Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons

“Home in the Woods“
from the EP Cabin Ghosts
2008
iTunes

Appleton, Wisconsin is a tough place for an artist to make a living. Oddly enough, that’s what Cory Chisel likes about it.

“It’s very hard on the art community, in a way,” he said. “It’s not very supportive if it doesn’t resonate. This is not an area that’s made for people to run around and make art. This is a very steady town, built on the paper industry.”

Chisel, a 26-year-old Appleton musician on the doorstep of hitting it big with a freshly signed RCA Records recording contract in his back pocket, never backed away from making his run at the big time from the confines of his hometown, and with hometown talent along for the ride.

There’s something complex and not easily definable about Appleton that keeps him close by.

“I travel to other places and people like to make it like, ‘Oh, it’s beautiful and it’s quaint.’ It’s not really any one of those things, you know?” he said. “It’s a small town with a large-world sense. I wouldn’t say this town is ignorant or cut off or simple. Our main exports are Harry Houdini and Willem Dafoe, you know? There’s some oddness about the town that I really like. I think that’s why I feel safe here. I’m not apple pie and baseball, that’s for sure.”

It’s true that the most successful bands in the Fox Valley are the ones that play other people’s music. But it’s also true that when the Fox Valley does decide it likes an artist who’s doing something a little different, it will support that artist unconditionally.

Chisel has been playing music seriously for about the last decade — he cut his first CD of original music when he was a sophomore at Appleton North High School — but it took six or seven years before people realized he wasn’t kidding around. His persistence paid off — he’s developed such a loyal following here that he can book concerts at venues such as the Lawrence Memorial Chapel and Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. Few local musicians have that kind of clout.

Now that he’s signed to RCA, Chisel is often asked why he hasn’t left Appleton for a larger market. He chooses to stay here, he says, because his roots in this town run deep.

“Something about our art is very much influenced by this town; it’s art that’s influenced by the textures and environment that we all grew up in,” he said. “And (the community has) really gotten behind what I’ve done and just continues to support us.”

The Midwestern songwriter vibe suits Chisel better, anyway. Many days he’d rather be relaxing and writing songs at his family’s cabin in Elcho. When he’s in town, his favorite place to eat is Galvan’s, the mom-and-pop diner on Appleton’s north side. And his favorite place to play, the place that has been the scene of some of The Wandering Sons’ most memorable shows, is Cranky Pat’s in Neenah.

Though he was born in northern Minnesota, Chisel has lived in Appleton for nearly twenty of his 26 years. He still lives in the same part of town where he grew up, and he married his best friend from childhood, Erin, who lived across the street when they were kids.

Chisel’s family has supported his musical aspirations from the beginning. His mother is a pianist and his uncle, Roger Anderson, is a blues artist. Chisel counts him as a main influence on his musical growth. When Chisel formed the band Breathing Machine as a student at North, his parents bankrolled their first CD for $5,000.

When Chisel and The Wandering Sons shot a concert video in mid-April, they could have picked anywhere. But the record label wanted the shoot to feel authentic, so Appleton was the choice. The former Pilgrim’s Cafe in the heart of the downtown was turned into an old juke joint and used for the venue. The shoot was directed by John Adams, a filmmaker originally from Appleton and one of Chisel’s best friends. Brad Knapp, an Appleton graphic designer who also books shows at Cranky Pat’s, shot photos. A number of local musicians joined Chisel on stage. And the invitation-only audience was made up of fans from the Fox Valley who have supported him and the band through the years.

Greg Sampson of Little Chute has been one of those longtime supporters.

“More than anything, everyone I know in the local music community really is behind those guys and everyone knows that nobody deserves it more than them,” Sampson said in December. “They have worked hard to define their sound, collaborate with others and build a loyal fan base. I’m very proud of them and I will always be a fan of Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons.”

It’s that relationship with his hometown that gives Chisel a feeling of comfort here. “As long as I make art for the same reasons I started making art, (the community) would support it, even if this record business fell down,” Chisel said. “Maybe this is stupid to believe, but I sort of believe that I would have a career here with or without any of it.”