We spoke to Chris Oledude about his genre blending sound rooted in funky pop progressive rock folk gospel and musical theater shaped by early classical folk and classic rock influences and later transformed by a deep embrace of rhythm and groove. He also discussed his activist minded album Preacher Man Vol. 1 the culmination of decades of growth plus standout pandemic era and fundraiser performances that helped define his career.
How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it?
My music is a mix of funky pop, progressive rock and folk — with dashes of gospel and musical theater. I was raised on classical music (Beethoven is my favorite composer), folk music (Pete Seeger and many others), 60s and 70s rock — most importantly The Beatles and Elton John.
How has your sound evolved since you first started making music?
My first songs were rooted in a basic folk-rock structure, which is what I was used to, with some Motown flavoring. I was particularly inspired by Elton John. His music combined good lyrics with different musical styles and a very straightforward song structure. I did not, however, focus on rhythm as THE essential element of my work — I was a singer not a dancer!During my college years, I was immersed in everything from Bob Marley to the Crusaders and George Benson, to Jethro Tull, to Billy Joel, Boston and Kansas, to Michael Jackson and Prince, to gospel songs to Earth Wind & Fire, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, to the first rap records … you get the drift. The world had changed. The biggest shift for me was the emphasis on rhythm. I finally realized that any message I wanted to convey needed a strong rhythmic foundation. The new challenge was to craft the right rhythms.
What’s a bizarre or unexpected inspiration behind one of your songs?
Having been raised in the folk tradition, there are three songs on the album that “borrow” concepts. The melodic foundation of “The Choice” is a song associated with the end-of-year holiday season. The rhythmic foundation of the lyrics in “No Crowns For Clowns” is William Blake’s famous poem, “The Tyger.” The biggest twist I experienced with the songwriting was “Orange Blues”, now “Orange Blues 24.” In this song, I bemoan and decry the impact of our nation’s leader on the individual psyche — the derailment of “normalcy” — by hijacking an old, traditional Scottish/Celtic/English folk song, “Black Is The Color Of My True Love’s Hair,” and infusing it with a lusty desire for triumph over those “Orange Blues” (a/k/a Trumpocracy). It’s a wild romp, indeed!
What’s the most memorable moment of your music career so far?
Well, it’s easy to say that the release of my first real album, PREACHER MAN – VOL. 1, has been the most memorable moment of my music career for me personally. The work and detail involved was taxing and pushed me to utilize everything I have absorbed about music — and failed to absorb. In fairness, however, the most memorable performance moment was in 2022. I sponsored a birthday party for myself as a fundraiser for the Peoples’ Voice Cafe in New York City, as well as two other organizations. We had a 16-person ensemble performing and livestreaming in a Brooklyn recording studio. Masks were everywhere, since the COVID pandemic was still going on. A good time was had by all and we raised more money for the PVC than any single fundraising event in decades! [ You can watch the two-hour event here: https://youtu.be/QNYo4Yr25qI?si=uNBnaDlzpbYKiebU ]A close third would be a recording session I held at the start of the pandemic (2020) in Woodstock, NY. We had about 15 people gathered on a beautiful June day. Almost everyone was outdoors — spread around a lawn — and the engineer “threw the cables out the window” to the collection of socially-distanced singers and instrumentalists in waiting. We recorded tracks for three songs that day — one of which, “Orange Blues 24”, is on the new album.
Tell us all you can about your latest release and where and when to find it?
In 1984, I crammed dozens of tracks for 10 songs through an 8-channel board and created an album-length cassette. That recording was inspired by my first encounter with the People’s Music Network for Songs of Freedom and Struggle. I wanted to create songs that could speak to large, diverse audiences. Given all the things I did NOT know as a rookie 25 year-old, the cassette was an admirable effort, but fell far short of what I was really looking for. Now, 40-plus years later, I have created the record I was dreaming of — and hopefully the first of several! Artists are always exploring and learning to do better! PREACHER MAN – VOL. 1 is made up of 11 original works covering a few decades of composition. The goal is to take the listener on a journey from the identification of our challenges to the embrace of an activist response. There are multiple genres represented and I had a hard time deciding which songs to include. The album is 58 minutes long (too long for a vinyl version) and it moves very quickly. You can find the singles I have released on all the streaming platforms and you can purchase ALL of them at a great discount from our Oledude shop [ https://www.artivistus.com/shop?category=CHRIS%20OLEDUDE%20CURRENT%20RELEASES ] along with the album itself. Both the digital and CD versions of the album PREACHER MAN – VOL. 1 are on sale from our shop at great prices! (We should have some additional merch ready to go before March 1st.) The singles have received positive attention from reviewers and listeners, and I am grateful to everyone who has been experiencing my music! I hope to continue pleasing, moving and motivating for years to come.Peace and Love always!