If you haven’t already immersed yourself in the hard-hitting folk-rock sounds of My Own Personal Hell, the new single from Chris Gorsuch, stop what you’re doing and go listen to the track now. It’s a direct and emotionally honest slice of music that we’ve had spinning on repeat ever since we first laid ears on it.
So fresh off the track’s release, we caught up with the artist to chat all about it, his writing process, and what the future holds.
With an incredible new single fresh under his belt, we caught up with emerging Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Chris Gorsuch for a chat.
HAPPY: Hey, how’s it going? What are you up to at the moment?
CHRIS: Hey guys, thank you very much for the opportunity to speak with you. Everything has been going well. I am currently in the process of trying to juggle the many commitments in my life between my professional and music career. There is a lot to learn when it comes to the marketing game, but I am enjoying the ride and I can’t wait to see where it leads.
HAPPY: We’ve been loving My Own Personal Hell! How does it feel having the track out there in the world?
CHRIS: Thank you! I have been working towards developing a full album for a little while now, so finally getting to release my first single feels like a significant milestone to me. I also hold a strong connection with My Own Personal Hell so I was especially excited to share this particular track with the world. I am very proud of the upcoming album The Final Song which is due for release in early 2020.
Talented producer Mike Trubetskov at EOL Studios was an absolute pleasure to work with on the album and he really helped to take everything to the next level. I feel like we have really achieved something special together with this and to say that I am excited for its release is a great understatement.
HAPPY: Could you tell us a bit about the song?
CHRIS: I actually wrote My Own Personal Hell around eight years ago as an outlet during a battle with depression. At the time, I was experiencing some health-related issues which had a devastating effect on my life and mental wellbeing. I started isolating myself from everyone and eventually the thought of suicide was consuming my thoughts daily because in my own head, knowing that there was “a way out” was oddly calming to me. The process of writing this song was very therapeutic for me and gave me the opportunity to express my grief in a creative way. The feedback I received from people who heard the song was incredible, with people asking me If I was okay and their offering support. To this day I am tremendously grateful for this. The message I hope to convey to people through this song is that they are not alone in this, there is help available and things do get better.
HAPPY: You’ve got a very raw, hard-hitting sound. Was it always intended to make this kind of music? Or did it just kind of flow out of you?
CHRIS: I started out with the focus on writing deep and emotive acoustic ballads. The lyrics and messages portrayed in a song are very important to me, so I try to write in such a way which allows the audience to connect and interpret the message on a personal level. Over time, I think my music has begun to shift to a heavier rock/metal style while keeping intact the raw emotive vibe I’ve always strived to achieve.
HAPPY: How do your songs generally come together? Do you have some sort of process, or is it different from track to track?
CHRIS: Generally speaking; it all depends on what is going on in my life at the time. Many of my songs were written during a period where I was dealing with significant changes in my life or stresses and challenges I was struggling to overcome. Most of the time, a lyric or melody just pops into my head while I’m going about my daily routine. When I get home, I’ll pick up my guitar and start building on it further from there. I currently have a large library of riffs, lyrics and melodies I have written over the years which I refer to regularly during the writing process.
HAPPY: Are there any other artists you’re really loving at the moment?
CHRIS: I listen to a wide variety of music. Anything from Jack Johnson through to Cannibal Corpse. My mood changes a fair bit in terms of what I listen too but I’m sure like a lot of people, I have my “go to” artists who I love to listen to regularly. I’m a big fan of Marilyn Manson, Static X and Arch Enemy. I find it really easy to turn up the volume and just lose myself in their music.
HAPPY: What’s next for Chris Gorsuch? Any other exciting plans in the works?
CHRIS: I am very excited to release my second single Conditioned which I have just finished shooting the music video for. The video was shot by talented director Darryl Moulton at Entertainment 88. He has done a fantastic job and the product is looking amazing. The single is due for release on 24th November this year, so I can’t wait to share it with you all. Marketing my upcoming album is my main focus right now but once it has been released in early 2020, I am very much looking forward to getting back into writing new material again.
HAPPY: Cheers for the chat!
CHRIS: Thank you very much for your time guys!
My Own Personal Hell is available now. Listen above.
