Chris Walla

Chris Walla
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Ryan Walla
Born	(1975-11-02) November 2, 1975 Bothell, Washington
Genres	Indie rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer
Instruments	Guitar Vocals Piano bass
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Barsuk Atlantic Elsinor
Associated acts	Death Cab for Cutie Martin Youth Auxiliary
Website	www.deathcabforcutie.com

Christopher Ryan Walla (born November 2, 1975) is an American musician and music producer, most notable for being the guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie. He is also a former DJ of KCWU, 88.1 The Burg. Walla has also been a prolific producer in the Indie rock community, earning production credits on dozens of albums in addition to Death Cab for Cutie's discography.

Musical career

Early bands

While in high school in the early 1990s, Walla was in a short-lived band called The Wallflowers, not to be confused with The Wallflowers (of California). Later, in 2001, he was an early member of the Seattle, Washington band The Long Winters.

Death Cab for Cutie

Main article: Death Cab for Cutie

Death Cab for Cutie began in 1996 when Ben Gibbard needed help recording new songs he had written as a side project from his main endeavor, Pinwheel. Chris Walla, who had recently acquired new recording equipment, offered his time and gear helping capture the material, resulting in an 8-song cassette for the project, You Can Play These Songs with Chords. Walla was recruited as a full member of the band in 1997 along with Nick Harmer and Nathan Good. Good subsequently left the band in 2000, replaced by new drummer Michael Schorr – he too left, in 2003, and the band's third and incumbent drummer, Jason McGerr, stepped in.

Solo projects

Walla has recorded a lot of solo material, some of which has been released under the moniker Martin Youth Auxiliary. Most of these efforts, however, have never been intended for general release. Under this name, one cassette was recorded and released in 1999 on Elsinor Records; only several dozen copies were made. Martin Youth Auxiliary shows are also very rare, but there are few that have not been recorded. In the past, Walla has stated plans to release a Martin Youth Auxiliary record, but his first solo album was eventually released under his own name.

On January 29, 2008, Walla released Field Manual on Barsuk Records. Barsuk has made the track "Sing Again" from Field Manual available for free download from their website. Before its release, it was reported that Field Manual would feature two tracks that were recorded for Death Cab for Cutie's album Plans, but whether this is the case is unconfirmed.

Studios

Chris Walla founded his own recording studio located within his home in Portland, Oregon named the Alberta Court. Prior to moving to Portland, from 2000 to 2005, he was the owner/proprietor of Seattle's legendary recording studio, the Hall of Justice, where Death Cab and many NW luminaries (Nirvana, etc.) recorded over the years. In 2012, Walla began rebuilding the Hall of Justice after moving back to Seattle.

Discography

Producer/Engineer/Mixer/Writer

Selected credits

• Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys (2011) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Death Cab for Cutie, The Twilight Saga: New Moon (soundtrack) (2009) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Death Cab for Cutie, The Open Door EP (2009) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs (2008) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Death Cab for Cutie, Plans (2005) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Death Cab for Cutie, Transatlanticism (2003) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Death Cab for Cutie, The Stability EP (2002) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Death Cab for Cutie, You Can Play These Songs with Chords (2002) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Death Cab for Cutie, The Photo Album (2001) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Death Cab for Cutie, The Forbidden Love EP (2000) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Death Cab for Cutie, We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes (2000) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Death Cab for Cutie, Something About Airplanes (1998) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer

• The Lonely Forest, Arrows (2011) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• Ra Ra Riot, The Orchard (2010) – Mixer
• Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Let It Sway (2010) – Producer, Engineer
• The Thermals, Personal Life (2010) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• Gordon Downie, The Grand Bounce (2010) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• Tegan and Sara, Sainthood (2009) – Co-producer, Engineer
• Telekinesis, Telekinesis! (2009) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• So Many Dynamos, The Loud Wars (2009) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• Mates of State, Re-Arrange Us (2008) – Producer, Engineer, Loops
• Youth Group, The Night Is Ours (2008) – Guitar, Vocals (background), Mixer
• Nada Surf, Lucky (2008) – Engineer
• Chris Walla, Field Manual (2008) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Writer
• Tegan and Sara, The Con (2007) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• The Decemberists, The Crane Wife (2006) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• Youth Group, Casino Twilight Dogs (2005) – Mixer
• Youth Group, Forever Young (2005) – Mixer
• Nada Surf, The Weight Is a Gift (2005) – Producer, Engineer
• The Decemberists, Picaresque (2005) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• The Decemberists, The Tain (2005) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• The Thermals, Fuckin A (2004) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• The Long Winters, When I Pretend to Fall (2003) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• The Postal Service, Give Up (2003) – Engineer, Piano, Drums, Vocals
• The Stratford 4, Love & Distortion (2003) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• The Thermals, More Parts per Million (2003) – Mixer
• Rocky Votolato, Suicide Medicine (2003) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• Rocky Votolato, Light and Sound EP (2003) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• David Cross, Shut Up, You Fucking Baby! (2002) – Engineer
• Carissa's Wierd, Songs About Leaving (2002) – Engineer, Mixer
• Hot Hot Heat, Knock Knock Knock (EP) (2002) – Producer, Engineer
• Hot Hot Heat, Make Up The Breakdown (2002) – Additional Recording, Mixer
• The Long Winters, The Worst You Can Do Is Harm (2002) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
• Nada Surf, Let Go (2002) – Engineer, Mixer
• The Velvet Teen, Out of the Fierce Parade (2002) – Producer, Engineer

External links

• 20 Questions to Christopher Walla from 2000.
• Hall of Justice Recording
• Review of Chris Walla's "Field Manual" 1
• Review of Chris walla's "Field Manual" 2
• Chris Walla interview, Jan. 2008