Life is still peachy for Chris Ballew.
It’s been three decades since the Seattle musician led The Presidents Of The United States Of America to the top of the charts with hits like Lump and Peaches — and almost 10 years since they quietly disbanded. But Ballew remains as prolific and productive as he’s ever been. He just released Power Trip, his sixth solo album in three years — and part of an ongoing series of LPs that arrive like clockwork every six months. Mixing psychedelic pop-rock with impressionistic lyrics, his new songs echo the quirkiness and individuality of the Presidents, but from an older, wiser and more mature perspective. And that’s just his latest post-Presidents project — beore this, he released nearly 20 albums by his kids’ music alter-ego Caspar Babypants. On the same day as the Presidents turned up as a clue on Jeopardy!, Ballew got on Zoom from his in-laws’ house to talk about songwriting, kids music, being roommates with Beck, getting high with Mark Sandman and plenty more. Enjoy.
