Feature

Cody ChesnuTT: Cracking the Cody

Universally acclaimed by critics for his edgy, sprawling Shortlist Prize-nominated 2002 debut LP “The Headphone Masterpiece”, Atlanta, Georgia-raised soul troubadour Cody ChesnuTT returns this month with his long-awaited sophomore album “Landing On A Hundred”. Which, released internationally through established independent One Little Indian, is currently being pioneered by the urgent, tense push of its frantically-uptempo offshoot single “Don’t Wanna Go The Other Way”.

Indeed, recorded with a ten-piece band in Memphis, Tennessee’s legendary Royal Studios (the sonic birthplace of some of the deepest works by soul and blues luminaries like Al Green, Buddy Guy and Ike & Tina Turner), “Landing On A Hundred” - written and recorded by Cody following a period of family-man retreat and reflection - lyrically represents his journey to redemption following years of womanising and crack addiction. Its frank, socially-conscious songs and “grown folks” themes driven by authentic, Southern-soul-drenched musical flavours that range from the joyous gospel/funk of “’Til I Met Thee” and driving brass-and-strings of the midtempo “That’s Still Mama”, to the Sam Cooke-influenced early-Sixties bounce of “Love Is More Than A Wedding Day” and spirited swing of the Stevie Wonder-recalling, grittily-pounding “Scroll Call”.

Born in 1968, Cody’s earliest experiences of the music industry found him exploring Atlanta’s generic early-Nineties R&B scene as a singer before moving to Los Angeles, California where he formed his first band The Crosswalk. Whose brief stint with Hollywood Records saw them recording a whole album before being unceremoniously dropped. Following which ChesnuTT would spend time alone in his bedroom armed with a drum-machine, an array of instruments and a dusty four-track cassette-recorder exploring raw, new sounds. All of which would eventually culminate in the 2002 release of his aforementioned, edgily-lo-fi debut solo LP “The Headphone Masterpiece”. Whose emotionally-intense, 36-track mix of rhythm & blues, classic rock, pop and gospel not only saw it immediately hailed by industry tastemakers, but also attracting the attention of super-credible Philadelphia hip hop band The Roots. Who in turn re-tooled one of its songs (“The Seed”) as “The Seed (2.0)” for their seminal 2002 album “Phrenology”. A move which - with Cody himself contributing guitar and vocals to the track as well as appearing in its heavily-played music video - prestigiously resulted in an MTV Award-nominated international hit single.

Since which time Cody’s sporadic musical activities have included a fiery performance in the 2006-released music documentary “Dave Chapelle’s Block Party” - an appearance which unquestionably enhanced his by-then already-growing status as an electrifying showman and daring genre-bender - in addition to in 2010 digitally releasing the critically-acclaimed six-track EP “Black Skin No Value”.

… All of which neatly brings us back to today. As an articulate and down-to-earth Mr. ChesnuTT holds court with “Blues & Soul” Assistant Editor Pete Lewis in London Docklands’ plush Four Seasons Hotel on the eve of release of his aforementioned new LP “Landing On A Hundred”. Whose intriguing title makes reference to the modern-day street-slang “Keeping It One Hundred”.

Titling his new, second album “Landing On A Hundred”

“Well, with “keeping it one hundred” already being a common saying in hip hop or street-culture vernacular, I basically wanted to EXPOUND on that by just touching on subjects that were real or truthful to ME. So, just like “keeping it one hundred” represents keeping it real or keeping it sincere, “Landing On A Hundred” is a PLAY-off of that. In terms of landing on something truthful, or landing or something that’s real to YOU.”

The background to him recording “Landing On A Hundred” at Memphis’ legendary Royal Studios - past recording-home to classic tracks from the likes of Al Green and Ike & Tina Turner

“Well, that wasn’t actually something that was planned. Instead we were originally just looking for the most affordable analogue studio we could FIND. And with me now living in Florida, because Atlanta and Memphis are the two closest places to where I live, those were the places we checked out FIRST. And the reason we ended up choosing Royal Studios was purely because Memphis had the best RATES! You know, it was only once we actually GOT there that we realised we’d made the perfect CHOICE! Because, with so much great American soul having come from there and with “Landing On A Hundred” in essence being a spiritual soul record, we suddenly realised it made perfect sense to come to a place that had been almost like the GENESIS for that kind of music! I mean, walking in was first and foremost like a spiritual EXPERIENCE, to be honest. Because you could still really feel the energy of the place and all that had been invested CREATIVELY there. Which is why everybody ended up becoming truly INSPIRED - and I think that definitely translated in terms of the actual performance on the RECORD. I mean, the fact that I was actually singing into the same microphone Al Green had recorded with in the early-Seventies literally made my HANDS tingle!”

Cody’s early experiences of the music industry

“Yeah, the early-Nineties was basically all about me trying to get my foot into the industry by doing pretty much the cookie-cutter R&B of the TIME. You know, this was the era when R. Kelly and those kind of artists were just breaking through. So when I saw that, I was like ‘OK, easy enough - I can DO something like that’ - even though deep down inside I always knew that I had more RANGE, because I’d grown up listening to a wide variety of MUSIC. So then, when the generic-R&B thing never really took shape, I basically just went on a path trying to find MYSELF as an artist. Which eventually led me to Los Angles, where I started my band The Crosswalk - which in turn really enabled me to expand on some of the musical ideas and OTHER influences I’d had… So yeah, we played together for maybe two-and-a-half years, got a record-deal with Hollywood Records... But then, though we recorded an album for them entitled “Venus Loves A Melody”, it was never actually released and they ended up DROPPING us… So with the band then breaking-up, I basically just went into my own little corner and vacuum, and just started creating music purely just to keep my own SANITY. Which is what led to “The Headphone MASTERPIECE”!”

The story behind Cody making his first solo LP - the aforementioned, Shortlist Prize-nominated double-album “The Headphone Masterpiece”…

“Well as I said, my band had just broken up. So the scenario, if you can imagine it, was very much one of me trying to keep my head together after investing all this time and money and creative energy into an album that had just all of a sudden got SHELVED. You know, it was like the carpet had just got pulled from UNDERNEATH me. But then, because I’d already been writing some material with the group’s NEXT album in mind, I already had some ideas that I’d begun to BUILD on. So from that I basically just went into my bedroom and started fleshing out some of those songs I’d begun writing, as well as working on some NEW stuff... And before I knew it, I had all this material right there in front of me and no idea of what I was gonna DO with it!... So then one day I just started compiling it all, stringing the songs together, writing and listening to it, building on it... And eventually it all started taking shape and a STORYLINE of sorts started emerging! At which point I was like ‘OK cool, this’ll be my new ALBUM!’!... And that’s how “The Headphone Masterpiece” came to LIFE!”

Cody’s views on the way the music industry has changed since the release of his first album 10 years ago - particularly as an independent artist in today’s internet-dominated world

“Well, I definitely perceive it as a positive thing, in the sense that it allows people to be more HONEST in their music. You know, people now can release things without a lot of filter and those people have in turn then inspired other people ALSO to take control of their destiny and define themselves as artists. But having said that, it is a challenge still in terms of the intellectual property side of things. I mean, in order to create a living for yourself you do have to really be strategic as far a how the music GETS to people and how you USE it... So yeah, I guess overall it’s a bittersweet situation. Because, while I love the fact that you can have access to so many different territories today at the push of a button and that it has allowed a lot of freedom in terms of exposure and the sharing of ideas in music, the DOWNSIDE of it all is obviously the issue of piracy plus the fact that we’re now almost oversaturated in terms of the music that’s OUT there.”

The single “Don’t Wanna Go The Other Way” and album “Landing On A Hundred” as both out now through One Little Indian.

You can read more from our interview with Cody ChesnuTT, including Cody's thoughts on The Roots remake of "The Seed" as “The Seed (2.0),” plus his reaction to his new album being described as “frank and socially conscious” - all in our print issue out on Nov 16... Click below to get your copy...
Words PETE LEWIS