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Sound Circuit

Ready To Conquer

1/21/2015

For Chris Ford, 2015 is shaping up to be a big year. As the front man of Christopher the Conquered, Ford has already proven himself to be the guy who ruins the bell curve on creativity in this city, but he has also never been one to rest on his laurels. To that end, Ford has created more opportunity for himself to perform and grow this year by streamlining his work as an administrator with the Des Moines Music Coalition (DMMC).

Chris Ford plays at the M Shop in Ames on Friday, Jan. 23.

Chris Ford plays at the M Shop in Ames on Friday, Jan. 23.

“I have a more defined role with (the DMMC), and have a lot more free time for my own projects,” Ford said. “I finally consider myself a full-time musician.”

For Ford, “full-time musician” means just that. He has set the goal for himself of 200 shows in 2015, which will mean a lot of touring and three-day mini-tours around the Midwest. He is also reinvesting himself in the record label he helped found, Maximum Ames Records, as well as looking to create a series of concerts involving hand-picked artists. The first such show is this week, but he hopes to schedule one every three months or so.

“I want people to be willing to attend a seated show and experience what that can be like,” he said. “This show coming up is with some of my favorite musicians, and I want to create well-curated experiences around music.

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“I’m a lyrics person. As a community-minded person, I’m supportive of everyone, but as a music lover, I think I have pretty obsessive standards for what I actually like. When I pay to go to a concert, I want to be able to sit down, connect with the artist and hear what they’re saying. So that’s what I want to create for other people here.”

But the crown jewel in Ford’s 2015 will undoubtedly be his new album, “I’m Giving Up on Rock and Roll.” The album was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, during the past year, with a release date expected this summer.

“I’m trying to get all the pieces aligned,” he said. “I’ve invested more time, emotion and money into this record than anything I’ve ever done in my life, so I don’t want to just throw it out there. I’m past the part of my life where I record something and am like, “This is awesome, I need to show everybody now!” I get it now, and I can wait until something is ready.” CV

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