Christopher Ma is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer born and raised in Scarborough. Following a decade of music releases evolving from intimate acoustic demos to polished indie anthems, they return with Spells. Diving into huge guitar sounds and soaked in shoegaze, this release marks a new chapter for Ma, while staying true to the clarity of previous releases. The album is made whole by Ma’s vocal performance which takes many forms throughout. Listen to “this house” or “Alien Approach” and tell me I’m wrong. We were very excited to chat with Christopher to talk through the new songs!
How did you get started in music?
So I started releasing music in 2015, but I guess to go before that - I didn't have musical training or whatever as a kid, I mean, when I was five I did have piano lessons for a month or something, but I cried all the time so we stopped that [laughs]. I just grew up doing karaoke and making little songs with my sister. But when I got to middle school I started doing choir and band, and I also got obsessed with the video game Rock Band, which kind of kick-started my interest in music in general - I actually learned how to play the drums from playing Rock Band. At that same time my sister was taking guitar lessons and got a guitar, so I ended up using her guitar to teach myself how to play that as well.
I started writing music in high school, which at first basically just meant fiddling around on the guitar while singing and recording it with my MP3 player, and calling that a song. I would put these recordings into playlists on the family computer and name them like they were albums. I did that for a few years - I made over 10 of them! Only once I got to university did I hear from a friend that there was actually music production software that you could record yourself with, and that I didn't need to use my MP3 player. I downloaded this one called Audacity and learned how to use it, and by the end of that year I put out my first album on bandcamp, and yeah, that's where it all started.
You’ve been releasing music for 10 years now. What were your earlier projects like?
At first, my recording process was a lot of YouTube tutorials and Googling, like searching up “what does EQ mean” and tons of trial and error, but for each of my albums I was able to figure stuff out more and more. With those earlier albums I think you can hear some improvement from song to song. That also goes for things like playing different instruments too: on my first album I was still a beginner with the bass, and I was also trying to learn piano. I’ve just always tried to add something with each release, and with those early ones there were a lot of changes from album to album.
Which is your favourite instrument?
I don’t know if it counts, but my voice - I’ve always enjoyed singing. Even as a kid, you know, I wasn’t thinking about performing or anything back then, just the act of singing was always nice to me. I was lucky in a way because I had to do choir in school as an arts requirement, and through that I actually learned a lot over the years about vocal techniques. When they would give tips I would try to utilize them, even in my music now.
I noticed that you play guitar upside down.
Yeah, I mentioned before that when I started guitar my sister had been taking lessons already. So, she had a guitar - well, she had this guitar right here [picks up a classical guitar], and when I became interested in playing I just grabbed it, and at first I tried playing it right-handed but it just didn’t feel right. So I flipped it around and kept on learning. Nobody told me to do it the other way, so that’s how I ended up playing like this. It’s not too different. Sometimes I pick chords in a different way, but the big thing is that when I play bass I can’t really slap because it’s reversed.
Tell us about Spells.
Before I started on Spells I was actually mid way through working on a different album that I still haven't released. I was stuck on that for a while and I wasn't getting to where I wanted with those songs.
But then in February of this year, I was taking a walk and then I had an idea for this one riff. So, I got home and recorded it and I was able to make a full demo right there, and that ended up being one of the songs on the album today. And then almost every day after that for a few weeks I was just making song after song. Or at least having ideas and trying to push through them to make full recordings, like, on the same day that I had the idea. So this project as a whole was kind of a spontaneous one.
What was your inspiration for these songs?
Once I gave up on the previous album and decided to focus on these songs, it really became an opportunity to dive straight into a modern shoegaze-y sound, like Hotline TNT and Blue Smiley, which I was listening to a lot at that time. On previous albums I didn’t want to draw too directly from things like that, but this time I just did it without worrying if they were cliches or not, I would just record.
A lyrical thread that ran through the album was the genocide in Gaza. I've been keeping up with the daily news and, yeah, just mentally I wasn't in a good place. So, I ended up just kind of putting all of that into these songs. You know, obviously I'm not Palestinian so I don't think it's really my place to go and make a whole album about the genocide, but I couldn't really help it. It just ended up going into these songs, but even now I still have doubts about how I did it. “Vanishing Spell”, the last track on the album, and “Grass Spell" is another one, these two are more directly dealing with Gaza. But I feel like as a songwriter you kinda have to go to that place, not run away from it. That’s just how it is.
How did you pick the title?
I don’t really have a good answer for that. Towards the earlier part of the album making process, I guess it was just a word that came up. It evokes something and I wanted to go towards that for the rest of the writing process. But I guess that word has different meanings. It’s kind of fun to analyze it now. I guess at the beginning I was thinking, like, magic spells or something because I was messing around with a lot of sounds. But it can also mean like spells of time.
You play all of the instruments on the record. How do you think it shaped the overall sound of it?
Well, since the first album I’ve always done that. I’ve had friends put in something small here and there (and occasionally big collabs too), but I think it’s an important part of my songwriting process. I can switch to another instrument and overdub something. Sometimes when I play something on a different instrument it will affect the trajectory of the song. I might think, “Oh I like that idea, let's switch these parts around.” I can make big changes like that. If I was working with other people it would be harder, I would have to ask them to come back to play something again.
It’s faster for me, and on this album specifically, it was super important because I wanted to write each song quickly, or at least in one day. As I moved to different instruments I could build the song, try new parts, and go from there.
Are there any new techniques you tried on this album?
For one song, “Alien Approach”, I’m not sure why but I ended up singing it an octave higher than how I wrote it, and then I pitched it down to the correct octave and then I fiddled around with the settings in Ableton and it gave it an alien-y, robotic sound. I feel like it kind of made the song.
On another song, “By Your Side”, I made it because I was listening to a lot of Alex G at the time and I thought, “I want to write a song like that,” but it ended up being really boring [laughs]. So I fiddled around with the guitars and I decided to record the guitars twice as fast, then I slowed them down so they got all stretched out and I put that at the beginning of the song and, again, it kind of made the song. I thought, “I can see where I need to take this now.”
It can be cool to embrace imperfections. I know a lot of people try to avoid it, but I think it really adds to the aesthetic of this album.
Do you have a favourite song?
Yeah, I like the last song I did, “Vanishing Spell”. I was thinking of Radiohead, they have some songs that use loops, and that's how I started on that one. When I got the lyrics finished I started removing different overdubbed instruments that I had recorded until it was pretty sparse. I added a little choir type section at the end too. I guess it’s my favourite because it came together exactly how I wanted it to. And as a musician that’s really fulfilling.
Any plans to release the album in physical format?
Yeah, I’m currently working with one of my best friends on making a CD version of it. Manuel Muñoz, he did the album art and he’s helping me do the rest of the CD designs. We’re hoping to get that done within a few months, so once I do my next show I’ll be able to sell some physicals. [update: they are done!]
If anyone wants to hire a designer, hire Manuel Muñoz!
When you perform live, do you have a band accompany you?
Yeah, I try not to think about how I’m going to do the songs live as I’m writing them, so it makes things a little harder. I have to get creative, take some liberties and make some changes. My band and I have only just started trying to work out some of the songs. I’ve played with some of these guys since 2021, and they have their own band called Sunset Arcade. We’ve collaborated a lot, so they’re like old friends now.
I think I’m just going to throw a bunch of effects on [the new songs], which is funny because I don’t have a pedal board, like, for the whole album I was using default plug-ins on Ableton. So I’ve been buying cheap pedals to start building up for when I play these songs live.
What are your thoughts on Toronto’s music scene? Any favourite venues or local bands?
I haven’t played that much as a solo artist, I’ve only had one headlining show and a few opening slots with Sunset Arcade, but I liked playing at The Baby G and BSMT 254. I went to Supermarket and that’s a cool space too. There are a few upcoming artists I like. Lockimara, they’re super cool - got an album coming. Jaisy and Mung Beans are two artists I’m friends with and they have EPs on the way too.
What’s next?
Actually, I’ve started on the previous album that I was working on again. I’ve gone back and tried reworking the songs, but it’s still hard. Aside from that I’m trying to remaster one of my older albums, this one called Every Night from 2019. It’s five years old! I’m trying to make CDs of that as well. Hopefully I’ll have that ready to sell at my next show, which we’re trying to do [soon].
If you’re interested, keep an eye on my Instagram!
Follow Christopher Ma and listen to Spells!
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