Basic Folk 134 – Chris Thile

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Chris Thile (Nickel Creek, The Punch Brothers) has been making music nonstop since he was 5 years old. His musical parents found him a mandolin, he started taking lessons and jamming at nearby Southern California pizza shops. He met Sara and Sean Watkins when he was 12 and started the band Nickel Creek. In the meantime Chris’ parents moved the family from California to Murray, Kentucky and really started getting serious about evangelical Christianity. This would have a huge impact on Chris; his new record, Laysongs, is asking a lot of questions surrounding his experience with religion as a young kid. He talks about the transition from being a family with no religion in their routine, to being amassed so intensely in one.

Another important aspect that comes along on the new album is Chris’ intense love for classical music. His grandparents gave him some pieces by Bach and set him up for a lifetime of studying and playing classical. He gets into what it was like to grow up alongside Sara and Sean as bandmates, friends and fellow Christians. One of the themes of the new album is about community: engaging in a community that you love. Chris recognized that he dissented from Christian community in his young adult life where everyone was thinking the same way- Chris felt excluded, so he left… Now in music, he’s found in a new community where everyone is thinking the same, so certain people are excluded. He talks about how the Pandemic has helped further shape those feelings about exclusionary community. We also get into a riveting conversation about Chris’ thoughts on writing simple pop music and one of his deepest passions: wine.

Official video for Laysongs

Chris’ new album Laysongs