After spending three years living in the wilderness of an ancient, dilapidated Appalachian farmhouse property with no modern conveniences, the interactions with primitive wildlife & the epiphanies that ensued have inspired the lyrics & overlays of a growing collection of experimental electronic songs by Christine Greyson. Over the course of the historic Covid era of 2020-21, the elusive solo podcast, Natural and Wild with Christine Greyson was created. Between these experiences, the music composed here acquired a primitive edge crossed with the obscure, misunderstood spiritual culture of Appalachia.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hello Christine Greyson. What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?
“Great” wouldn't be the word I'd use. I relate more to “natural” musician. I grew up with music. My mother was a folk singer, and she pushed me and my two younger sisters to learn harmonies and sing at a very early age. I was 13. At the time, I felt forced against my will to take piano lessons, because I was a kid who really didn't want to listen to authority figures, but now that I'm grown, I'm glad I learned how to play. Everybody in the family either sang, played an instrument, or performed in the community. If we get exposed to and start doing something as kids, it comes much easier and becomes a way of life. It's never been very hard for me to understand composition, use my voice, or write music for that reason, I think.
What is your dream project?
To create music I like to listen to. If I don't enjoy it or find some kind of therapeutic relief, I don't see the point. So I guess my dream project is to stick with this conviction and keep making the kind of music I love listening to. Music is powerful. It's a way to express anything we want without getting into trouble. It's vital to our health. I don't have just one dream; I have hundreds. At least I finally narrowed them down to music. Hahaha! It's a bit late in my life, but I don't regret all the dreams I've conquered so far. You're not living your full potential if you're not trying everything you want to try, right?
Your latest track is 'Spider'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
Unusual, yes. I wrote it in one night. That doesn't mean it was recorded quickly—the logistics took me awhile. But I got it down very fast because I was angry. It just came out. I was experiencing a feeling of being used and taken advantage of by someone I thought was a friend. I'm very social; I talk with a lot of people, primarily work and entertainment related. If you want to keep your cool and keep your job, you don't go around talking about anyone or causing a scene. I kept quiet about what was ailing me, but that didn't mean I couldn't channel it into something constructive. So I wrote a song about it. Made me feel much better.
What makes you angry?
Someone not being straight with me. I'm not a snowflake. I can take the truth, and I'm somewhat insulted when and if anyone assumes I can't handle honesty.
What is the most surprising fact you’ve learned about yourself?
I've learned I can stay alive in life threatening situations, and I can keep that trauma from sabotaging my future. I had kind of a rough start in life. I've been in very bad situations and hung out with the wrong crowd when I was younger. It almost killed me. And I was able to overcome it without losing my life, going to jail, or becoming a rat. Anything's possible in this life. Even when you don't think it is. Just breathe for a few minutes, separate yourself, and use your head. Save the emotions for later when the worst is past. It will pass.
What do you dislike about your work?
Well, that's difficult to answer, because I finally got to a point in life where I love my work. I'm fortunate enough to write for some very high profile people who I consider mentors, and I get to make music all day and be my own boss. I guess the most frustrating part is the logistics of publishing and making sure I get the royalties I'm entitled to, making sure I force myself to meet my own deadlines... that kind of stuff. You know, the adult stuff behind the fun.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Anyone in the world can make music. In fact, we all do it every day. Your heart beats, so you already know what your rhythm is. Internally. A lot of people don't believe they have the ability to make music in them, and that's just not true. Everything on the planet is musical. A bird sings the same pentatonic scale a guitarist plays. You don't have to know theory or even be that good at playing an instrument. If you can listen to that heartbeat and imitate it on a drum—that one, simple rhythm long enough, you'll start to hear a melody in it. And that will turn into something. Suddenly, you've created music. One of the oldest languages in the world.
Is the artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?
Sometimes. I counteract it by doing more research, learning something new about my work or my music, or just jumping into another project. As long as my mind's focused on something, I don't feel lonely anymore. I have sort of an obsessive compulsion when I get started on a project, and I can't stop. So that helps, too. It keeps me too busy to remember loneliness.
What do you think is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen or experienced?
Oh.. wow. I've been fortunate to see a lot of beautiful things. I'm advancing in age—I've hung out with my heroes, I've experienced the heathen decade of drugs and sex during the 80s, and I've done the most movie-worthy things I can't tell you about because they're either illegal or inappropriate today in 2022. I don't advocate doing illegal things, but I don't regret anything I've experienced, either. And I don't do that stuff anymore. I'm boring now. But I guess if I had to choose... gosh, that is so difficult... It's not the most beautiful of all, but I'll go with the first time I experienced a standing ovation. At age 10. I was dressed as a frog, sitting on a big, red mushroom, and I'd just performed “It's not easy being green”... a song from Sesame Street. The response felt pretty darn good for a kid.
What are your plans for the future?
To make more music, tell more stories, and see more places. I want to leave the world with some decent art and music before I pass on to some other universe, because if we don't document ourselves somehow, do we just... vanish? Inspiring other people and leaving behind our tales and lessons is the most important thing we can do.