Brother Wallace is proof that there are no coincidences in life. Only fate, destiny, and divine purpose. This is the only way to explain how this gospel singer and music teacher from the small town of West Point, Georgia, was discovered by the British band The Heavy, signed to ATO Records, and found himself touring with St. Paul and the Broken Bones, where he is currently spending the weekend discussing his label debut.
«I swear it all feels like fate,» says Christopher Wallace of the incredible domino effect that led to the creation of Electric Love . This 13-track album, with brass, piano, and soaring harmonies, sounds like cues from a forgotten Southern Motown radio show.
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The album's release on May 8th was also something of a fateful coincidence, as it coincided with a concert in Atlanta, allowing Wallace to celebrate the album's release at home, where his whole journey began.
«"My family loves music. There was more music in our house than television," explains Wallace, recalling his fertile early childhood in a rural area known more for its automobile factories and being the site of one of the Civil War's greatest battles than for its musical history.
Still, says Wallace, «Once my older brother realized I was into music at an early age, he just started giving me music to listen to.» He specifically remembers being handed a bag of Prince tapes at age eight. «He said, „Listen to this, it doesn’t mean much now, but you’ll understand it later.“» Michael Jackson is another such important early memory. «I remember when the „Billie Jean“ video came out, and we were all sitting around the TV as a family because back then you had to wait for MTV to show the music video,» Wallace recalls. «Seeing Jackson rocking out on the sidewalk, I remember thinking, „Oh my God, this is the most amazing thing that’s ever happened.“».
Of course, his parents also gave him the classics. "From my father, I learned a lot about Sam Cooke, Johnnie Taylor, and Bobby Womack, and from my mother, about Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, and Patti LaBelle. Music was everywhere.".
The principles of these musical masons can be heard in Wallace's work, which combines the cultural commentary of Sam Cooke, the jaunty piano playing of Ray Charles and Little Richard, and the soulful big band of Johnnie Taylor, but always keeps gospel at its core.
This July, coming full circle, Brother Wallace will open for the inimitable Mavis Staples at the Central Park SummerStage, and then perform at the Newport Folk Festival later this month—the very same hallowed ground where she had her own moment.
«I can’t even believe it. It’s beyond my wildest dreams because I have such a deep love for trailblazers like Mavis,» says Wallace, “and being able to pay tribute and thank her for paving the way for me and my music is such an honor.”.
Like Staples, Wallace's musical journey began in church as a young child. At age 6, he began taking piano lessons and singing at Sunday Mass. By age 14, he was leading a 100-person choir and writing his own songs. In his 20s, he was writing songs for others gospel singers and shared the stage with the likes of Kirk Franklin. And shortly thereafter, ten years ago, it was there, by a twist of fate, that he met Heavy on another Sunday.
«"They were on tour and passing through Columbus, Georgia, where I lived at the time. They were looking for a backup singer for their upcoming album," Wallace explains. As it turned out, the band's bus driver was also from Columbus and co-owned a recording studio in the city called The Loft, which he recommended for finding talented vocalists. Wallace's cousin happened to be recording at the same studio that day and suggested he stop by and try his hand. "I had no idea who they were," Wallace admits. "But it was one of those times when strangers become family.".
Since then, they've developed an incredible working relationship, with Wallace having the opportunity to sing on several albums and tour with the band. The Heavy even coined the stage name Brother Wallace themselves. "One of the band members is also named Chris [drummer Chris Ellul], so there used to be some confusion about which Chris we were talking about. Someone started calling me Brother Wallace, and it stuck.".
(Photo: Hana Snow)
During one of these tours, Dan Taylor of The Heavy asked Wallace if he was a songwriter, too. "So I went home and started sitting at the piano with GarageBand, sending him snippets," Wallace recalls. "Dan said, 'We need to record this.' And that's how this album was born.".
The album was recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios and took years to complete, allowing Wallace to juggle his other projects. When he's not traveling, he can always be found in the classroom, teaching music to students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the Quitman School District in Georgia. His students, parents, and teachers remain among his biggest fans.
«"When I leave school, people ask me, 'How long will you be gone? Are you coming back?' They like to know how I'm doing," Wallace shares with his sweet and welcoming nature, which makes you think he must be every student's favorite teacher. "Even the principal said, 'We're going to throw you a pep rally!' And I said, 'Please don't do that. It's too much.'".
Wallace is always humble, but he views his time in the spotlight as an extension of the life lessons he strives to impart in the classroom. "I just try to instill in my students that I'm here because of my hard work, and if you work hard, you'll have the same opportunities.".
This lesson is at the heart of the album. Electric Love (funny enough, it was also released during National Teacher Appreciation Week), where many songs, like "Top Shotta" and "You're The Man," carry a narrative subtext about how the decisions you make along the way can impact your future. Both songs are based on true stories.
(Photo: Hana Snow)
«"In my song 'Top Shotta,' I wrote about two people walking the same path and the decisions that led them to where they are now," Wallace explains, linking it to something he observes all too often in the classroom. "Often, educators see things that parents don't, because to parents, it's their child. But as educators, we see them as outside observers, and kids are always doing things their parents have no idea about.".
«"But that's the reality of education. We have information and the ability to predict the future. And if we see a trend toward poor decisions and events, it's our responsibility to sound the alarm.".
The song "You're The Man" is deeply moving. Wallace wrote it about his cousin, a drug dealer, recalling how the musician had to beg him for money when he was in college studying psychology and broke. "He said, 'You do everything right, and you have to come to me for money because I'm in charge.' But soon after, he was arrested and convicted," Wallace says. "So the song flips that idea on its head: You're in charge, right? Isn't that life? Isn't that great?"«
The third song, the pensive "No God In This Town," is the most heartbreaking on the album. It's inspired by a real-life experience: while touring in San Francisco, I found a homeless man on the street who had died. Wallace approaches this song with incredible empathy for another person, understanding that none of us are immune to the harsh realities of circumstance.
«"I, more than anyone else, man or woman, am most grateful that my attempt at something was successful," he says. "But I also understand that most people don't succeed.".
However, despite all the heavy themes of the album Electric Love , There's also a huge amount of joy and optimism in tracks like the cheeky R&B single "Who's That?", which centers on a love triangle, or the slow and measured serenade "Gone with the Wind," which talks about trying to find the best out of a bad day.
«"This song was born when I was leaving school one day and I was like, 'Oh my God, these guys won today,'" he recalls, bursting into laughter. "But then I was driving past a field, and the sky was blue and the sun was shining, and I thought, 'I should just park the car and lie in the field for a while...' That's one of the most important things I tell people: just find a way to move on." As a sign of respect, Wallace invited some of his current students to sing background vocals on the song, as a way to give back. But it's also a kind of return on what he gets from working with all these young minds: a change in perspective.
«"It made me look at the world with different eyes, less cynical ones... and reassess my priorities," he admits. "It made me realize that we adults need to not take ourselves too seriously and just have a good time sometimes, and remember that we only have one life. So don't get so hung up on pressure and politics, because in the end, none of it matters. For a child, it certainly doesn't matter. They enjoy the beauty of the world.".
By the time you get to the last track on the album Electric Love , From the endorphin-pumping anthem "Let's Get Together," the message becomes clear. This is Wallace's latest attempt to preach peace, harmony, and unity for this generation—and for generations to come.
«There’s a saying in the South: „Love is what love does.“ We can say we love our neighbor or we love our community, but our actions still don’t match it,» Wallace explains, segueing into the core message of his album. «But the thing is, love isn’t complicated. Love is simple. It’s like electricity. And electricity moves fast. If we could put aside everything that divides us and remember what it means to be united, without any ulterior motives, just being together and spreading love, we could light up the world.».
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