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Music Memories: The Rising

The Rising released one of our favourite albums of last year, Coming Home. A balance of pop, country and rock, it is one of those records that you instantly feel at home listening to. From the relateable lyrics to the anthemic hooks, it has stadium potential written all over it. With the band returning to the Country2Country stage this summer, we caught up with songwriter Chris Logan to take him on a trip down memory lane.

What song reminds you most of your childhood?

“We Didn’t Start The Fire” by Billy Joel. I remember hearing this song and being fascinated by the lyric and how they went through all the big headlines of each year. The song was even used to teach history in school. The album this is from ’Storm Front’ was actually the first full album my parents bought me when I was crazy young, which I still have to this day. Music was part of the fabric of my childhood due to my Dad being a musician, so it was only natural that I was listening to music beyond what the other kids were listening to.

Which song inspired you to become a musician/singer?

This has to be the moment that changed my life forever. There was a stack of vinyl records that took pride of place in our house covering every genre, country, rock, folk, pop and everything in between. Gradually, I worked my way through them, fascinated at first by the artwork and seeing how it linked to the music contained on the records. In that stack there were loads of records missing their jacket sleeve and just the inner sleeve and the actual record remained. So it was always fun to listen to random records. But one day I took one of these nameless records and something magical happened. As soon as the needle touched the record a sound came out unlike anything I’d never heard before. From that moment on I knew the power of music and what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. The track was “Keep Yourself Alive” from Queen’s debut album. Obviously, with having no sleeve I had no idea what the band looked like, who they were or who played what. With no internet or anything like that it became a mission to find out more about this mysterious group. Over the next few years I invested all of my pocket money, Christmas and Birthdays collecting everything they ever recorded. Little was I to know what I was in for when I heard Bohemian Rhapsody for the first time. I think thats one of the things the modern day music industry and internet has destroyed, the idea of the invisible band that you can discover and you had to actually listen and research music.

Which song do you wish you had written?

“The Show Must Go On” by Queen. Instant goosebumps every time I hear this song. The imagery of the lyrics and in particular the middle 8 (“My Soul is painted like the wings of Butterflies, fairytales of yesterday will never die”) get me overtime.

Which artist/band has been the most inspirational to you?

Well, because of the effect their music had on me growing up it has to be Queen and in particular Brian May. Brian May is the main reason I play guitar today the way he approaches guitar playing, constructing guitar parts is something I take great inspiration from… some would say perhaps too much inspiration. Beyond that though Freddie Mercury’s songwriting style was a massive influence. Running in tandem with that was Bruce Springsteen and Eagles who were a massive songwriting influence.

Which song/album currently dominates your attention?

This has to be Dierks Bentley ‘Riser’ album and in particular the song “Here On Earth”. I think this album is a stunning piece of work, an album which touches on a very deep emotional level. It was also criminal to see it overlooked at the CMA’s/ACM’s. But I think that the country music establishment and fans will look back on it was a hidden gem that is very important.

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

Well selfishly on a personal level I would love to get the opportunity to work with Brian May. But from a band point of view it would have to be Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift, think we could get some amazing songs out of those collaborations. Producer wise its long been a dream to work with Dan Huff.

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