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Interview with One Less Reason’s Cris Brown

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The Memphis, Tennessee based band, One Less Reason, recently released their sixth studio album, The Memories Uninvited. The album delivers deep and meaningful lyrics, along with revisiting some of the band’s older styles. The lead singer of the band, Cris Brown, states that their music is more lyrically heavy than musically heavy. “There’s always a message. It’s all based around those four letter words – love, hate, pain, hope. I want people to feel the record more so than just hear it.”

We had the opportunity to chat with Cris and talk One Less Reason’s new album. Check it out below!

Your sixth album, The Memories Uninvited, just recently came out. Can you tell us about the recording process behind the album?

“The recording process was long and drawn out because this was the first time I didn’t have a record label or a manager breathing down my neck. I recorded this album seven or eight times until I got the final project done. I would record a song, figure out what I liked and hated about it. Then I would change the song and re-record it until I liked the final project.”

What was your vision for the album?
“My vision was not to deviate from what we have done in previous albums. I didn’t want our fan base to think we were trying to be something that we are not. I also wanted to make this album current through adding some programming and what not. We also went back to some screaming that we used to do on the first few records. I still wanted this album to be on par with the previous albums.”

Do you have a favorite track off the record?
Probably “The Lie.”

You recently filmed the music video for “Break Me.” What was that experience like?
“It was 104 degrees and we had pyro, which probably made it around 115 degrees. We were at a motor speedway surrounded by people, so there was no air getting through. Trying to keep makeup on in 110 degrees proved to be an experience because it just turned into mud at some point. It was a cool experience. It was exactly what I expected it to be.”

You have said your songs are more lyrically heavy than musically heavy. What is your songwriting process like?
“All of my songs start out with me acoustically or me and the piano. I start it off with me and just one other instrument. If people like the song with just you and the piano, then it’s definitely a good song. Once you add all the bells and whistles to it, it should make it better.”

Where is the strangest place you have written a song?
“My manager would kill me but probably in the bathroom. The final parts to ‘Uneasy’ were written in the bathroom.”

You will be touring with Sick Puppies this fall. What are you most looking forward to?
“Getting out there and seeing some old fans we have seen over the decade. At some point, fans become friends. I am excited to see some old faces, as well as meeting some new people. I haven’t toured in four years so it’ll be nice to go out and make my rounds again. I am really excited to play some new stuff. I am ready to play this one. I have a great feeling about this record, so we are going to play it a ton live.”

Be sure to catch One Less Reason on their fall tour with Sick Puppies through October!

 

Twenty two year old Sports, Arts and Entertainment Management graduate from Pittsburgh, PA. Avid concert goer, music lover, and travel enthusiast.