After four decades collaborating with acts like the Psychedelic Furs and Siouxsie and the Banshees, the veteran guitarist has created his first deeply personal project—a book and album documenting his return to the Connecticut coast.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On guitarist Knox Chandler.
Knox's name might ring a bell from his work with The Psychedelic Furs, Siouxsie and the Banshees, or maybe from his string arrangements on Depeche Mode's Exciter. However, his latest project takes an entirely different turn. After decades in the music business bouncing between New York, Berlin, and stages around the world, Knox found himself back in his Connecticut hometown caring for his aging mother.
What started as a personal necessity became an artistic revelation. His new project, The Sound, is a collection of guitar-driven soundscapes and a book of paintings, photographs, and written meditations, all capturing his rediscovery of the Long Island Sound shoreline where he grew up. It's part memoir, part nature journal, and completely unlike anything else you'll hear this year.
Knox is here to walk us through this ambitious multimedia project and share how returning home can lead to your most honest and creative work.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Knox Chandler’s album The Sound)
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[00:01:58] New York Trajectories
[00:03:15] New Haven's Musical History
[00:05:08] Connecticut's Industrial Past and Environmental Recovery
[00:08:43] Native American Heritage and Musical Connections
[00:11:47] Returning Home: From Berlin to the Shoreline
[00:16:06] The Genesis of "The Sound" Project
[00:20:25] Reimagining the Album Format
[00:24:50] Why This Music Came Differently
[00:29:45] The Soundribbons Technique Explained
[00:36:15] From Tourist to Authentic Artist
[00:43:18] The Frog Symphony and Natural Composition
[00:46:12] Self-Indulgence vs. Artistic Truth
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Visit Knox Chandler at https://knoxchandlermusic.com
and follow him on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/knoxchandler
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/knox.chandler.3
and YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@knoxchandlervideo
Purchase Knox Chandler's The Sound book/album from Blue Elastic → https://knoxchandlermusic.com/product/the-sound
or Bandcamp → https://knoxchandler.bandcamp.com/album/the-sound-2
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://album.link/i/1798146032
For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com
Be sure to check out The Tonearm, our new magazine site featuring fascinating perspectives and conversations with creative people → https://www.thetonearm.com
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