Chrysta Bell is not just another singer with a pretty face and a good voice. Chrysta Bell is a creative multidisciplinary artist who combines several artistic disciplines within her work such as performance, theater and art. Her shows are an intimate sensorial experience where her music meets our emotional side. Besides, David Lynch speaks of her as her muse. This woman is promising.
Hi, Chrysta. You will be on tour in Spain in March; specifically, in Madrid and Barcelona. Are you excited? How do you think your Spanish fans are going to greet you?
Yes. I am absolutely thrilled. I think of Spain in a romantic way, and my last experience in Barcelona confirmed it. The art, the architecture, the street performers, the bustling plazas… everything was a bit larger-than- life and I felt completely turned on and enthusiastic to be there. The show we had was great too, in a dive bar that was hot, raw and intimate, which are qualities of my favorite types of venues to play. I hope the reception I get is half as good as my excitement to be there. Ideally, the experience is mutually stimulating for myself as for the audience. Understandably, that’s my favorite kind of performance experience!
Within your work, you mix performance, theater, music and art. Do you feel all of them are crucial to integrate the totality of your work?
I try to make the performance a bit more theatrical. Personally, when I go to a show, I like to be thoroughly entertained and transported, so I want to offer that same possibility to my audience as well. I like to feel like the artist I am seeing is truly involved in the live show they are presenting and when there are thoughtful touches and a few risks added to the performance, the experience has a better chance to take on a life of it’s own. I aim for my audience to feel like they are taking a step out of reality in the moments we are sharing together.
What are your cultural references when it comes to setting up your own universe?
A bit of Marvel Comic Universe and a healthy smattering of the Lynchian Universe. The rest is probably Venusian.
Is there any discipline, which you feel more comfortable with?
Given my emotional state, I stick to the discipline of always trying to reach a ‘better feeling’ and do my best to deflect negativity by proactively reaching for positive, enlivened and empowered states of mind. Transcendental meditation helps with this immensely. I put a lot of emphasis on self care and emotional health. This helps me deal more gracefully with my most beloved ones and all the curve balls life may throw at me.
To what extent has David Lynch's work affected your life and your artistic work?
The way David has set up his home life and art life has been profoundly influential on me. He works in multiple mediums of art: music, woodwork, furniture design, painting and photography, just to name a few. In his home space, he has the appropriate tools always ready for him to act on whichever medium is calling to him that day. It has taken time, dedication and effort to set up his life this way, and it has been his fierce and unyielding commitment to his art what has made it possible. He is the consummate artist and while I also believe he's a natural genius, it is his laser focus on his art in it’s many forms what makes him that much more extraordinary and prolific.
Which atmospheres do you wish to create with your music?
I would like for you to feel wistful, sensual, dramatic and decadent when listening to my music.
What are your next musical projects?
I am working on a record with my band, it’s going beautifully. We have written about 15 songs and I am amazed by what our synergy is yielding. I’m patient, but I am very excited to share what we have created.
