Greetings everyone, and welcome to today's Community blog featuring the winner from our latest Artists Wanted edition.
If you need a quick recap, the Artists Wanted series on the Spotify Community is an ongoing project where we, (the Community Music Chat Team), invite artists on the Community to share their newest releases and introduce themselves and their music to us!
Today we have the opportunity to meet Chris Yost, from Artist Wanted edition no. 14, with their wonderful song, “Luminosity”:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4Ao3gyGug10EQOd7JsRVQv?si=a38f436b29524630
A new artist based in Dallas, Texas who has been playing drums his whole life, and started playing guitar and bass during the pandemic in 2020. He's influenced by jazz, gospel, and neo-soul music.
I had the chance to ask this talented artist a few interview questions, so that the Spotify Community can get to know him better. You can read our conversation below:
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What inspired you to start creating music?
I’ve always gravitated towards music since I was a child. There was a drumset in the house and I would always play it for fun as a kid. When I started taking music more seriously in high school, I noticed a few of my friends were making music on their laptops. I started to do the same, and my interest in music production started to grow from there.
You've mentioned you're influenced by jazz, gospel, and neo-soul music. Could you share the story behind how you discovered these genres and what drew you to them?
When I was only about 9 years old, I got a CD that had a ton of gospel hits on it. I remember listening to it over and over, and that’s when I discovered how much I enjoyed gospel music. I loved that it was soulful, spiritual, and joyful. I moved to Texas in high school, and I was fortunate to be a part of a great music program there. In high school, I joined the jazz band as a drumset player and became immersed in the world of jazz. I realized that there are a lot of similarities between gospel and jazz, and that’s probably why I enjoyed playing in the band so much. There was a period of time when I was listening nonstop and discovering new artists daily. Two notable discoveries were Snarky Puppy and The RH Factor, both of which are from Texas. In my mind, Snarky Puppy and The RH Factor were the perfect blend of jazz, soul, gospel, and R&B. I also remember discovering Jacob Collier when his album “In My Room” came out.
Your Spotify bio notes that you take great inspiration from artists such as D'Angelo, Prince, Yussef Dayes, Tom Misch, Stevie Wonder. Can you elaborate on the musical styles that these artists play, and how they influence your own music?
I am inspired musically by these artists because they all have elements of soul. The other thing I like about these artists is that you can visualize their music as a painting. I am mostly inspired by the production and textures that these artists achieve in their music. D’Angelo’s music experiments with variations on how drums are played between each downbeat. Questlove (his main drummer) is able to play behind the beat and perform all these intricate placements with each note he plays. D’Angelo also records exclusively with tape, giving the music a rich and warm tone. Prince and Stevie Wonder started out playing every instrument on their albums, and I was inspired by that. I spent part of my
childhood in Minneapolis, and it was common to hear Prince’s music playing everywhere (especially on local radio stations). Tom Misch incorporates a ton of different styles into his production. Yussef Dayes has such a tight groove and his production has so many rich textures to it. I’ve been diving deeper into Sting’s music as well. A newer artist that inspires me is Mk.gee, because he incorporates classic 80s sounds with modern music. This list of influences will definitely expand in the future.
Throughout your journey as a musician, what moments or experiences have had the most significant impact on shaping your artistic vision and sound?
I am extremely grateful that I’ve been able to play with so many great musicians. Playing with other musicians has helped me learn so much about every aspect of music. The other thing that has shaped my sound is discovering music that has something I’ve never heard before. Being intrigued about a certain sound and relentlessly trying to figure out how to replicate it has been a very good learning experience for me.
What have been your best musical memories to date?
I have plenty of great musical memories, but I’ll share two of my favorites. The first one would be jamming and making music with my brother. He plays saxophone and we made some bossa nova music that may or may not be released at some point. The other musical memory I’d like to share is a special concert called Glenn Miller Night. We opened up the cafeteria at my school for the whole city and played big band music. The highlight of the night (especially for me as a drummer) was when all the drummers had a drum battle at the end of Sing Sing Sing.
What is something (whether music-related or not) that you’re looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to many things in music. I’d like to experiment with new sounds in my production. I’d also like to play more in church and live shows. I’m excited for the future in general and I’ve been blessed to have the ability to create music. I appreciate the opportunity for the interview!
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Congrats again @chrisyost for winning the "Imaginary Movie Soundtrack" themed edition 14 of Artists Wanted on the Spotify Community, and thank you for telling us more about yourself and your inspiring journey in music. We hope everyone will love getting to know more about you, just as we did! We're so excited to see where your musical journey heads from here, and we know it'll be amazing!
If you’re an artist too, remember that Artists Wanted is an ongoing project. Feel free to send us your music in the upcoming submission thread for the next edition, to be posted in Discovery & Promo.
Cheers!
