Hide and Shine are a threesome based out of Kingston, New York that are truly blending the rock styles of the past into a modern-day cutting-edge style. The band consists of singer/songwriter Chris Kelly, drummer Michael Chambers, and bassist Chris Ferguson. Together their dynamic is unstoppable.
I sat down to talk with the band about the production of their new album about how they got the now late great Steve Albini to help work with them, how the songwriting comes together, and how the band is gearing up for the future.
How’d the band get together?
My wife Tess is a professional chef, and she did some work for Michael and his family. Tess would often tell me that Michael was a “music guy” and that we should get together. Finally, after a year, we met and made a little noise in the studio. I told him that I had recently received a “psychic download of 50 song ideas.” He said, “Cool, send me a few.” I sent him what was referred to as “the song dump”— 50 rough demos with guitar, nonsense vocal melody and a click track. He must have heard something worth pursuing because he started churning out drum tracks like crazy and sending them to me. After messing around with these demo recordings, a little, they started to sound really good and we kept going. I like to use the I Ching (ancient Chinese oracle book) and I consulted it with regards to this music. Until that point, I had figured this would just be another obscure, invisible solo project, but the oracle clearly suggested that I “gather trustworthy friends of a like-mind around this endeavor.” In other words, “start a f*ing band!” We had access to great, pro bass players here in the Woodstock, NY area, but we decided to be old-school and run a Craigslist ad! The horror! We got one response, from Chris Ferguson (aka “C2”). We met, and he had the gig before we even heard him play.
Where does the band reach down to write the lyrics that you do?
Writing lyrics has always been a mystery to me. I always think “It’s not going to work this time.” It’s sort of a leap of faith every time. I also play a trick on myself: “Let the lyrics suck if they want to—just write them down.” All of the lyrics start as gibberish nonsense melody. We learn the songs and play them for a while, and I sing the nonsense. Little by little, words and phrases pop out while singing nonsense. I believe this comes straight from the unconscious. The unconscious is essentially telling me what the song is about. I try to never think about what the song is and just let it emerge. At some point a theme or image forms, and I say “Oh, this one is about blah blah.” Then I just keep singing nonsense until the song completes itself. Now I’m really scared that I jinxed it and it won’t work next time!
Soft Machines is the band’s debut album. What does this particular album mean to the band? Why name it as such?
“Soft Machines” is a lyric in I Could Say It’s Not Alright—track 5 on the album. The “image” or theme that came while writing this song was of wild youth, tragic car crashes, and dead friends. Not so cheery, right? But I think it also is a tribute to those of us that survived. The album artwork is an X-ray of my leg. That horrific hardware—from a “flying off a bridge” motorcycle accident—was inside me for decades and then recently, it breeched the skin and I started bleeding. The hardware and the legend of the accident was like part of my identity for much of my life. And then suddenly it was gone—surgically removed. This music all happened that same year. A new leg, a new man, a new band.
Chris Lord-Alge and the late Steve Albini are legendary in the game of producing and mixing rock music from legendary bands. How was it working with them?
Michael was on a quest to make a gigantic “heavy” mix of Ascension Day. This mix is actually not the version that will be on the album. The entire album was mixed by Steve Albini. We LOVE Albini’s mix of this because it’s a little more raw and real. We LOVE the Alge mix because it’s as humongous as can be.
Michael Chambers: The best part of working with CLA is he just gives one-word answers. Send him song, he says “let’s do it.” Ask him “when,” he says “soon.” When it’s done, he says “Rock!” If you ask for changes, he says “no.” Then you say, “thank you” and he says, “you’re welcome” then “rock on!” No phone number, no text, just email. He is no nonsense and really makes it sound huge. “Ascension Day” is a great tune and mixes modern day alt rock with a bit of grunge.
Singer/songwriter Chris Kelly said this: “Songs don’t come from people, they come through people.” Please tell me more about the band’s sound.
When I initially said that bit about “coming through people,” I was referring more to the way that the songs emerge. They come through from somewhere (the other side?) and we’re just the vehicles for what needs to be expressed. But now, after reading your question, I’m thinking now that the people I’ve played with over the years were much more influential than the music I listened to. I’m a weird, terrible music lover—I’ve never sought out music but rather always absorbed it from other people. I often ask people “what bands do we sound like?” A recent guy said he heard Jeff Buckley and Slipknot. Michael says we are “genre fluid.” We joked about calling the album “Dark Side of the Led Zeppelin III,” because of the way those records have a diversity of sounds AND a cohesiveness.
What is next for the band?
We are right in the middle of recording another 14-song album. There is much work ahead. There is some great momentum moving us toward more live performance this year. I want to get these boys on stage and projecting some air and love into people. I think that’s the best, most nourishing thing to do with music.
