Philadelphia-based hard blues rocker Christian O’Connor unveils the music video for “Castles Fall,” a track from his upcoming third album.
“Castles Fall” follows on the heels of “Wherever the Hammer Falls,” the first single released from the impending album. According to Christian, he has a series of new singles slated for release over the coming months, ranging from rock laced with trap, medium-core rock, and high-octane hardcore rock.
For Christian, music was primarily a hobby until he hit his teenage years. At age 19, Jennifer Paige brought him on as her guitarist, elevating his learning curve dramatically. Eventually, he began working with a number of other bands as a producer or adding his scorching licks to tracks.
In 2014, he dropped Dogma, Dharma, Grace, and Kharma, followed by 2017’s Wine over Water/Blood over Wine.
“Castles Fall” opens on a thumping kick-drum topped by Christian’s potent, rasping vocals. Flowing into a funky, bluesy rocker reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughn, the tune rumbles and rolls out on raw, hefty textures as gang-like harmonies infuse the lyrics with resonant dimension.
The video, created and edited by Christian, features Christian Orellana (bass), Moosh Money (rap, drums), Devon (keys, vocals), Ruby Bonilla (vocals), and Christian O’Connor (lead guitar, lead vocals).
XS Noize spoke with Christian O’Connor to discover the inspiration for “Castles Fall,” his influences, and what he’s got in the pipeline for the future.
What inspired your new single/music video, “Castles Fall?”
It is very meta because it’s about creating music itself. I’ve been an independent artist. From touring with Jennifer Paige as her guitarist to publishing 2 albums to tons of gigs up and down the East Coast and Midwest, music has become a way of life for me. I make a living doing my favourite thing, playing shows, and creating music. And I can do it until I’m dead. Castles fall but never go down. As long as we’re creating, the castles keep standing!
What do you want people to take away from the video?
I want people to understand that, first and foremost, we are a live band. We shot it at Morningstar Studios in East Norriton, PA, where I like to mix, and we spliced in a bunch of live footage from clubs and festivals. I threw in a little Blender animation of a castle exploding too, which felt like it captured the song’s overall energy.
How did you get started in music? What’s the backstory there?
As a hobby, I started when I was about 5. We actually used the pictures of my little 5-year-old self playing a shrunken down acoustic guitar on the artwork for my first album. I abandoned and re-started this hobby tons of times in my very early life. It started to get serious in my very early teen years, and then it turned into a job when I landed the gig as Jennifer Paige’s guitar and keyboard player at 19 for a U.S. tour. She was amazing. You might know her as a pop singer from her massive hit “Crush,” but what most people don’t know is that she’s a crazy talented multi-instrumentalist. She really taught me a lot about playing and producing in a way that doesn’t sound like a garage band. I still like garage bands, though.
Which musicians/vocalists influenced you the most?
Probably Led Zeppelin. I acquired a serious Led Zeppelin addiction in high school. I listened to all of their albums constantly. It was so good I almost felt like it was somehow bad for me, like eating too much chocolate cake. Jimmy Page has an amazing sound. I also listened to a lot of Nirvana, Pantera, Smashing Pumpkins, Lucinda Williams, Robert Randolph, Night Ranger, and Stevie Ray Vaughan . . . a pretty eclectic mix, plus tons of the guitar shredders from the ‘70s and ‘80s. One of my most cherished inspirations was Jef Lee Johnson. He’s a local Philadelphia guitar player who is one of the greats. And it’s not just me who thinks that. He played with Mariah Carey, George Duke, Rachelle Ferrell, Esperanza Spalding, Aretha Franklin, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Teddy Pendergrass, Al Jarreau and about a dozen other artists you’ve heard of. He actually played on my first album and watching him work was humbling, inspiring, and educational. I got to go to several other sessions with him as well, and watching him work provided some of the greatest memories of my life. He died in 2013, and I miss the heck out of him. Jef was one of a kind.
Which artists, in your opinion, are killing it right now?
I have been listening to Halsey’s Manic album lately. Also, I’ve been really rocking out to some trap stuff. I am a big fan of Moosh and Twist . . . so much so that I was able to get Moosh to perform on several of the songs from my new project. I like some of Tatiana DeMaria’s new music a lot, and Robert Randolph’s latest project is inspiring. I’m finding some interesting production coming from such diverse artists as Fat Nick, Shakewell, Ghostmane, and Denzel Curry on the rap front. There’s a lot of innovation coming out of the hard trap scene these days.
Why do you make music?
I make music because I’ll go crazy if I don’t. It’s my favourite thing in the world. I’m addicted.
Looking ahead, what’s next?
I’m planning to drop 18 songs over the next 18 months. I’m also exploring the connection between music as an art and crypto with respect to a multidimensional platform for exhibition. I’ve been coding and working with gamers over the past few years, and I see several virgin terrains through which I’d like to blaze a trail.
Watch ‘Castles Fall’ – BELOW:
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