folk Fest) that took him to nearly every state in the lower 48, lasted close to 18 months, and included an extended tour opening for Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals. CPS’s second ANTI record, Itinerant Arias, made it’s appearance on May 5th, 2017. The album found the finger picking virtuoso backed by a cadre of friends and musicians, lending a rollicking energy to a record inspired by traveling through and observing an undeniably tumultuous world.
2018 finds him in his comfort zone – writing new material and touring the world. Catch him when he’s in your area. You’ll be glad you did.
BRIAN PATRICK
Brian’s Music is an amalgamation of many years and many influences. Having grown up in the Rust Belt in a family with deep Appalachian roots, and spending nearly half his life living in the South, his music resonates with echoes from both sides of the Mason Dixon line. Equally at home playing lead guitar in a rock n’ roll bar band and picking a haunting acoustic ballad, his music has a voice that is both universal and genuine. As a songwriter, Brian really came into his own during his years living in Virginia. Surrounded by great songwriters, he honed his craft as lyricist, composer, and arranger. With the formation of his own group, the Brian Patrick Band, his music was catapulted into the public where they’ve been a staple in the Central Virginia music scene ever since. Brian’s songwriting has received multiple accolades over the years including first place in the Rapunzel’s Songwriter Contest for his song “Beaujolais”. After 15 years living in or around Charlottesville Virginia, Brian has returned to his homeland of NE Ohio and he’s poised and ready to bring the sounds and songs he’s been cultivating to ears of Ohioans young and old. Check out the Brian Patrick Band record “Beneath the Tree” and look out for some Brian Patrick live performances near you. Also, stay tuned for a new record from the Brian Patrick Band.