NOTES ON THE CORRIDOR

NOTES

ALONG THE Corridor

by RICK REILEY

CHRIS JONES and The Flycatchers

I recently discovered the music of Chris Jones and the Flycatchers of Norman, Ok. Chris is an Oklahoma grown talent who’s been writing and making music for years. I saw a video on Youtube of his song, ‘Desperado’ (not the Eagles song). I was sold on the song and mentioned it to singer/songwriter Gaikob Lee who I saw walking in Cushing one day last week.

His eyes lit up and he told he would be opening act for Chris and band in El Reno at the end of the week. He mentioned the band’s recent (2021) release, Flowers and Weeds and I put it on repeat.

Gaikob put me in touch with Jones and we visited.

Flowers and Weeds (2021) and Letters due in 2022.

Songs for Red fits nicely in the catalog of red dirt Americana, a la, Turnpike Troubadours, Jason Boland and the Stragglers and others. Songs of love, loss, drink, good times, repentance and whim with a steady thread of hope underlying it all.

Here’s the chorus to the song, “Skin”, from Songs for Red...

“I’m alright, I’ve just been dealing with uncertainty -Tried to pin me to the wall-

Ain’t a crime to be uneasy in uncertainty at all”

In these times I often wonder what I’m certain of myself and Jones’ conclusion that it’s no crime to be uneasy is certainly welcome to my ears.

The autobiographical song “College Dropout”, also on this collection, is about a kid who leaves college to figure out things for himself. “Doubt is a merciless thief,” he sings. Maybe he did, indeed, figure something out!

Flowers and Weeds, released in 2021 is a decidedly abrupt lane change. And I find it a welcome one.

It’s as though somehow this music comes from starry nights and walks in the tall, deep woods. Electronic synthesizer sounds, layered background vocals. Mellowing of the harsh edges of youth into a sweetened, well placed maturity. There’s growth here. And it blossoms.

In his own words Chris Jones is “just a kid from Dewey, Oklahoma with a dream of making records that help people understand they are not alone.”

development? CJ: Absolutely. I have a large amount of family on both sides that are very musical…

RR: Tell me about your journey in music. How did you come to be where you are at this point in time? CJ: My dad is a great guitar player. I think that was a little intimidating so I decided on playing drums. I remember he traded labor for a drum kit and I worked hard until I graduated high school to get good. I had no sense of direction when I was 18 and so I sold off my drums and went to college. My dad gave me a guitar and instead of going to class I fell in love with writing songs. I spent the next six years working on my writing and sneaking into open mics. When I was 24, I felt confident enough in my ability and started a band with a friend. I think that lasted about two years and then I started The Flycatchers. Ten years into this songwriting journey now and glad to be here.

RR: What instruments do you play? CJ: Mainly guitar these days.

RR: Who were your earliest musical inspirations/ influences? CJ: I’ve always loved the Eagles. Mainly the Glen Frey tunes. I remember stumbling across a box of tapes that belonged to my dad and found Alabama….. I think I was eight when my dad gave me the Foo Fighters There’s Nothing Left To Lose CD. …it’s still one of my favorite albums.

RR: Any Oklahomans in the mix? CJ: We have several Okies in The Flycatchers. I used to shake my head and wonder how we ended up with so much talent but now I realize it’s pointless to question it. I’m just grateful. We have Isaac Stalling and Alex Coleman (formerly with Horse Thief) on guitars now. Ken Pomeroy sings and plays some of her songs in the set. I’ll never take that addition for granted. Ethan Neel on drums and Mike Rose (formerly with Parker Millsap) on bass. Truly a special group of people to have in my corner. It’s become a family band.

He went on to mention his last nine years of working as a journeyman lineman while building the band. He credits this work that requires a special grit, as he calls it, for teaching him the disciplines which also came in handy in making these records.

RR: Which brings me to your latest work, Flowers and Weeds. A completely different approach, musically.

It seems to be a more ethereal approach to music. How did this come about? CJ: We’ve been working on a record for the last year now and when we had finished the actual recording process, I felt really inspired to keep creating. I went to Colorado and spent some time in the mountains and started writing some melodies that felt visual. When I had a complete idea for what I wanted to do, I brought the ideas to Isaac and we went to work on what I considered “a glorified art project”....

RR: Can you list your recordings to date? CJ: My first recording ever released is actually a song called Oklahoma Girl by Honey Blue. (Editor’s note: I Googled it. I liked it!) Songs For Red 2019 Flowers & Weeds 2021 Letters 2022 (Yes, that’s the next record)!

RR: Do you have a favorite musical memory, career highlight so far? CJ: ….We did an acoustic trio set (Chris, Ken, Isaac) at Tulsa’s Cains Ballroom with Kyle Nix and RC & the Ambers. It was really special. The energy was wild and people actually listened to us. The latest full band show at Tower Theater with Kaitlin Butts was probably the best show we’ve played by far and I’ll never forget the overwhelming gratitude that poured over me.

RR: Anything you’d care to add? CJ: This may be the most important thing I’d like to add. I’ve had many people tell me I might be branching out a little far or need to be more consistent with my sound…. I’m not worried about that in the slightest and never have been…. I’ve had one goal since starting this band and that was to write songs and make records that are honest without compromise. I think our fans understand that about us.

As for me, I enjoy it all, the Red Dirt country rock, the heartache, the continuous search for something better, the celebration of it when it’s found.

That thread remains wholly intact even with the more subtly nuanced dreamlike quality of his recent work.

Chris Jones and the Flycatchers- catch ‘em if you can!

For more information follow Chris Jones and the Flycatchers on Facebook. Listen to the music on most streaming apps.

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