Chrissi Poland is one of those people that you know you’re going to love even before meeting them, she is an amazing singer/songwriter who currently lives in the heights. Chrissi invited me over along with friend and photog Andy Mac to chat and also hear her sing. Chrissi has the most amazing voice, she is beyond talented! She’s toured with superstars and is about to take the world by storm. Excited to be part of her journey.

What’s your name?

Chrissi: Chrissi Poland.

What do you do?

Chrissi: I am a musician, singer, and songwriter. I tour around the world and play music.

So you are one of the lucky ones that do this for a living.

Chrissi: I do. I do many things with my music. It could be I’m writing my songs and playing them or releasing a record, which I’m doing this week. I am heading to Europe.

Awesome!

Chrissi: That will be super fun. But, I’ve toured around the world with other pop bands.

Do you want to drop names?

Chrissi: Totally! So, I went around the world three times with a pop band called, Scissor Sisters. They are really cool.

Omg! Yeah, they’re awesome.

Chrissi: They’re so cool, and that became like my life. It was amazing we ended up opening for Lady Gaga all over the U.S. We were doing the Garden [and] I met Paul McCartney; it was insane.

That’s great.

Chrissi: Really cool stuff. I sing with Sam Moore whose one-half of the Stax soul duo Sam and Dave. He had hits like Soul Man and Hold On I’m Coming. He is amazing he is a living legend. I just got back from a trip to Japan with him. So, I’ll stay on tour with him sometimes. I did a tour with Bette Midler as one of her highlights.

I love Bette Midler! Really?

Chrissi: Yeah, I was dying. Like, twelve-year-old me was dying the whole time cause I use to practice her songs in my bedroom when I was little.

I love Bette Midler. That is like every little Jewish girl’s dream.

Chrissi: The whole experience was incredible. So working with and singing and dancing alongside her was amazing. So it’s like, I have kind of like split lives as a musician. I have my thing; I have the thing where I jump in with other people, studio…Like, I am going to the studio today to do a voiceover for Avon.

Why not?

Chrissi: It’s like whatever you can do to make it work.

It’s hustling. I love that. That’s awesome.

What is your genre?

Chrissi: So when I am writing my music it’s very much rooted in soul. I’ve gotten likened to Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, [and] Aretha Franklin.

So the white girl can sing!

Chrissi: That’s what they say.

I love it. That’s awesome. When did you start singing?

Chrissi: Like, when I came out.

You’re like, * sings* Ahh, ahh I’m out.

Chrissi: * sings* Here I am. Totally. It was sort of like that as long as I can remember. Since, I was like two I would walk up to people and say, ‘Do you want to hear me sing?’ It’s when I am the happiest playing and singing.

What are your musical influences?

Chrissi: Oh, definitely Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Prince, R.I.P., I was crushed.

They are all fucking dying. It’s awful.

Chrissi: Like seriously! Like, wrap Stevie Wonder in bubble wrap and don’t let him out of the house.

And Madonna!

Chrissi: Seriously!

Whatever you’re doing keep it up, don’t fucking cross the street, don’t go on airplanes.

Chrissi: I know! It’s weird.

Oh really, ugh!

Chrissi: But yeah, those are big influences on me, Carol King, Joni Mitchell for my songwriting for sure, The Beatles, big songwriting influences.

How do you start writing? What is your creative process?

Chrissi: You know it can be, it is varied. I can sit down at the piano often, and I’ll just sort of start to play, and things will start happening, and I can facilitate a song that way. But, more often than not I am on an airplane, and I’m bored so I just pull out a notebook and start writing and I get a melody and I pull out my voice note, and I start singing into the voice mail thing. And I kind of piece it all together.

I would never know how to do that. You know.

Chrissi: Yeah I think.

It’s like a talent that comes along.

Chrissi: I think so. You learn it as you go and you do what feels right. I am surrounded by really talented musicians all the time, and they always inspire me and make me better. They make me want to raise my bar.

So how long have you been in Jersey City?

Chrissi: So I moved to Jersey City the first time when I was in between these crazy world tours and I had no place to live. My friend had a spot in Bergen-Lafayette with an open room, ‘Come and live here.’ I was like, ‘What is this cool neighborhood.’ So I saw what downtown was like. Then I had to move to Vegas for a year because I got a show.

Aww, poor you. (laughs)

Chrissi: At first I was like, ‘I’m going to hate Las Vegas,’ because I’m such an East, coast person. And I loved it.

Yeah. I love Vegas.

Chrissi: It was so cool.

Turn-up town. It’s like an adult like-

Chrissi: Adult Disney land.

Disney land (laughs)

Chrissi: Yeah, yeah. And then we lived outside of the strip, and I was like hiking in the desert all the time. It was cool. So then, we were moving back, and we were like, ‘where are we going to live?’ I was saying to my husband now, my then boyfriend, let’s check out Jersey City. So we ended up getting a place on Silverman 210 9th street. Which was great. The community is amazing, and that is where I discovered you guys, and like, this is such a cool community and its nothing like I ever had in New York. I felt more at home in Jersey City, and I have lived in every neighborhood in New York City.

Do you have a favorite hangout spot in Jersey City?

Chrissi: I found so many that I dig. When we were living downtown, I loved going to Short Grain. Thanks to you. I heard about it on your blog. I loved it. Loved Nine Bar coffee so that I would go there a lot. The spots in Newark at night we would go to Raval. Loved that.

Any places in The Heights you like?

Chrissi: I love Fox and Crows is very cool. My musician friends were starting to play there.

You should play there.

Chrissi: I’m going to.

Oh my god, yo, the speakeasy in the back, its fucking dope. You should play there.

Chrissi: I want to. I want to link with the booking agent and just book a show there.

It’s sexy. It’s dark.

Chrissi: Yeah. It has that speakeasy vibe to it. Super cool.

And like the crowd is very eclectic, like different.

Chrissi: Yeah. It’s so rad. I just noticed there is a Choc O Pain around the corner. So, other than that I haven’t had time to dig into the hood yet.

Central Avenue is great.

Chrissi: Central is so great. There are all these great delis. So I am super psyched to get more into this neighborhood. I heard the Farmers Market is good. Mod Cup I love.

I love Mod Cup, best coffee in Jersey City.

Chrissi: So good. I discovered them with their truck. So, I am psyched and happy to be here and can’t wait to get properly settled and come back from this tour.

So what’s next for you?

Chrissi: I have a new album Waking Hour is out June 22 (tomorrow) and upcoming tour dates are on my website, chrissipoland.com there’s still tix available for my album release show at Joe’s Pub. It’s tomrrow night, June 22, at 7:30pm. Doors open at 6pm! 

Does your husband sing too?

Chrissi: He is an amazing singer/songwriter, too. He is fantastic.

Oh, you guys both do the same thing.

Chrissi: We do. We have our own things, and then we come together, and we have a little side project that we created together. Like, Brazilian romantic duets.

Aww, how cute.

Chrissi: Because, why not. So we did that.

That’s adorable! So like before you guys have sex do you like to sing to each other? Like talking dirty, but like singing? (laughs)

Chrissi: (laughs) We serenade.

Chrissi: So yeah, I am going to do these shows. My husband will meet me for the last two or three in Germany, and we’ll do them together. Then we come back, and we are just going to get settled in here in June. Then I’m getting ready for a big album release show in New York, too on the 22nd.

Are you ever going to do some shows in Jersey City? Like, you did a few, right?

Chrissi: I have done a few. I would love to book something at Fox and Crow and maybe do like a house concert or get into the Hoboken Muse Festival at some point.

Awesome! So can we hear you sing?

Chrissi: Totally.

 

chrissipoland.com