Christopher Ryan Walla (born November 2, 1975) is an American musician, record producer, and film music composer, best known for being a former guitarist and songwriter for the band Death Cab for Cutie.
Musical career
Walla playing guitar
Early bands
While at Bothell High School in the early 1990s, Walla started a program called Open Microphone with creative writing teacher Laura Drumheller, as a noon-time forum for the arts, which allowed any student to take the stage and perform.[1] Walla regularly performed at these shows, as well as serving as MC. One performance by Walla included a song by Talking Heads. These early Open Microphone shows proved popular and continued for over twenty years, moving from Bothell High School to Inglemoor High School when teacher Drumheller transferred there.[2] Walla was in a short-lived band called The Wallflowers (not to be confused with The Wallflowers of California). Later, in 2001, he was an early member of the Seattle band The Long Winters.
On August 13, 2014, after 17 years with Death Cab for Cutie, Chris Walla decided to part ways with the band, stating that he plans to "continue making music, producing records, and erring on the side of benevolence and beauty whenever possible."[3] Walla's last performance with the band occurred on September 13, 2014, at the Rifflandia Music Festival in Victoria, British Columbia.[4]
In a 2015 interview, Walla explained that he left the band because he found himself uninterested in the music they were working on for the band's eighth studio album, Kintsugi. He critiqued the songs as "flat," none of his ideas seemed to be sticking, and he felt the band needed an infusion of fresh blood; "I was really dissatisfied with where the Death Cab stuff had gotten to when I quit as producer, and that’s why I quit."[5]
Solo projects
Walla has recorded a variety of solo material and released his debut solo album, Field Manual, in 2008 on Barsuk Records. The song "Sing Again" became available for free download from Barsuk's website. Before the release of Field Manual, it was reported that two tracks recorded for Death Cab for Cutie's 2005 album, Plans, would be featured, but this is unconfirmed. Some of Walla's solo work has been released using the name Martin Youth Auxiliary, such as a cassette was released in 1999 on Elsinor Records.[6]
A solo instrumental album, titled Tape Loops, was released on October 16, 2015.
On October 6, 2023, Walla released the EP 2002 on Bandcamp, consisting of three previously unreleased songs written and recorded by him in the year 2002.[7]
Production
In addition to being a musician Walla has a long career as a producer, earning production, engineering, and mixing credits on over thirty albums and EPs. His first credit was as the producer for Death Cab for Cutie's debut album, Something About Airplanes, released in 1998. Walla produced all releases by Death Cab for Cutie until Kintsugi except 1997's You Can Play These Songs with Chords EP, which was produced by Ben Gibbard. However, Walla earned production credits on the 2002 re-release of You Can Play These Songs with Chords, which featured 10 new songs. It was announced via Kelly Porter's Facebook Page Walla would be doing guitar work for her upcoming recording work.[8]
Studios
Walla founded his own recording studio, located within his home in Portland, Oregon, named the Alberta Court. Prior to moving to Portland, from 2000 to 2005, he was the owner/proprietor of Seattle recording studio, the Hall of Justice, where Death Cab for Cutie and many Pacific Northwest bands recorded over the years. In 2012, Walla began rebuilding the Hall of Justice after moving back to Seattle.[9]
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