Chris Walla

Chris Walla

Christopher Walla is the guitarist and producer for the band Death Cab for Cutie. He is also a former DJ of KCWU, 88.1 The Burg and along with Nathan Good participated in the Youth Wrestling Federation, a small-time indie group run and promoted by Bryan Alvarez [1]. Walla has also been a prolific producer in the Indie Rock community, earning production credits on more than a dozen albums in addition to Death Cab for Cutie's discography. Walla currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

Musical career

Early Bands

While in high school, Chris was in a short lived band called The Wallflowers, not to be confused with The Wallflowers (of California), and an early member of the Seattle, Washington band The Long Winters.

Death Cab for Cutie

Main article: Death Cab for Cutie

While Death Cab for Cutie was only considered a solo project of Ben Gibbard, Chris Walla contributed vocals for four of the tracks on the album You Can Play These Songs with Chords, as well as electric guitar. Walla was subsequently recruited as a full member of the band along with Nicholas Harmer and Nathan Good.

Solo projects

Walla has a solo project called Martin Youth Auxiliary. Most of these releases, however, have never been fully exposed to the general public. Under this name, one cassette was recorded and released in 1999 on Elsinor Records; only several dozen copies were made. Walla has been claiming that he will release a new MYA record for about four years. Recently he announced that in 2007 he will release an album under this name on Barsuk Records, the previous home of Death Cab for Cutie and many of the bands Walla has worked with or produced. MYA shows are very rare as well, however, they are almost always recorded.

Walla announced on his site that he would be releasing a new solo album in 2007 and Barsuk Records agreed to release the album, entitled Field Manual. The album was initially set for release in March 2007 but was subsequently delayed until January 2008. Field Manual was finally released on January 29, 2008. Barsuk has made the track "Sing Again" from Field Manual available for free download from their website. Field Manual reportedly contains two tracks that were left off Death Cab for Cutie's album Plans.

Hall of Justice

Chris Walla has also founded his own recording studio in Portland, Oregon named the Hall of Justice. In 2005 Walla launched his own website, the Hall of Justice Recording, on which he has since made a number of blog posts. However, the main draw of the site is a few dozen mp3 files of Walla's solo songs, which he offers free of charge.

Discography

As musician

Solo

As Martin Youth Auxiliary

• Martin Youth Auxiliary (Cassette) - Elsinor - 1999

As Chris Walla

• Field Manual (CD) - Barsuk - 2008

With Death Cab for Cutie

Main article: Death Cab for Cutie § Discography

• You Can Play These Songs with Chords (1997, Elsinor)
• Something About Airplanes (1998, Barsuk)
• We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes (2000, Barsuk)
• The Forbidden Love E.P. (2000, Barsuk)
• The Photo Album (2001, Barsuk)
• The Stability E.P. (2002, Barsuk)
• You Can Play These Songs with Chords (2002 re-release, Barsuk)
• Transatlanticism (2003, Barsuk)
• Studio X Sessions E.P. (2004 digital-only release, Barsuk)
• The John Byrd E.P. (2005, Barsuk)
• Plans (2005, Atlantic)
• iTunes Originals - Death Cab for Cutie (2005 digital-only release, Atlantic)
• Narrow Stairs (2008, Atlantic)

Other Credits

• The Long Winters, The Worst You Can Do Is Harm (2002, Barsuk) - Guitar, Bass, Baritone, Hammond, Harmony Vocals, Drum Kit, Trap Kit, Melodihorn
• The Long Winters, When I Pretend to Fall (2003, Barsuk) - Guitar
• Rocky Votolato, "Light and Sound EP" (2003, Second Nature) - Electric Guitar, Bass
• Travis Morrison, Travistan (2004, Barsuk) - Organ, Synthesizer, Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Xylophone, Melodica, Drum Machine
• The Decemberists, Picaresque (2005, Kill Rock Stars) - Electric Guitar
• Nada Surf, The Weight Is a Gift (2005, Barsuk) - Guitar, Keyboards
• The Long Winters, Putting The Days to Bed (2006, Barsuk) - Guitar, Piano
• The Decemberists, The Crane Wife (2006, Capitol) - Keyboards, Background Vocals
• Tegan and Sara, The Con (2007, Sire) - Guitars, Keyboards, Organ, Shakers, Cymbals, Tiny Guitars, Bass

As producer

In addition to the Death Cab for Cutie discography, Walla has assisted in production of the following albums:

• Carissa's Wierd, Songs About Leaving (2002, Sad Robot) - Production, Mixing,
• The Long Winters, The Worst You Can Do Is Harm (2002, Barsuk) - Production, Engineering, Mixing, Tape Splicing
• The Velvet Teen, Out of the Fierce Parade (2002, Slowdance) - Production, Engineering
• Hot Hot Heat, Knock Knock Knock (EP) (2002, Sub Pop) - Production, Engineering
• Hot Hot Heat, Make Up The Breakdown (2002, Sub Pop) - Mixing, Engineering
• The Thermals, More Parts per Million (2003, Sub Pop) - Mixing
• The Long Winters, When I Pretend to Fall (2003, Barsuk) - Production, Engineering, Mixing, Mixing Advisor, Recording
• The Thermals, Fuckin A (2004, Sub Pop) - Engineering
• Travis Morrison, Travistan (2004, Barsuk) - Production, Sampling
• The Decemberists, Picaresque (2005, Kill Rock Stars) - Production, Mixing
• Nada Surf, The Weight Is a Gift (2005, Barsuk) - Production, Engineering, Photography
• The Decemberists, The Crane Wife (2006, Capitol) - Production, Mixing
• Tegan and Sara, The Con (2007, Sire) - Production
• So Many Dynamos, Untitled Upcoming Release (2008/upcoming, Skrocki) - Production

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