So, exciting times around these parts. Not only are 5 bajillion cool bands playing at Outside Lands a mere nine days from now, but we’re also breaking out of our little shell and throwing a party to celebrate the release of Cousin Chris‘ debut album Moon Paper. We’re inviting all our readers and fellow bloggers to join us next Thursday, Aug. 21 at House of Shields downtown (New Montgomery b/w Market and Mission) between 6PM and 10PM to celebrate the release of a great album and prime the pump for a great weekend ahead.

For those who don’t know, Chris Schreiber, aka, Cousin Chris, is a local boy who wrote, sang and played every instrument on Moon Paper. Rooted heavily in a blues (but not at all derivative), bathed in slide guitar and accented with his unique voice, Moon Paper carves out an original sound that, while minimalist, is still compelling and – most importantly – interesting. The album was recorded at John Vanderslice’s Tiny Telephone studios where bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Spoon, Nada Surf and Mike Watt have all recorded. Cousin Chris sat down with me for a chat, which you’ll find – along with a sample of his music – after the jump.

And don’t forget to come out to House of Shields next Thursday and support a local musician (and bloggers!).

How long have you been around the San Francisco music scene and in what capacity?

I played as a drummer for a few years in multiple bands. I learned a lot about driving and simplifying songs as a drummer, which has helped with songwriting. I was always playing guitar on the side, trying to really become competent at slide and working on melodies that I liked. I started playing some slide guitar in a few shows with the last band I played with, which gave me more confidence in my ability as a guitarist. Eventually, I decided that I wanted to focus on recording my own album and decided to take a break from doing live shows. I had a great time playing out in the city, but honestly I barely remember most of it. I really wanted to do something in music that could have a more lasting impact.

What do you think are some of the defining characteristics or differentiators – if there are any – of the SF scene? And have they, or the city in general, influenced your music?

You know as a performing and recording musician, one thing that has stood out about SF from the beginning is how friendly SF is to independent musicians. There a lot of small, cool venues to play at and great recording studios with talented engineers available. I just don’t think you have as much available to you as an independent musician in a lot of other cities. At the same time, because this is not LA or NYC, you don’t see first-hand nearly as many big success stories, which instills a stronger feeling that you are making music for the sake of making great music.

Who are your influences, and how did you develop your style?

Its funny, because my influences as a drummer are not always my influences as a guitarist or a vocalist. The one album that influenced me the most on this record was Elliott Smith’s Either/Or – I listened to that album constantly for about 6 months before I started recording my album. The fact that he played all of the instruments on that album was really the impetus for doing the record by myself. I mean, that is a complete album – it lacks nothing – and yet it was just him. Beyond that though – I love the instrumentation of Do Make Say Think, the Black Keys, the Allman Brothers, Sigur Ros and Broken Social Scene. I’ve always loved the old blues slide stuff too – Lonnie Johnson, Son House, Robert Johnson, many others. Vocally, I really like what Elliot Smith did, in terms of the doubled up vocals, also enjoy the singers from Bon Iver, Wolf Parade, Modest Mouse, Grandaddy. I hear Radiohead’s pretty cool too.

What’s your writing style like? How do you write and compose?

Always starts with a guitar melody – generally on acoustic. I just strum and strum, messing around, and then a progression can come out of it that I start playing over and over. If I really like it, I’ll record it into a loop pedal and then play a slide riff over it. I might sing a few bars first to see if it works with my vocal range. using a looping pedal is really where I fill in the details for a song, I’ll loop the rhythm guitar part and play along to it on slide, piano, all different types of percussion and listen back to all of it to hear what sounds right. Last part is usually the lyrics, because that is some ways the hardest part – but it’s where the song really becomes your own.

You recorded your new album, Moon Paper, at Tiny Telephone studio. What was it like recording there and how did you end up working with Justin Phelps, who has mixed albums by Cake and The Mars Volta? That has to be pretty cool for an independent artist.

Tiny Telephone is amazing. I knew I wanted to record the album in analog and they provide probably one of the best analog recording experiences for an independent musician in the country. The fact that I got to work with someone like Justin Phelps is a testament to how cool the community around Tiny Telephone is. I was hooked up with him through John Vanderslice. It was great to work with someone like that, not just in the mixing process but to get to hear his perspective on the industry.

What’s it like putting out an album by yourself? It’s gotta be a ton of work. What was the hardest part?

It’s all exciting and it is just a lot of work. There are mor and more services that cater to independent musicians, like limited run CD production deals, innovative and powerful Web services to promote your music, etc. Its a tough call for a musician on a budget, what your break-up will be between digital and physical distribution of your music. I had to struggle with that one for a while. Is it really worth the time and money to put out a physical CD? Isn’t everyone going to just put it in iTunes and forget about the CD’s artwork and higher sound quality? I’m glad I went through with pressing the disc though – creating the artwork and having a physical disk is still very much worth it. Digital distribution is just not there yet, in terms of maintaining an album’s full identity.

Are we going to be seeing Cousin Chris playing live any time soon? What’s in store for the immediate future?

I’m actually going back into the studio in September to start recording a new album, so my focus is still on recording. It’s been a while since I’ve played live music though, so I’m starting to miss it. I’m so accustomed to being the drummer when I perform that it really takes a shift in my approach. I might start out by just busting out the drum kit on Market Street.

Many thanks to Cousin Chris for sitting down with us, and don’t forget: Get your ass out to our party!

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