The multi-talented star of ABC’s “Nashville” Chris Carmack sat down in an exclusive interview with The Shotgun Seat to discuss the much anticipated release of his EP Pieces of You. Citing influences such as Muddy Waters, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, it is evident that Carmack channeled his high school jazz band days when recording his first collection of independent music. Though involved in music from a young age, acting took precedence. “I was part of a really strong drama program in high school and began to receive really strong accolades and awards,” Carmack says, “so I decided it was something I wanted to pursue professionally.”
Carmack attended NYU and continued to build his acting career; though it was a dream realized, he found that, as with any job, it came with frustrations and downsides. “What you realize when you start a professional career in something no matter how idealistic it is or how much of a dream it is or how much you enjoy doing it, it becomes a job and profession,” he says. “Of course I have moments in my career that are blissful and creatively fulfilling and amazing but I have many moments in my career that are not.” He decided to keep his passion for music very pure and for himself.
Carmack is grateful for the incredible opportunities that acting on ABC’s “Nashville” has presented, including the ability to now pursue a music career on the side. “Being on Nashville meant I could continue to do it for myself, I could just do it better,” Carmack says. “I could make some really great recordings, I could tour and perform in front of bigger audiences and I don’t have to sacrifice but voice or my vision or my musical sensibilities because here I was given this amazing platform and nobody telling me what to do.”
Pieces of You released today to iTunes and Spotify is a blend of Carmack’s bluesy influences with a dab of country and jazzy melodies, a stark contrast to the music he shares as his Nashville character Will Lexington. “These songs are drawn from my greatest influences, jazz and blues. It is some of the music I’ve spent the most time with over the years. Jazz and blues are a strong influence of mine and it does date back to my days on saxophone listening to Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and playing those melodies.”
Carmack shared his process of creating the songs. “I would say these songs in particular are some of the most personal, they are all very autobiographical of people that are near and dear to me,” Carmack says. “I usually play the guitar to escape. I will practice scales and arpeggios and these are the things that for me are like meditation, they really center me and make me feel relaxed. After a certain amount of time melodies enter my head and chord changes start to happen and then words start to form and once that sort of in-road to a song begins, it’s very organic then I can start flushing it out.”
As a songwriter, his process for creating music is vastly different from the character he plays on Nashville. “When Will Lexington goes into the recording studio and starts working on music he says, ‘What’s going to be a hit, what’s on the charts right now what sounds current?’ and when I went in to make this EP with my friends we said, ‘Okay, we don’t care about what’s current, we don’t care about what’s hip, let’s make something we are proud of and let’s just make sure we think it’s good because if we do then we will all be happy with it’.” He and his character don’t just differ sonically. “Will Lexington covets the spotlight a little more than I do,” Carmack continues. “I love what I do, I love my job, I love acting, making music, being on stage and performing music and being part of a band. Will really loves that spotlight and wants to be that front man and I think celebrity is a little bit of his goal.”
Articulate and expressive, Carmack’s enthusiasm for releasing his original EP was evident. Take a listen to his EP Pieces of You and catch him as Will Lexington on ABC’s Nashville on Wednesday nights at 10:00 pm EST.