Creating During the Pandemic and Musical Memories with Wes Chiller

How has experiencing the pandemic affect the way that you approach creating music? Do you think that not being able to play shows for a bit has changed anything?

 

Initially, it was pretty difficult finding inspiration to write.  My situation was atypical given my essential working condition.  Serving as a paramedic during this time was difficult because many people and previous musical collaborators distanced themselves from me both physically (probably for good reason) and emotionally (which was cold, hurtful, & fairweatherly).  Being treated as if you are diseased because you are deciding to commit yourself to the solution is never a good feeling but I sat with those emotions and let it inspire me to continue creating.  Because I was unable to be entirely socially distant, I found others who were less timid and in good health who wanted to continue to create and we got to work.  This was done through personal risk assessments, caution, & testing.  I did not experience the same pandemic as most, but not being able to see family and losing friends was very eye opening.  I let this inspire me.  Not playing shows was actually kinda nice.  I was able to focus on writing about these heavy emotional experiences.  Buffalo John & The Rainbow Crew came out of that.  I love performing, but the pause was a nice one.  

 

Were you raised in a creative environment or was music something that you found on your own?

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My parents, grandparents, and aunts & uncles did a great job of exposing me to music.  My grandma, Dorothy, played the organ and some of my first memories (I was 2 or 3) were sitting with her on the bench and mimicking her fingers across the keys.  A couple years later, on a road trip to Estero Beach in Mexico, my uncle was strumming a ukulele in the front seat.  It peaked my interest and he taught me a quick chord and I was hooked.  After a couple more years of my own exploration, I began taking lessons from Bill Tapia.  He was 92 when I started with him.  I was 9.  You could imagine how crazy that must have been.  He was a master of the instrument and imparted everything to my spongelike brain. He still has a huge influence on my attitude as an instrumentalist and artist.

 

What do you want people to take away from your music?

 

I want people to feel encouraged by my music.  You don’t have to be anybody other than yourself in order to enjoy it. Try less, enjoy more.

 

What is the most important part of making a song to you? (lyrics, message behind the song, instrumentals, etc)

 

As I develop, I’ve come to realize that the meaning behind the music is what’s most important to me.  If the meaning and concept is honest and real, the music and lyrics tend to pour out of me.  If it’s not, it’ll most likely get thrown away after a few edits.  I like this process though because each time through, it sharpens my skill.

 

 

Who are your current musical inspirations or people you’d like to work with? Anything in particular you’ve been listening to a lot lately? 

 

I’ve been digging into early 70’s Neil Diamond & Lee Hazelwood.  Their lyric work paints such vivid pictures it’s something I want to strive for.  If I could work with anybody right now it would probably be Neal Francis out of Chicago.  He’s my favorite new artist by far.  Stu Mackenzie (King Gizzard) is a close second.  I would also love to write and just hang with Jimmy Buffett.  I feel like we would get a kick out of each other, and I’d love to pick his brain about how he ran his project in the earlier days.

 

What have you been up to recently? Any current goals regarding your music?

 

We just wrapped up our last show of 2021 and am planning on taking a hiatus well into 2022.  I am putting my best foot forward on new music and want to focus on that for the time  being.