Chris Staples

Chris Staples recorded his latest album, Holy Moly, in his garage late at night all throughout 2018. About this period in his life, he writes, "I quit drinking in 2018 and it sort of re-sensitized me to life. It reminded me of being a teenager. I used to write lots of songs and poems as a kid. It was how I coped. In my thirties, drinking sort of kept me from having to be inquisitive. Writing wasn't as important. Since I quit drinking my evenings are full of thoughts and questions. Writing became more frequent and automatic as I engaged with ideas in this way. There's a popular notion in the arts that alcohol makes you creative, but I've found the opposite to be true. Being sober put me back in touch with a creative energy that I'd been hiding from for a long time.

"I would work on [Holy Moly] for a few months and walk away. I did this several times. Every time I came back I would have a fresh perspective and find that some of the songs were great and some of them I never wanted to hear again. I would pick the best songs of each two month period and eventually I had a record. Holy Moly, as an expression, communicates a sort of disbelief. I feel like I see and hear a lot of things these days that I can barely believe. I find myself saying Holy Moly often."