Today we’d like to introduce you to Wes Chiller.
The California coast, the exotic tropical shores of Hawaii, classic surf culture and rock n’ roll all conspired to exert a lasting impression on the sound of the 27 years old multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter in question; Wes Chiller, an artist that spent his youth strumming a variety of stringed instruments on the beaches between surf sessions in the sleepy Southern California towns that line the coast between Los Angeles and San Diego. Not much about the young musician’s lifestyle has changed since those formative years and seemingly endless summer days that are audibly reflected in his music. The annual trips to Hawaii and Mexico along with some key musical family members, mentors and friends resulted in giving the young musician a unique perspective and an early start on finding and creating a musical voice of his own. By high school Wes Chiller distinguished himself as a gifted musician to the extent that he caught the attention of beloved indie rockers The Shys who recruited the then 17 years old to join them on a west coast tour which saw the young musician performing to sold-out crowds at famed music venues like The Troubadour and the House Of Blues. This would prove to be a transformative season in the life of the young musician as it paved the way for a future in the pursuit of a musical dream.
The years that followed would see Chiller impressively earn an Ethno-musicology degree from UCLA, form his own bands with several of the campuses most talented music majors and serve a highly valuable internship at the famed Sunset Sound Recording Studios where he was privy to recording sessions with music heavyweights like Beck, Ryan Adams, and The Black Keys. After a five years stint in Los Angeles Chiller settled back into the low key lifestyle of his home town of Capistrano Beach and fashioned a home studio in his back shed and began writing for no other reason than the pure joy of doing so.
Enter old friend and fellow musician Kyle Krone (the former Shys frontman and songwriter) whom Chiller remained close with since their salad days touring and sharing stages together. The two friends began surfing, hanging out and playing together again. After hearing the charmingly lo-fi demo of Chillers latest tune and now debut single “Mo Nothin” Krone heard the undeniable promise of what could be and took on the role of Producer , Engineer, Co-Writer and additional musician and the songs for what would become the debut EP “Chiller Instinct” began to materialize naturally in the respective home studios of each musician. The musical chemistry between Chiller and Krone is visceral and the tunes that followed flowed out enthusiastically as if in celebration of the creativity and good times being enjoyed by the duo. Once released the debut single (Mo Nothin) caught the attention of respected tastemakers BuzzBands LA and Indie Shuffle who praised the duo with favorable reviews and features as well as significant airplay on 88.5FM in Los Angeles. Local paper “The San Clemente Times” featured Chiller on the cover and the local music scene began to rally around the charismatic musicians. With production wrapping up on the forthcoming five song EP “Chiller Instinct” and the wind at their backs the stage is set for the flourishing career to come. Equal parts time honored rock n’ roll and underground alternative the songs that makeup “ Chiller Instinct” could be described as the sun-soaked saltwater love child of Eagles Of Death Metal and Mac DeMarco if the two artists were stranded on a tropical island with a genre bending record collection ranging Lou Reed to Tame Impala.
Chiller represents a new era of rocker who’s free-thinking, freewheeling approach inspires the listener not to sweat the small stuff, much less sweat anything in our often over-stimulating modern lives and ease into the joy and optimism of celebrating what feels good and natural in the moment. The combined talents and experience of two artists and dear friends along with a low key DIY creative “in-house” approach produces a sound and songs that are as effortlessly fresh as they are time honored and infectious.
Has it been a smooth road?
Every album and music release has been a learning process. Every show has been an experience to gain and draw from. There’s always gonna be shortcomings and discouragements. However, it’s how you respond to these pitfalls that define your art and work. If you roll over you’ll never get what you want, period. My tenacity and work ethic coupled with realistic expectations and risktaking has led me to where I am today.
Some of the major struggles came from physical losses. My instruments were stolen from my home in 2015. Still never found them or the heartless bastards who took them. I had written all of my first songs on them so it was a mental blow.
Other struggles were long periods of writer’s block due to inundation with a career change. Lately, it seems the winds have shifted and are blowing at our backs. It’s a sublime feeling.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
At my core, I’m a freethinking young man with opinions, passions, and strengths that channel into my work. I’m very proud of our newest EP “Chiller Instinct”. It channels all things that are important to me and voices them in a very receiving way. I don’t need approval from anybody because I love it and that’s what’s important.
What sets me apart from the din of indie rockers is my ability to be unabashedly myself. I’m not afraid to step on toes. I’m not scared to have an unpopular opinion. I embrace friction just as much as flow. Our music is a culmination of that mentality and a return to the good parts of manhood in this technological, hypersensitive age. Walk it off kid.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Capistrano Beach has been my home for 27 years. As a kid, I’d skate all over town with my feral band of brothers. We’d get down to the beach with our boards and fend for ourselves. We’d head to the liquor store and sneak the nudie mags off the shelves while somebody distracted the Bill (the owner). What I love about this city is that none of that has changed. I see kids skating to that same liquor store on the same streetlight-less roads in front of the same funky homes that look nothing like the next one. That’s the shit that has shaped me.
Here’s the shit that pisses me off. This is a blue-collar town for the most part. People have worked their asses off to buy in this forgotten pocket of the California Coast. Families are here with young children running rampant. And now we are experiencing a large influx of crime and hard drug use due to the displacement of the homeless encampment on the Santa Ana riverbed. The thought process of that displacement was abhorred at BEST. The politicians behind it were idealistic goldfish with no sense of any reason or common sense. Obviously, homelessness is a large issue with many facets. However, to uproot and displace thousands of people with no real plan is a complete and utter mockery of a job. Those decision-makers need to be removed from their positions and replaced by people with real street experience. Nearly 14,000 used hypodermic needles were found in that riverbed. Now they’re found on the playground down the street from my house. But hey, at least we got rid of plastic straws…. what the fuck.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://weschiller.com/
- Email: weschiller92@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weschiller/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weschiller/
Image Credit:
Photos by Brent Henderson, Sam Freeman, and Mariah Harkey
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