Nashville singer/songwriter and 2005 Vanderbilt alum Chris Milam is not leaving Tennessee, despite what his debut album might have you believe. In the title track to “Leaving Tennessee” Chris says he’s had it. With what' The rest of the album tells you: he gets his heart broken (in “Elaine”) and he breaks some hearts (in “Lisa, My Dear”), but even though things get tough, he still manages to have a good time (in “On A Wire”).
“Leaving Tennessee” has a simple but unique sound that’s a little folk, a little country and a lot of good Southern rock. Many of the songs are catchy (though not pop-infused), and some of them rock pretty hard. Milam’s sound may be a little familiar: he cites greats such as Bob Dylan, Robert Johnson, Led Zeppelin and Johnny Cash among his biggest influences. His style, however, is definitely all his own.
Chris says he gets his inspiration for songs from various places, but it mostly comes from girls, love (and sometimes lack thereof) and relationships. But every now and then that inspiration doesn’t come so easily, and he says that’s when “you have to create your own inspiration.” He also looks to literature for inspiration: “The Great Gatsby” is his biggest literary influence because “it’s a good place to go to think lyrically,” and he sees an “energy and urgency in literature” that serves as inspiration.
Milam has been making music since an early age, when he says he played Beatles songs on Fisher Price instruments with his older brother. When he was six, he began taking piano lessons; at age 10, he learned to play bass; finally, when he was about 13 he picked up the guitar. Because he is left-handed, he flipped the guitar over and taught himself to play upside-down; he plays guitar more than other instruments, but, ironically, it’s the only one he’s never been formally trained to play. This has allowed Chris to take more liberties with his music and really develop his own sound.
Chris has indeed developed a sound of his own, and he’s taking it on the road. Since graduating from Vandy in the spring of 2005, Milam has been playing in Nashville and around the Southeast, and he’s managed to build a solid fanbase. He says he is often “surprised when there’s a crowd (at the shows). I don’t expect it.” Among his favorite places to play, he counts Nashville venues 12th & Porter Lounge and 3rd & Lindsley, as well as Sticky Fingers in Little Rock; however, he says the best place to play is “anywhere people are listening.”
People certainly are listening. Chris is currently hard at work on his second album, which he says is going to be very acoustic, with pop/rock/blues sound. Fans are already hyping it, based on live performances of new material, and Chris says he particularly enjoys playing his new song “Matchstick Blues,” which will appear on the album. He plans to record the album in early 2007 and release it in the late spring.
Even though a lot of Milam’s songs are about things like girls and love, don’t write him off as just another sensitive white guy with a guitar. He is no John Mayer, and I mean that in a really great way. Chris is set apart from the masses by his distinctive sound and intelligent lyrics. His songwriting abilities, combined with his great vocal talents and guitar-playing skills, make “Leaving Tennessee” extremely listenable and the new album highly anticipated.
In short, Chris Milam is one of the South’s most promising young singer-songwriters; his live performances are just as great as his record. He is hard-working and dedicated to his music, but he makes time for his followers because “nothing is more valuable than a devoted fanbase.” His already-devoted fanbase, as well as new fans, can find out more about him and his music on his Website ( (http://www.chrismilam.com) and hisMySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/chrismilam). “Leaving Tennessee” is available for purchase fromCD Baby (http://www.cdbaby.com/milamchris) and iTunes. If you want to see him live, he’s currently booking shows in Nashville for the near future; you can catch him at 12th & Porter Lounge on Oct. 25 at 9 p.m., but make sure to keep an eye out for more dates in the area.
