Belinda chats to Yessi from Chrysalis to find out more about the band and their new single ‘My Eternity’.
Chrysalis has been a staple of the underground indie-metal/rock community for over a decade. In that time they’ve toured the entire U.S. & have been featured in numerous media outlets (ESPN X-Games, Metal Hammer, Revolver Magazine, among others). The bands’ diverse sound has allowed them to tour with a wide array of established acts including Letlive, A Day to Remember, Agent Orange, As Blood Runs Black, Ill Nino, Orgy, & Otep. With the release of new single “My Eternity”, the band is poised for unprecedented growth.
The Barstow, CA. based band self-released their first full length album, “Chrysalis” while members of the band were still in high school – it became one of CDBaby.com’s all-time best selling in its genre, & landed them a stint on the Vans Warped Tour.
With their video for “My Eternity” debuting at #9 on Loudwire’s Battle Royal, Chrysalis may be on pace for a very good New Year. I caught up with Yessi for a nice past, present and future conversation.
Nearly every website out there says that Chrysalis was formed in 2003, but actually as I was told by Yessi, the entire thing came about with one chance meeting. He described Barstow California as “a desolate, dark dessert with no one for miles”. Not exactly a destination for musicians. So when he, Billy and Chris met at a local pool party they saw destiny. “We were a bunch of kids with ambition, the same ambition.” So they formed a band. With the current line up including Gabe and Jared, this five piece is comfortable with who they are.
Whenever any of them get tired of seeing each other they “look back and remember how special it was that they found each other in the first place.” I commented it sounds like the perfect way to describe being successful at marriage as well.
Yessi added that it was indeed kindred to a marriage. Especially with the current condition of the music industry. “I mean when you’re married and you’re low on funds, you tend to fight too.” We talked about many financial challenges faced by today’s musicians and agreed it was many more than the past, but that they are willing to make the sacrifices to keep their “marriage” together.
For the “My Eternity”, Yessi met with Director Johnathan Martin whose specializes in horror. Yessi is an avid fan of the hokey 90’s horror movies such as Scream, and I Know What You Did Last Summer. To have an opportunity to make a mini horror move appealed to him. While admittedly the video was a little “darker” than he anticipated, it works well with the song. It reminded me a great deal of the Japanese Horror films we have grown to be familiar with. It’s ironic since the first draft of the song was more of a blues progression. Their friend Abby for the LA Times wrote the lyrics to it in that form. Once the whole band go in on it, it became bolder and more rock.
The whole album, Reminder begins heavy, progresses to rock then ends dynamic and slower. This is because as Yessi stated they prefer to give small offerings to many rather thn keep the sound the same throughout. Occasionally this can be their detriment when critics can’t label them a specific genre. They hear things like too rock for metal or too metal for rock, but the people who like them are loyal. Their producer who had produced for Whit Zombie and several others told them it was the most diverse album he has ever produced abd it required different care for each song.
Definitely worth the listen. Reminder drops January 13, just prior to their upcoming tour.
Interview by Belinda
Music Injection 
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