Multi-award winning songwriter and music producer Chris Fisher writes songs, sings, plays guitar, piano and mandolin.

He has become a well-known face in the local music industry over the past three decades and “can’t seem to kick the habit” of music.

The man with gyspy blood who walked away from a career in environmental science has now made a living out of music - and even teaches music to Indigenous children in Central Australia.

You might have seen Chris Fisher playing piano and singing at the Dusty Attic in Lismore every Friday from 4-6. 

Or maybe playing guitar at one of many pubs or festivals in the local area over the past three decades – but Chris Fisher is not big on the limelight. 

While Chris Fisher started learning piano from his mum at the age of 8, it wasn’t until this year that he took on his first public piano gig.

“I never presented myself as a piano player until recently,” Chris said.

Musical origins

“As a kid I was into making music and I learned guitar as a teenager.

“My dad played piano and harmonica and I would sing along around the piano – then my brother in law and eldest sister and I were in a bush band.

“I took piano lessons from my mum from the age of 8 and mum and dad would get me on the piano at parties.” 

Chris left home at the age of 15 and moved to Warrnambool in Victoria “because it was a long way from Far North Queensland”.

Eventually, he went to Townsville University to study environmental science and while he was there, he started playing gigs at the folk club. 

“I was 18 when first time I played in public,” he said.

“I started a bush band with other environmental scientists - and I played the mandolin and called the dances. 

“We were the flat bufo bush band – named after the cane toad – bufo marinus.

“When I finished my degree, I was inspired to make music my full-time career. 

“I didn’t want to work in science, but I wanted to write music with an environmental message.”

Gypsy blood

His parents immigrated to Australia from England in 1958 and moved to Townsville, where Chris was born.

“Mum and dad came as ten-pound poms with my two brothers and sister,” he said.

“I’m the only member of my family born in Australia.”

His great grandmother was a Romany gypsy and he said the gypsy blood is definitely in him.

“I have a skin tone that doesn’t make sense with the Scots and English blood,” he said.

“When I learned about the gypsy connection in my heritage later in life, it made sense to me - and musically, it gave me somewhere to hang my hooks.

“I was inspired creatively by my mum – she was a creative soul who researched our family history.

“My mum published four books of poetry and wrote a family history in prose.

“It inspired me to start writing my first songs, and in my early career as a musician I put her poetry to music.

“She’s passed on now, but her lyrics are a wonderful legacy."

Pictured: Chris Fisher.

A career in music

Chris fell in love and married - and when he and his wife were pregnant with their first child, he wanted to move to the North Coast to bring up their child here.

“I was very motivated with music when I came here to live the dream,” he said.

“I worked hard to establish myself at local venues and built up my name as a soloist.

“I really wanted to make a living out of music – then I could travel and sing my songs.”

Chris recently played with the Wendy Ford band at the 2019 Dolphin Awards, organised by the North Coast Entertainment Industry Association (NCEIA) - and said he was at the first Dolphin Awards in 1991.

“That was when I won Best New Talent as a songwriter with an environmental message,” he said.

“Since then, I’ve won 11 awards and recorded five albums.

“Because I was active in the local music scene, I met a lot of people through the Dolphin Awards.

“I was there when NCEIA was formed at the Bangalow pub and our collective put our local music on the map.”

Chris said he’s always liked to collaborate with others. Over the years, he’s been in bands and at one point, Chris Fisher and the Essentials were a hit in the local pub rock scene and also played at festivals in Tamworth, Woodford and Port Fairy. 

“Music is a habit I can’t seem to kick,” he said.

“I get positive feedback for what I do – sharing my values and ideas as I sing about the environment.

“There’s a growing movement and awareness in regard to our planet and musically, my creativity adds to what we need to do.

“I’m still inspired to write new songs, but I’m more cynical now than I used to be. 

“I spend more time navel gazing and dwelling on personal emotions and the human condition - I can’t take myself seriously.”

Music production

Chris has a music production studio at his home in Goonellabah, which he built with his wife of 22 years - Marcelle Townsend-Cross.

“I can be as creative and noisy as I like there,” he said. 

“I’ve recorded two albums there, including an album by Monkey and the Fish A Place of Hope – which won album of the year at the Dolphin Awards.

“It was inspired by mum dying and was a tribute to her. ‘A Place of Hope’ was one of her poems.”

One of the Dolphin Awards Chris won for was for best album production.

“Getting a production award for a high level of work was great recognition,” he said.

“The song The Smell of Rain won production of the year and album of the year too.”

Chris said his skill at being to hear sound was by listening and learning.

“You learn over time,” he said. 

“It’s all about letting the song be its most potent through musical arrangement, whether it’s heavy, country or techno.

“I’ve learned a lot from Dave Hyatt – a co[producer from Nimbin who’s in Scotland now. He was a legend at recording.”

Chris has also started an independent music production label called Fruit Bat Music.

Pictured: Monkey and the Fish.

Monkey and the Fish

Chris met Marcelle over a baby change table at a day care centre.

“We both had boys who were toddlers and we were changing shitty nappies,” he said.

“We were both in relationships at the time and later we got to know each other when we worked on a musical project together to put on a concert for the local Bundjalung community and I asked her to be an MC.”

Marcelle is an Indigenous Australian woman who is a lecturer at Southern Cross University’s Indigenous College, GNIBI.

“We didn’t actually get together until later when we started collaborating as Monkey and the Fish and making music,” Chris said.

“We had a barefoot hippy wedding in Nimbin and started living together and became the Brady Bunch from hell with seven little Australians.

“Between us we had five kids and then took on another couple of kids when Marcelle’s sister passed away and we adopted her daughter.”

APY lands

About nine years ago, Chris took an opportunity to teach music at schools in the APY Lands in Central Australia.

“I did some teaching in a TAFE program aimed at indigenous youth and through that I got the opportunity through the Outback Foundation to go to APY Lands,” he said.

“I still go over there a few times a year and teach music to the kids.

“The whole idea to have continuity – there’s such a lack teachers there. 

“White fellas come and go and the idea is to keep coming back.

“I get welcomed home when I go back out there now - some families have claimed me and the kids really love it.

“On the Monkey and the Fish album, we have a song featuring kids from the community there singing with us in Pitjantjara language.

“I set up a mobile recording studio out there and that’s been fun.”

The future of music

Chris is planning on recording a new album in the next year, and says it takes time and money – and persistence.

“I keep thinking about making music videos for my songs - it’s important to get your music out there,” he said.

While Chris has become a local music icon, he said he some people tell him “I thought your music would take off more”.

“It’s hard to get yourself noticed as a musician sometimes,” he said.

“I’m happy to have a living and a vocation as a musician and an artist - it’s a privilege.

“Some people are stuck on a treadmill and can’t afford to have a real conversation about how they want to live their lives.” 

If anyone is thinking of pursuing music as a career, Chris’s advice is “get joy out of performing”.

“If you can live your dream and play music, then you’ve already succeeded,” he said.

“It’s hard to get recognition in the mainstream - you need to find a niche and diversify and don’t be a prima donna.

“Be happy if you have a vocation – it’s a luxury to have choice to be an artist or muso.”

East Lismore Bowling Club

Chris has taken on a regular gig running the East Lismore Bowling Club music program.

Every Thursday night, there’s something on and Chris invites musicians and music lovers to come along and take part, or contact him and book themselves in for a slot.

 “I really want to develop the entertainment there and every first and third Thursday night there’s an open mic fruit bat music club,” he said.

“The third Thursday is the Australian Songwriters Association wax lyrical night of original music by songwriters.

“The second and fourth Thursdays will be music by me and special guests.”

To contact Chris, visit his website http://fruitbatmusic.com/Fruit_Bat_Music.html or via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fruitbatmusicClub.openmic/