Posted on 11/09/2021 3:00:01 PM PST by algore
In 1995, Ballew started touring the world with his band, Seattle’s The Presidents of the United States, playing popular songs like Lump and Peaches to rooms full of grungy, flannel wearing crowds. Ten years later, he was ready to move on.
“It kind of started to wear me down by the time I got into my 50s, or even my 40s. And I just felt this little voice inside of me saying, ‘this is great, but this is not your final destination. You need to keep going!’ Then I met my second wife Kate, and her artwork really spoke to me. I thought, I want to make music that comes from the same world as that artwork. When I did that, it turned out to be kids’ music. So it kind of found me after a long search.”
Ballew’s goal has always been to play music that both kids and adults like, starting with his very first Caspar song.
“The first song was meaningful because it was a little song that my mom used to sing me when I was a kid. It was a funny song about how I came into existence; it was like a creation myth.
She sang, ‘This is how I found my little elf,'” Ballew sings. “‘This is how I found my little elf. Found him underneath a tree, fed him numnum from my knee. This is how I found my little elf.’ That song scared me when I was a kid because I thought there was porridge coming out of her knees! So anyway, I started the first record with that melody, but I made up my own new words.” He sings again, “This is how I found a small black ant!”
Ballew says people often assume that making music for children is easy.
“It’s actually very hard because being in a loud, alternative rock band you can basically growl the phone book if you have the right look and charisma.
But with kids’ music, where I put the vocal way up front, it’s got to be well constructed and tell a story. I wanted to make something where the music is really well crafted so parents can listen to it. It was very hard, and a lot of work.”
I never heard of him, but I know very little of the Grunge type performers. If he could stay active as a rock musician ever since 1995, he must be pretty good. Must have keyed in on a need others were not also doing.
If I had my little way, I’d eat peaches every day.
I guarantee you would recognize a few of his songs.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ypqV-CMoDJw
And probably more...
At least this one managed to survive into middle age, unlike a great many of them. (Although I find myself singularly reluctant to view any images.)
A long time early 80s ago I was sitting in the kitcken of his parents house, drinking beer with his brother.
Chris was home on break from Julliard and he hands me yellow legal pad with lyrics for a song about peaches he seemed to be really proud of.
I said something like ‘umm good luck with that, i really need another beer’
One of the best Alt rock tunes ever: Tell me this isn’t funny...I dare you...lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sj_U6vObUA
Lump - The Presidents of the United States of America
Lump sat alone in a boggy marsh
Totally motionless except for her heart
Mud flowed up into lump’s pajamas
She totally confused all the passing piranhas
She’s lump, she’s lump
She’s in my head
She’s lump, she’s lump, she’s lump
She might be dead
Lump lingered last in line for brains
And the ones she got were sorta rotten and insane
Small things so sad that birds could land
Is lump fast asleep or rockin’ out with the band?
She’s lump, she’s lump
She’s in my head
She’s lump, she’s lump, she’s lump
She might be dead
Lump was limp and lonely and needed a shove
Lump slipped on a kiss and tumbled into love
She spent her twenties between the sheets
And life limped along at subsonic speeds
She’s lump, she’s lump
She’s in my head
She’s lump, she’s lump, she’s lump
She might be dead
Is this lump out of my head?
I think so
Is this lump out of my head?
I think so
Is this lump out of my head?
I think so
Is this lump out of my head?
The tough thing about the music business isn’t the music, it’s the business of getting gigs grinding out those years on the road, and playing the same song for the six thousandth time with enough feigned passion that the audience believes you. If you’re good enough at the business, you’ll get an agent and sign deals with a label who will try to push you into a marketable little soul-sucking box and then they’ll throw you away when the tastes of the fans change.
Good on Chris Ballew for making it through those trials, doing different stuff, and still keeping a head about himself.
It must have been a crushing blow, your less-than-encouraging response to the budding songwriter in question.
We had to wait another ten years or so to hear this man’s song about peaches.
How can you look yourself in the mirror in the morning. /s
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