Chris Antonik, whose album, Morningstar,
still sits at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report, has released a blues/hip
hop hybrid single, “Trust in Me,” something a little different for the
chart-topping blues-rock guitarist who has always pushed the boundaries
of blues.
"I
wrote this song as a commentary on how toxic, childish, and mean
politicians were becoming in the media in the years leading up to the
pandemic,” says the Toronto-based musician. “As a single parent, I
needed to work extra hard to drown it out and outweigh it with positive
behaviour examples for my kids because there was no help from the top.
How we talk to people is important and it's incredible how crazy the
world was getting in this respect."
“Trust
in Me” features one of the fiercest guitar solos Chris has ever
recorded. “Musically, I required this sort of modern, chaotic,
industrial-type vehicle to tell my story and to deliver the song's
ferocious and intense guitar solo,” he explains.
The
track also includes a beautifully chaotic and mind-bending soprano sax
solo by 2022 Maple Blues Award-winner Alison Young. “Sonically, her
contribution matches the frustration and confusion of the lyric’s theme,
but also has a desert/mystical/Duran Duran ‘Union of the Snake’ vibe,”
Chris says.
“Trust
In Me” is the fourth single from Morningstar, following August’s
release of “Back to the Good”, July’s “Pilgrim,” and June’s “Waves of
Stone” (feat. Jarekus Singleton).
All
the singles have done phenomenally well on the Roots Music Report,
starting with “Waves of Stones,” which landed at No. 1. Both “Back to
Good” and “Pilgrim” also reached No. 1 in Canada on the Roots Music
Report’s singles chart.
This
kind of reception is nothing new for Chris. Since his nomination for
Best New Artist at Canada’s Maple Blues Awards in 2011 based on his
debut album, Chris has been delivering innovative and thoughtfully
crafted songs that transcend expectations of the genre. His sophomore
album, Better for You, was hailed by critics as “the best
Canadian blues-rock album of 2013” and “a masterpiece” — with American
Blues Scene calling it the “sound of someone taking the blues to a new
place.” His self-produced third studio album, 2017’s Monarch,
further expanded the blues’ boundaries into blues-rock, soul and
Americana; it was nominated for both Songwriter of the Year and
Recording of the Year at the 2018 Maple Blues Awards.
Reviews for his latest album, Morningstar, have
been stellar. All Music Magazine gave it a 10/10, while influential US
blues-rock outlet, Rock and Blues Muse, said “Antonik is clearly
focused on making music that advances the state of blues/rock and guitar
music in general. He’s got bigger game
on his mind and is creating music that will stretch your soul when you
hear it. He’s a fully developed artist working on something big. We
should all be listening.”
A few days after its Aug. 5 release, Morningstar
charted on the Roots Music Report at No. 4 for radio play in Canada
(all genres) and No. 7 in the U.S. (for blues rock). The album also hit
No. 1 in Canada on the Roots Music Report, the week of Aug. 13, and No.
20 in the U.S. for blues.
