One of the big inspirations behind the launched our Blogger Spotlight series was a shared desire amongst all our employees to highlight the individuals who have taken on the responsibility of keeping everyone informed on the latest and greatest music available today. We’ve found that music bloggers, for the most part, live in the shadows of our business. They post the articles you enjoy and promote the bands you depend on to make it through the week, but nine times out of ten you probably don’t even know their real name. Some don’t even make their real names public. Our goals with this column is to commend bloggers for their hard work, as well as learn about the motivation behind their dedication to keeping people informed about the music community at large, and I can think of no person more deserving of acknowledgment right now than Chris Hampton II.
If you’re an active member of the alternative music community there is only a slim chance you have yet to encounter Chris Hampton’s work. He’s the guy who found himself attending Warped Tour the same morning news broke that Front Porch Step, an artist accused of sexual misconduct with fans who are/were minors, would be playing an unannounced set on the very tour that had removed him from their lineup months prior. Chris could have easily gone about his day as if it were any other and enjoyed the bands he came to see, but instead Chris took it upon himself to be the eyes and ears for concerned music fans and professionals around the globe. He followed the developments around FPS’ appearance, captured video of his time on stage, and made it a point to keep a constant eye on his feeds for questions or information requests from followers. He did more to bring attention to the Front Porch Step controversy in one afternoon than many had been able to do in month, and I know on that day we needed to bring Chris and his journey in music to the Haulix blog.
Today, about six weeks after that busy day, I’m proud and excited to finally share a lengthy conversation with Chris about his work with you, The Haulix Daily reader. Chris is much more than the day he spend covering Front Porch Step, and in the interview that follows we dig into his long history in music, as well as his hopes for the future of his career. I think there is something for everyone to take away from the experiences Chris has shared, and I hope you feel the same as you read our discussion. If you want more from Chris, click here to follow him on Twitter.
H: Hello, Chris. Will you please help us begin by telling our readers a few places where your work can be found?
C: My home on the internet is switchbitchnoise.com and most of my writing is published there.
H: I first discovered your writing through Twitter, actually. Have you found that to be true for others?
C: It’s pretty interesting that you mention that because I feel that’s how I connect with most people. Twitter is a fun place and can also be pretty great for making that first contact. I’ve gained a lot of clients and gotten a lot of work through Twitter connections–I’ve also been turned on to some great music and found a few breaking stories based on Twitter connections. It’s a great, short-form medium that can lead to some substantial relationships.
H: It’s funny how the age of social media has changed the way we discover things. I’m sure someone shared an article of yours, or maybe we followed one another and I learned about your work from there. Either way, I’m happy it worked out. How long have you been writing?
C: Hey, I’m glad we’ve connected as well! I’ve been a fan/user of Haulix for a bit and I really enjoy your work. I’ve been writing seriously since 2006. In high school I was involved with the school newspaper and had a zine that I distributed to my friends. In college I studied History; a subject which involves a great deal of intense writing and research. I also had an underground newspaper that I started with one of my best friends. I did not get involved music journalism until very recently…probably around 2013. That’s around the time SwitchBitch Noise was started. I was able to get in with a bunch of people I really respect, including my “mentor” of sorts, Mike Abusio.
H: Do you have an idols or people you look to as inspiration for giving the world of writing a chance?
C: Absolutely. I’ve always obsessed over the intellectual circle that took part in the French Resistance during World War II. Those guys didn’t have conventional weapons but they use the power of information to take every shot they could at a really oppressive, evil thing. They found the way to remain objective in their purpose and reporting without being disconnected or apathetic. I used to have this portrait in my office when I was younger of Albert Camus, that’s a guy I really respect.
Gerard Way is another big inspiration for me. My Chemical Romance has been and will always be one of my favorite bands. I really appreciate the stance that band took on a lot of issues that seem to still plague the scene today; however, what sticks with me the most is how Gerard has always stayed true to himself and really let his creative energy define who he is and what he does. Having idols can be a be cheesey, especially when you are getting older and you see some the less-than-favorable traits they possessed. I think it’s important to accept that our past, especially our interests and idols, sets the stage for who we become but they don’t have to define us forever.
H: You are a part of the SwitchBitch Records family, which I guess may fall under the heading of your ‘main job.’ Can you tell us a bit about your role with the company?
C: I was actually part of a band that was signed to SwitchBitch Records in 2013, “Ramsey.” Touring and music play a smaller part of my life right now but I’ve been a touring musician since I was 5 years old. Mike really took me under his wing and taught me so much about the music industry. He’s helped me, in so many ways, accomplish the goals I set for myself. It’s interesting you used the word “family” because that is what most accurately defines SwitchBitch Records. Everyone works together as a team. After my band broke up I was in a strange limbo, like most musicians are when that sort of thing happens, and SwitchBitch helped me find role. We started SwitchBitch Noise as fun project but I feel it’s quickly turning into something more substantial.
H: Your career in writing has really been taking off in 2015, thanks in no small part to your role in sharing Front Porch Step’s return to Warped Tour with the world. You were on site the day FPS performed in Nashville earlier this summer, and it was your video that made the rounds on essentially every music blog in existence. Can you tell us a bit about that day, how everything developed, and how you felt about the way things unfolded in the days following the release of the video?
C: Warped Tour in Nashville was a complete mess this year. I think it took me over an hour to find the production/catering area on the fairgrounds, even after asking staff and security. The rain made everyone pretty miserable and when it rains in Nashville it almost always floods. Most of my interviews were cancelled that day due to the weather moving or suspending set times. I was actually informed through twitter of the rumor that Front Porch Step was playing in the Acoustic Basement. A few people reached out to me to tweet photos to confirm this, so I did. I spoke with Danielle, Warped’s PR liaison this year, to confirm and she did only to add that Front Porch Step would not be available for press and that Kevin was not making a comment on the issue.
I was aware of the controversy surrounding Jake and felt a bit concerned about his presence. I made an attempt to speak with Kevin, not as a member of the press pool but as someone who has been apart of the tour as patron for many years and has played at Warped Tour in the past as a musician. This was also declined. I understand Kevin had other issues to deal with that day and I don’t hold that against him; I have always respected what he brings to the music community. What did concern me was the laissez attitude toward the incident in the aftermath. I knew that this was going to be a big issue because of the way that society is more rapidly becoming of aware of these social concerns that were always swept under the rug before. I feel concerned because of the damage it has done to the Warped Tour brand and that some people have turned this into a “witch hunt.” I really would never wish harm on Jake Mcelfresh; although, I would say that there are a lot of issues which remain unaddressed about his situation and that needs to be corrected.
H: When you were on the ground, did you have any idea your perspective on the events of that day would be used and reinterpreted by people around the world? Did you think you were the only one on top of the story?
C: I had no idea that I would receive any attention, at all. I was very surprised to see that my twitter feed was being published on Alt Press and that Billboard Magazine was asking to interview me regarding the situation. I thought I had just posted some photos and videos and the issue would move into the hands of more major players in music journalism. I certainly did not cover the story thinking that I would become an object of interest and I felt I remained objective in my writing and reporting on the issue.
H: What kind of blow back or criticism, if any, did you receive from your coverage of the FPS events?
C: I received minor criticism from some anonymous posts who managed to find my tumblr blog (which is essentially nothing but pictures of cats and Gerard Way) but I did feel that most of the people who supported Jake being on Warped Tour had the prescience that their opinion would not be well received by the majority of people within the scene and the music community. Unexpectedly, I did receive a word of caution from my current employer–one of the primary sponsors of Warped Tour–that I should not speak too harshly in public about Warped Tour or Kevin. As of yet this has not affected my job. It has affected a few people I know in incredibly negative ways and I certainly feel the least disparaged. I am either unaware of most of the criticism or I haven’t received any serious criticism. I feel badly for those that have and hope that they will be encouraged by the positive response to speak out and know there will be support for them.
H: Your role in the FPS story extends beyond Nashville. Can you tell us a bit about what came next?
C: I feel that the root of the issue–why Front Porch Step playing Warped Tour was such a big concern and why other, similar incidents in the scene remain unaddressed–is that there is a lack of personal accountability for one’s actions. We live, as we previously talked about, in a society driven by social media and that can be very problematic because it creates an air of competition and selfishness in areas of life that are about community. I found myself in a position to be of benefit to some people and I used that opportunity to do what I could to make my environment a better and, what I feel is a safer, place. I won’t go into any specifics regarding my involvement or what happened after Warped Tour because that is not my story to tell, but I have been able to speak with Autumn Lavis as a result of this situation. Kevin Lyman made a challenge though his twitter account to come up with solutions rather than lodge complaints. We have coordinated with various music industry professionals and women’s groups in Nashville and in other cities to discuss possible solutions to this and other issues that exist at Warped Tour and virtually every venue and green room you can think of.
H: Some may say you’ve smeared the lines between yourself and your story. Would you say that is true? You have become a pretty integral character in certain events.
C: I think there is a different in remaining objective in reporting and apathetic on an issue that affects so many people. My duty to the world around me outweighs my duty to a publication and I do not feel that this should be a controversial issue on which to voice an opinion. My original story did not contain any opinions, nor did I inject them in so many of the tweets that were published and the videos I posted. I felt it very important to have an objective record so that others would be able to see this event and form their own opinion. I would never use some of the platforms that I’ve been given to spread my opinions because I feel that is insincere. Most of the “blurring” has been in my personal life. There are parts of this story that I do not talk about because it is not for me to tell, regardless of my involvement. It is equally important to know when your silence on an issue allows a more informed voice to be heard and your actions can make a bigger statement by allowing a space for that perspective to be recognized than writing or speaking on an issue.
H: I believe you are more than this one story/summer, so I don’t want to spend all our time talking about it. Before we move on however, I would like to know what you would like to see happen within the scene as far as people taking action against sexual misconduct and the perpetrators of it are concerned.
C: Well, I am working on that. I can’t speak for every perspective and I certainly would never try to represent the women and, let’s be honest about what they are, children who have been wronged as an authority on the female perspective. Autumn and I have been consulting with pretty much anyone that will offer an insightful opinion on the issue. I have been speaking with a lot of music industry professionals in Nashville, including some bands that have had a major presence at Warped Tour over the years, to gather real ideas that can be turned into simple, tangible solutions for the specific issues that Warped Tour has had and to hold the right people accountable. I would love to have Kevin take this idea seriously and to speak to him about it. I think that’s a start to fixing a serious problem. I think it also runs much deeper than Warped Tour. What an ideal solution looks like, to me, begins with education and is one where we hold the right people accountable without any unnecessary crossfire.
H: I know you didn’t expect to be as involved with FPS as you have been, but have you started to think about what you next big bit of coverage might be?
C: Nashville is my home right now and I’ve become increasingly attached to this city. I’m looking to find the right ways to get involved and bring a degree of serious writing about ethics in music industry. You can never accurately predict where you are going to end up, especially when it comes to music journalism, but I would love to see my writing become part of a bigger movement to effect positive change. Whatever I’m doing next, I hope it allows me to help other people as much as I would be help myself.
H: After a summer as busy as yours, I’m curious what goals you’ve set for the fall. Do you have anyone you wish to work with? Stories you feel need to be told?
C: I think there’s still a bigger story concerning Warped Tour and what Warped Tour 2016 is going to look like. I would love to be apart of that dialogue. I would also like to find the person or group of people who would be interested in speaking on an regular basis more broadly on the landscape of the industry as so many big names and professionals clamor to find “the new model.”
H: At the end of the day, what is your goal as a writer? How about as an industry professional?
C: My goal is always to speak the truth and to always be true to my own feelings. Sometimes you have to separate those two desires; although, that doesn’t mean the two ideals cannot exist in the same person. There are times where one may have to give way and in that case, I hope that honesty always comes forward in the most obvious way. As an industry professional I try to be as equitable as possible and give as many opportunities to the real artists who try to make something more than a product. I really admire and respect those who work so hard to let their inner voice ring out.
H: As someone who has worked on stories big and small, what advice would you give to those reading this who may be considering a career in music or music journalism?
C: If you are considering a career in music my advice would be to learn how to balance the projects you are passionate and those projects which allow you to have the means to seriously focus on what you are passionate about. If you are looking to go into music journalism I really encourage you to take it as seriously as you would any historical publication or more “scholarly” look. Make sure there is more substance to what you are saying that style.
H: You’ve also worked with a lot of artists, so do you have any advice for them?
C: Stay true to your passions and never stop growing. Never downplay the importance of community and know that reputation is easier to lose than it is to gain.
H: I’m a big fan of your work, Chris, and I’m excited to see where you go next with your coverage. Tell me, where do you see yourself in a year? How about in five years?
C: Ideally I see myself able to focus more solely on the issues I am passionate about. I would love to find a way to marry my love for touring and my more recent role as a writer. In five years? I just hope to be still working in the industry I love and mentoring others in the way that I’ve been mentored.
H: That’s all I have for now. Before we go, are there any additional thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers?
C: If you ever feel like you could be creating more, you are probably right. Ryan Adams is about to put out his 7th release in 2015 and that simultaneously blows my mind and intimidates me.
