Favorite Blue Mic: Kiwi, Woodpecker, Snowball, en·CORE 200, Mikey for iPod
"The Kiwi is classic and so clear and precise. I’ve been working on a few songwriting demos at home and it’s been more than great for the tasks at hand. I’ve been particularly impressed with the smoothness in the different ranges of sound. I’ve been recording mostly my vocals and acoustic guitar with the Kiwi and I’ve been getting amazing results with warm tones and full, rich vocal sounds. Very impressive! I’m looking forward to using it in the studio during recording for my next album!"
"The limited amount of experience that I’ve had with the Woodpecker has proven that it’s not only visually beautiful, but it’s an amazing mic to have for home and studio sessions alike. The first time I used the Woodpecker was at the Hotel Café Studios when I was there mixing my new album “Chris Pierce Live @ The Hotel Café.” I needed some really warm low end background vocals to replace some that got lost when we recorded live and the Woodpecker worked perfectly! I can’t wait to use it more and learn how expressive it can be. I’m also looking forward to getting my hands on a Robbie Mic Pre and checking out that combo."
"I’ve been having a great time with my Snowball Mic. I’ve probably recorded around 30-40 song ideas with it since I got it a few months ago. It sounds clear and full and it’s so convenient to use with my Mac Book Pro. I just did a bunch of dates opening up for B.B. King and I even used it a few times in my dressing room after sound check when I was really inspired."
Home Town: Los Angeles, CA
New Album: Chris Pierce – Live At the Hotel Café
Release Date: June 2009
Record Label: Pierce Records
Possessing both a soulful singing voice that harks back to the masters of the style like Solomon Burke, Bill Withers and Ray Charles and a laid back, eclectic sensibility that fits in nicely with chart-topping singer-songwriter contemporaries, Chris Pierce spans musical generations.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Pierce was a struggling local singer-songwriter until he met Pop-icon Seal at a living room gig in 2005 and was invited to be the opening act on the British singer's world tour. Since, he has also opened tours and shows for B.B. King, Al Green, Jack Johnson, Colbie Caillat, Toots & The Maytals, Macy Gray, Robert Cray and Jamie Cullum. His debut album, 2005's Static Trampoline, was followed by a 2007 live album, Music in the Moment that was released only in Japan.
To help increase his public profile, Pierce started placing songs on various TV shows and films including Crash, Phat Girlz, Brothers & Sisters, Lincoln Heights, In Plain Sight, Army Wives, What About Brian, HBO Black History campaign, along with his steady live work and a growing buzz on the internet and on adult album alternative radio stations like southern California's KCRW. A second studio album, Walking on the Earth, was released in the spring of 2008 which was picked by KCRW's Nic Harcourt as one of the top ten albums of the year, followed by a second live album in 2009 titled Chris Pierce Live at the Hotel Cafe.
Chris Pierce who is known for his soul singing and highly emotional "never the same" live shows continues to tour worldwide in 2011. He has also added wine production to his list of passions, with the release of the inaugural vintage of Ledbetter Dry Creek Valley Syrah which is getting rave reviews from the food and wine industries. Currently, Chris is in post-production for his new studio album due to be released in the fall of 2011.