Chris Assaad

By Hamish MacLean

Canmore Leader

Chris Assaad didn't start playing music until he was in his early 20s and he admits that for his creative goals to "blossom," it took a while, but now that they have, his vision is clear.

Assaad speaks about peace love and inspiration in his music. It's a part of his life.

"I really sort of view music as a medium for healing," he said. "You can read that in my bio. I speak about it often.

"What draws me to music is — that drew me to music so much at the outset — was just that. And so I think that will always be something that my music has to offer to the listener."

When he spoke to the Leader from North Vancouver last week, he didn't shy away from the description of his music as the sonic equivalent of comfort food.

"That sums it up," he said. "That's kind of the way I live — I just want to be cozy, I just want to be at peace — eat some good tasty soul food.

"For somebody to think of my music that way is a true compliment."

The Toronto-based musician said that he is blessed to come from a community of artists as well.

"I strongly believe in the community, in terms of having the support of a community when taking an artistic path," he said. "There are challenges and it's nice to have people to share that journey with."

It's roots music, but it's also conscious music.

"Where I live, musically, or categorically, is in a roots scene, or in a zone of artists that are making music of substance," he said. He said that the community that surrounds him is one of musicians who create music that has an impact.

"That's the beauty of Toronto, it's a diverse city, it's diverse culturally and it's diverse in terms of what's available musically and artistically and you've just got to thrive on that."

On this tour Assaad is just bringing his long time drummer, Kevin Mendes. Performing as a two-piece, he said, is fun and allows him the opportunity to experiment musically in a dialogue that he's familiar with.

Assaad said he's really taking the opportunity to try out some new tunes this tour, but he is still supporting his debut disk, Glory Fire.

And he recognizes that as it's an independent release, for a lot of the crowds out West it is a new record, but he is still, Assaad said, looking to move forward.

He's experimenting with new sounds and writing new tunes.

"I'm just picking up everything I've found along the way and injecting that into new creations," he said. "Songwriting: there's a growth in the process there."

And he said throughout the touring that he's done for Glory Fire across Canada and Australia, he has picked up a sense of "how songs come to life and what sticks with an audience and what doesn't."

He said that he has learned a lot about the kinds of songs he wants to be writing and is more focused on writing tunes so that he can play them live.

"It's definitely maturing as a writer but it's also moving in a new direction sonically too," he said. "Expanding my horizons as far as influences go, but also growing not only as a writer but as a musician — challenging myself in the kinds of things that I'm able to do as a guitarist and as a vocalist.

"I'm really just trying to up my game." - Canmore Leader

When it comes to life, most people require a map to help them navigate throughout it. This map offers them direction and comfort. Then there are the people who decide not to follow any type of map. Instead, they trust their heart and follow their passion. In doing so, they create their own map that’s completely unique. Such is the case with musician Chris Assaad; he doesn’t follow a map. Instead, he follows his passion for music and lets his heart lead the way. So far, his passion has lead him to the creation of his debut album, Glory Fire, and more importantly, his own distinctive path in life and in music. We managed to catch up with this emerging artist before he left for a tour in Australia to support his album.


- OGLE Toronto.com

“I deliver music straight from the soul and it is always a sincere heartfelt experience,” said guitarist Chris Assaad.
He was a Bay Street lawyer from Toronto who gave up the high stress world of law and turned to music full-time.
“At that time, I was also on a very different course, studying to become a lawyer and join the race,” said Assaad.
“ I went as far as I could with it but music kept on calling and so here I am.”
“It began six years ago when my undiscovered love for music smacked me across the face and said hello,” he said.
When he picked up his guitar and began to truly get into music he discovered something was not right.
Assaad was diagnosed with audiosclerosis, the same hearing impairment as classical music legend Ludwig van Beethoven.
“Chris wasn’t prepared to let that stop him,” said Stefania Moretti, Assaad’s press agent, in an e-mail.
He was able to obtain corrective surgery to save his hearing.
“Thankfully I was able to have surgery to correct the condition and was given what I believe was a second chance,” said Assaad.
His first musical experiment was the rock-reggae group I.An.Eye. The band was formed in 2002 by Assaad and his cousin Andrew Hanna in Toronto. They sold out several shows across Ontario but it was time for Assaad to take a shot at the industry alone.
He took his solo act on the road and played The Observatory on Oct. 22. He played an energetic soulful acoustic set. Perched on a stool on stage with nothing but his acoustic guitar he rocked out songs from his upcoming album Glory Fire which is set to be released in early 2009.
“I am in the midst of recording an album and am treating myself to a live show,” said Assaad. “It is fun for me and a way to test what I am working on in studio on a crowd.”
Assaad, who names Ben Harper, Kings of Leon and Red Hot Chili Peppers as some of his biggest influences, believes that lyrics and song-writing are vitally important to music.
“Acoustic guitar and voice is music in its purest form,” said Assaad. “Truly good songwriting should stand the test of the simplest form.”

Eric Scharf
Editorial Editor - Algonquin Times (Ottawa)

Chris Assaad - S.C.E.N.E. Music Festival 2009

There are a good number of great ambient, acoustic based acts that come out of The Golden Horseshoe and area. Chris Assaad has been at it for a few years now and has just released his first full-length album.

He walked onstage at ON81 as an unassuming, calm guy, his band walking in the same steps. He left the stage later that hour with an air of authority and a bunch of jammy tunes reverberating in the heads of every listener present for his set.

The music that Chris has crafted has a great blend of acoustic, jam and prog-rock, drawing some obvious influences from great musicians like Ben Harper, Jimi Hendrix and Neil Young.

The small stage the band was given to work with didn’t hamper their ability to draw people in either. Even though a lot of the traffic traveling ON81 had the intent of merely passing through, a large number of would be passers-by found their ears and bodies entranced by Assaad’s diverse and beautifully ranged voice. The rest of the band is engaging as well, the term ‘making love to your instrument’ came to mind multiple times; the crew that Assaad has put together really works well as a team and are quite capable as individuals as well.

Overall a great performance, if you’re a fan of Ben Harper, Sam Roberts or John Mayer, you’ll dig this chilled out band. They work well as background sound and once they hit the pavement a little more, should have no problem headlining gigs. Watch out for these guys over the next year as they ride their incredibly well recorded and excellent sounding debut. - Fazer Online Music Magazine

THE SOUND OF SILENCE: Lawyer-turned-musician almost permanently lost his hearing before starting his career

Alone in Barcelona, Chris Assaad buys his first acoustic guitar.

While jamming to Ben Harper and Jack Johnson on a two-month-long Eurotrip, the Toronto native found his calling.

“That’s when the passion became undeniable; I couldn’t get enough. I have an insatiable appetite for music,” he says.

The trip marked a turning point in Assaad’s career path – leaving behind a law degree to be a musician. For the 29-year-old, the choice was easy. He released his first solo album, Glory Fire, this summer – a mix of folk, rock, reggae and soul.

“(Music) is where my heart is,” he says, slouching into a chair at a Starbucks. “It disarms all of my machinery and brings me into the moment.”

Assaad studied law for three years at the University of Toronto and after graduating, he interned at a Bay Street firm for 10 months. Despite this, he knew something was missing, and he quickly fell in love with writing lyrics and melodies and playing his favourite Ben Harper and Tragically Hip tunes.

In jeans, a graphic tee and flip-flops, slinging a dark green satchel onto the floor, it’s hard to imagine Assaad donning the more restricting garb of a lawyer.

After a solo tour of Australia in April, he’s now booking dates for Western Canada. Writing a storm of songs, he’s also ready to start recording for his next album.

Known for his early work in the now defunct band I.An.Eye, which he formed with his cousin in 2002, Assaad says his career transformation has been an “amazing journey.” And it’s a far cry from the fast-paced, stressful legal world.

“The more I master the art of peace in my life, the more I can put that into my (music),” he says, adding his family was supportive of his career change, knowing he had a “degree in my back pocket” just in case.

But Assaad’s career might have stalled eight years ago, shortly before his Europe trip, when he began to lose his hearing. He went from turning up the TV to asking people to repeat themselves in conversations, he says.

Diagnosed with otosclerosis, a genetic disorder that causes an abnormal growth of bone near the middle ear, he feared the worst for his dreams, he says, noting one doctor told him he might permanently lose his hearing if he tried surgery.

“(My career) was over before it started.”

After taking the risk and opting for two intricate surgeries, Assaad regained his hearing.

“It was like a new beginning to get my hearing back. It was like a second rebirth. It lit a fire inside me.”

The trip to Europe that followed became loaded with “revelatory musical experiences” – jamming with strangers on his $100 guitar, he says. It was like a celebration.

Today, Assaad brings that experience to his writing.

“Pave The Way,” Glory Fire’s opening track, is inspired by the idea of living for the moment. The subtle but catchy melody is well paired with lines such as, “You can only take the step you’re taking.”

Sometimes the meanings of his songs come to him long after they’re penned, he says.

“Songwriting’s a very spiritual thing. It’s like an act of practicing my faith,” he says. “(I can) express conversations I never get to have, conversations I’m having with myself or with God.”

His influences range from Ben Harper and Bob Dylan, to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Neil Young. Glory Fire is full of tracks with his own eclectic spin on the styles of these artists. The track “Up To God” has the bongo-loving flavour of Jack Johnson, while he channels fast-talking Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis in “Revelation.”

“My favourite thing above all is creating – melody and lyrics, a new riff on the guitar. When I get that feeling that it’s time to create . . . that’s what drives my whole musical experience,” he says.

Assaad’s planning a slew of Canadian shows in the coming months, and he says he hopes to return to Australia where he has a “growing love affair with the people there.” While there in April, new Aussie friends organized an impromptu, intimate one-man concert for him. About 40 people attended.

“It was really nice to see people take on my music like that,” he says.

Assaad adds that he still gets nervous while performing, but it’s an element of his chosen career path and a challenge to which he looks forward – and another step to becoming a Toronto-grown international artist.

“It used to be on the day of a show I’d wake up with anxiety, a ball in my chest. The more second nature it becomes . . . you’re just expressing yourself through your art, not just playing a song,” he says. “I feel like I’m living the dream.” - Dollmag.ca

Chris Assaad - Glory Fire review

When you’re running around on a Sunday afternoon trying to accomplish a little too much, things often go awry. Great music often goes unheard, the long, depressing period of time that is a Sunday afternoon wears down your soul, and people you should have spoken with just give you one of their albums and grin in hopes that you’ll remember their name.

Remembering names is part of the job though, and while his may contain an extra syllable here and there, Chris Assaad is one of those names that you will want to remember. His first full-length effort, Glory Fire, is the beginning of what promises to be a fruitful career.

His chilled-out, down-tempo, soulful music is great live and it translates incredibly well onto plastic. Running 11 songs long and just the right length, Glory Fire is a rather diverse album. An obvious influence for Assaad is Ben Harper; he takes the influence and makes it his own though, adding an extra dimension of intensity. The whole message of the album is peaceful and passionate. Songs like “Use It” and “With You” bring out a beautiful, haunting side of Chris as well; where most of the album is a great Sunday afternoon soul-searcher, these two songs add a depth to the album that makes it a must listen.

Some of the music does become lost in the ether, perhaps trying to attain a sound slightly too diverse. Certainly the most attractive part of the album is the diversity, but sometimes it branches out in ways that just don’t seem to make much sense on the whole. “Empty Room” and “Around the Fire” come off as slightly generic café dronings but don’t slow the album down even though they are rather weak songs.

Overall the album is exactly the cure for a soul-sucking Sunday afternoon where nothing else will do. As Chris continues his career, it will be interesting to see where he transitions his influences and interprets life, but for now this is a very solid first offering from a man who may one day become King of Café Folk everywhere.

by Aaron Bindstar - Fazer Online Music Magazine