Chris youmans
Music infused itself into Chris Youmans’s life at a very young age. Growing up in Santa Cruz, CA, he first picked began guitar lessons at age five. As he began to traverse new and exciting sonic landscapes, he found himself exposed to an eclectic mix of styles ranging from the traditional Irish music he encountered in the local folk music community to the classic rock that pervaded his father’s extensive record collection.
Throughout his formative years, Youmans continued to learn and grow, finding himself enthralled by legendary songwriters like James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. Eventually, he discovered a deep love for soul and gospel music as he explored other industry greats like Donny Hathaway and Whitney Houston. However, it was Fleetwood Mac’s iconic album, Rumours, that ignited his spark for songwriting and propelled him down his own path of creative musical expression.
By the time he began studying music at UC Berkeley, Youmans had formed his own band, playing jazz standards and pop covers at local clubs. Hungry for more opportunities to play, he collaborated with funk and jazz musicians across the East Bay; before long, such outings became a heralded tradition among Youmans and his peers.
As his passion for making music bloomed, Youmans explored the careers of prolific producers including Nile Rodgers, Mark Ronson, Quincy Jones and Max Martin. He began to refine his vision and push his own creative boundaries, and in 2015 earned the Eisner Prize for exceptional creative achievement in music. After graduating, Youmans moved to Los Angeles to break ground on his eponymous artist project.
From this building momentum, Youmans has created “DANSE,” the first single off his new EP, Electric Love Connection. The project is an electric infusion of his unique, lifelong voyage through music and personal sagas with love, sex, and gay nightlife that have suffused and colored his LA experience. It’s the dawn of a new era — prepare for the unimaginable, because Youmans is delivering a scintillating live experience replete with luscious three-part harmonies, crisp choreography, and impeccably styled looks with reveals you won’t want to miss.
