Chris Letcher is a South African singer/songwriter and film composer based
in London. Chris achieved his first critical and commercial success with
Urban Creep, one of South Africa's biggest rock bands. He has continued to
release stunning solo and collaborative projects – recently working with
Dave Matthews, Xavier Rudd and Vusi Mahlasela – as well as creating music
for films and documentaries. He is currently studying towards the
completion of his Phd in Music Composition at the Royal College of Music,
London.
Playing live with Chris are Victoria Hume
(keyboards/voice), Andrew Joseph (bass), Phil Wakeman (guitar/voice) and
David Eugene Webb (drums/glockenspiel). Guests include Quinta (Bat for
Lashes) on viola/saw.
Recent work
Chris Letcher’s solo
debut, Frieze, has received acres of glowing reviews since being released
in Europe and the US, and Chris has been busy performing in the US,
Canada, Australia, South Africa and Europe while getting extensive radio
play – not only reaching the top 20 in the US on College Radio charts, but
also featuring on the influential Morning Becomes Eclectic show on KCRW,
Australia’s JJJ, BBC 6 Music, and BBC Radio 3. Frieze was in the top
position on both eMusic’s Commercial Alternative and Progressive Rock
charts in the US for ten months.
Chris has played Austin’s South by
Southwest, Toronto’s North by Northeast, and completed his first
Australian tour in December 2008. Chris and band spent a week recording at
Digimedia in Belgrade in March 2009 to work on a follow up to Frieze, due
for release later in the year. The album is well under way and is
scheduled for international release later in the year (For release dates
and a list of gigs please see www.letchermusic.com).
"It’s multi layered rock with genius-clever lyrics and a mysterious soothing quality to it. Simply the best." ***** Hagen Engler, FHM
"This is simply a great album. Truly world class. Intricate, complex, melodic, ambitious, funny, literate and so damn listenable it will make you gasp" - Jeremy Daniel, The Star
Composer Chris Letcher, regarded as one of South Africa’s best, explores the world of film-soundtracking. His music is enormously melodic with fascinating hooks that easily work their way into your grey matter. - Spitz London / Jan 2006
Lyrically astute and damaged, musically rich, insightful and crafted... this is defintely one of the best albums I’ve ever had the privilege of listening to. - Nashen Moodley / Sunday Tribune
There is a growing band of people who believe Chris Letcher is the best songwriter in the country. I am one of them. Letcher has the rare ability to write songs that when recorded are complex and layered but still remain beautiful in the minimalist context that live performances compel. Letcher is also one of the finest word craftsmen around. His sometimes biting but mostly tender lyrics that verge on the surreal are probably the most impressive components of his songwriting. - Toast Coetzer
A depth of raw feeling runs through their work, interlaced with a seam of cool, dry intelligence. It’s this interplay of conflict and harmony between feeling and thought which shapes the album as a rich and mature work of art’ It is enigmatic, mysterious, angry, sad, defiant, beautiful and unique. It goes down as a landmark South African recording, and will hopeful come to earn the respect it deserves. - Alex Sudheim / Personality
