Rising Stars: Meet Christopher Pappas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Pappas.

Hi Christopher, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in NH and spent a few years in the local Boston music scene with my band The Everyday Visuals. While there I started a solo project called Elle Belle which signed to Little Record Co., a Los Angeles-based record label started by Rilo Kiley bassist Pierre de Reeder. I moved out to LA and have been here ever since, making records with The Everyday Visuals and Elle Belle, as well as writing music for film, TV, and commercials. I’ve written music for NASA, FX’s Sons of Anarchy, HBO’s Shameless, as well as brands like Lexus and Ford.

In 2016, I opened my home studio to people all over the world via Air BnB with the experience “Write and Record a song in LA!”. For the uninitiated: “Air BnB Experiences” are user-run activities people can book while visiting and vacationing. I had people from all over the world, many with absolutely NO musical experience, writing and recording their own original songs in my studio. The experience became so popular that the TV producers behind such hits as Project Runway began developing a reality show based on my songwriting sessions.

I have a new Elle Belle record coming out in 2023, which will be accompanied by a ton of shows. I’m also currently working on music for a new podcast, as well as writing/developing a new horror musical.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Perseverance is key. Artist deal with a lot of rejection and most of it comes from people no more knowledgeable (and sometimes less knowledgeable) than you. The authority we grant other people’s opinions over our work is scary and downright silly, frankly. And I try to avoid that as much as possible.

For example: I had co-written a musical, and my partner and I submitted it into a very prestigious theatre festival. Of thousands of entries only a handful get accepted. That year we didn’t make the cut. The following year we submitted the SAME musical. Let me stress: we didn’t change our submission in ANY way – and this time it was not only accepted but was in the top 10 “Winners Circle” of admissions, marking it as one of the best submissions of the year.

The lesson is no one knows shit, and everyone is making up the rules as they go along, so you can make up your own rules too. Don’t let rejection convince you it knows your art better than you do. Keep on going. It’s a lesson I’ve had to relearn every so often in my career.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’d consider myself, first and foremost, a songwriter. Everything else I do is built on that foundation. I think people hear an authenticity in what I do, and when I’m co-writing with people, I can pull that out that authenticity from them as well.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
It is all about taking risks. I feel a song is not done unless there is something in it that is risky. Whether it be emotionally, physically, or musically risky – there’s got to be stakes. If you’re not risking something then it’s not worth doing.

Contact Info:

• Website: Ellebellemusic.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ellebelleband
• SoundCloud: www.SoundCloud.com/ellebellemusic
• Other: www.twitch.tv/ellebellemusic

Image Credits
Casey Curry, Ted Goldstein, Pierre de Reeder