Story by Kelsey Rzepecki
Photos as noted
Portland singer and songwriter Christian Burghardt began his career at age nineteen, strumming a guitar and recording tracks in his college dorm room. With expressive vocals and an acoustic rock feel, Burghardt won SongwriterUniverse’s Best Song Of The Month contest in June 2005 with his song “Someday.” Growing increasingly serious about his music, Burghardt, on advice from his manager, decided to find a sound bigger than his own; hence the formation of his band of the same name, Christian Burghardt.
The group includes guitarist and back-up vocalist Sam Larson, bassist Robert Melanson, and drummer Matt French. Inspiration from the downtown urban, laid-back style of the city is reflected through their physical presence as well as their pop-rock sound.
Burghardt says when he first started writing music he listened to a lot of Switchfoot and got inspiration from artists such as John Mayer and Jason Mraz. Current songwriting, Melanson says, involves “a lot of listening, playing and experimenting. Christian starts with a vision of a song and we all build a foundation around it.”
The group’s music has the same effect on people as the artists Burghardt looks to with heartfelt, relatable lyrics and the front man’s smooth-as pudding voice.
“I try to make the songs as real as possible,” Burghardt says. “I heard once from somewhere, if a song doesn’t capture an emotion it’s just an essay. I try to hold true to that within my songwriting.”
During their time together, age, Larson says, has been the main struggle the group has faced.
“Our biggest issue has been people taking a group of twenty-two-year olds seriously,” he says. “However, I think we have gained a lot of respect as a band over the last four months from the better musicians around Portland.”
It took Burghardt and band two years to produce their first album in Portland professionally as well as three music videos for their songs “Say My Name,” “Dream To Me,” and “Love Casualty.” Most recently on February 10 the group hosted a CD release show at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland following a December 18 performance at the Hawthorne Theater.
The group plans to add a pianist and violinist to add versatility and edge to the overall sound. Their management team has expanded to Los Angeles, and the band is beginning to put together a press package to start shopping for record labels.
“The Portland scene is not the most conducive market for unsigned artists,” Burghardt says about the changes. “We play shows to try and expand our fan base but the real point in playing shows is to practice for the showcases at record labels.”
In the meantime, Burghardt, Larson, Melanson, and French will continue to perform and play for as many people who will listen. As Burghardt says: “That’s what music’s about right, to make you feel something. If you’re not capable of doing that, you shouldn’t be making music.”
Despite Youth, Portland Band Attracts Notice
Ethos
March 9, 2011
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