Brother Wallace lights up the Forum at Minnesota Public Radio with a five-song set
by Bill DeVille
April 28, 2026
Georgia singer-songwriter Chris Wallace — known artistically as Brother Wallace — has been a choir director and music teacher, but his musical acumen led him to a connection and collaboration with U.K. band The Heavy. It was from that friendship that Brother Wallace's career as a soul and R&B artist got underway. "You got one life," Wallace says. "You might as well live it to the fullest."
Brother Wallace's debut album, Electric Love, releases on May 8, 2026, on ATO Records. Now touring in support of the album, Brother Wallace and his band visited the Forum at Minnesota Public Radio to play a live set before a studio audience. Between songs, Brother Wallace chatted with The Current's Bill DeVille about his life and career so far. Watch the full session above.
Interview Higlights
Bill DeVille: You've done a lot of things over the years, but why don't we go back to the very beginning. You grew up in rural Georgia, right?
Brother Wallace: Yeah. I grew up in a town called West Point, Georgia. "West Point, the best point" was the slogan when I was growing up. But I began playing the piano at about six, I started taking piano lessons, and my parents were very involved in the local church, and so as I began learning music, I began playing at church. I first learned how to play, "Jesus Loves Me," that was the first song I learned how to play. And so at Sunday school, they would have me play it every Sunday, and they would sing along with it. And I was like, seven, playing this little elementary version of this song. And then I learned another song. And then so that was like, "OK, now you got two songs. So you play this one this week, and then next week you play the other one." And then it just progressed from there, and I now know a lot of songs.
Bill DeVille: Now how did you get connected with with the band, The Heavy?
Brother Wallace: So I'm going to tell the whole story. Would y'all like the real story?
Bill DeVille: Yes! We want the real story.
Brother Wallace: OK. I was at the mall, and my cousin, who worked at a local studio in Columbus, Georgia, called and was like, "There's these guys from England over here, and they want some people who sing gospel music to sing on a couple of tracks. Would you mind? What are you doing?" And I was like, "I was just getting some Sarku Japan." And so sure. It's a true story. And we went down there, and we met the guys, and we started singing, and then, like, we spent the next three days with them, and like, recorded the album. Like all the background vocals for the album. And that was like, in September. In March, I was watching March Madness basketball, and I heard the song [lyric] "Tell me now!" and I was like, "That's me!"
Bill DeVille: That's not, that's not Kelvin Swaby, then. That's you!
Brother Wallace: Yeah, we're singing background.
Bill DeVille: Oh, right, OK.
Brother Wallace: We're the background singers. Then we get a call and it's like, "Hey, we want you to come and would y'all mind coming and singing background for The Heavy for these shows?" And it was like, "Cool. What shows?" And it was like, Webster Hall, the Letterman Show, and Gramercy Hotel. And I was like, "What?" He was like, "Yeah, Gramercy Hotel." Is it really? I was like, "No, it's Letterman Show." And so we went and we did that. And then they were like, "Well, what are you doing next weekend? We're going to L.A." And I was like, "I guess I'm going to L.A."
Bill DeVille: How about that?
Brother Wallace: And then we just, like, that's it. And then we just started singing with them.
Bill DeVille: You were at Peter Gabriel's studio in the U.K. to record this album. Tell me about that experience.
Brother Wallace: Well, yes, we were at Real World Studios in a place called Box in the U.K., and it's owned by Peter Gabriel, and it's like a compound. It's the most beautiful, serene place. You would think it would be like a spa or something. And it was really old, like, a factory, that had different recording studios.
It is amazing. It is it is absolutely amazing. And it was, you know, you stay there. They have cottages for you to live at, and you just stay there. You get up and record music, and then you go back and go to sleep. You go sit by the river. And it's just, everybody's really nice. I met Peter Gabriel there. Yeah. I was like, "That's Peter Gabriel. Just be cool." He was like, "Hi, I'm Peter." I was like, "Hi, I'm Chris."
Bill DeVille: I imagine he's a nice gentleman.
Brother Wallace: He was very nice. We sat down and talked for 15 minutes. I wanted to take a picture, but I was like, "Do not do that!"
Video Segments
00:00:00 Intro by host Bill DeVille
00:00:52 Band introductions
00:01:17 Electric Love
00:04:31 Gone With the Wind
00:07:54 Interview with host Bill DeVille, part 1
00:17:33 Who’s That?
00:20:38 You’re the Man
00:23:58 Interview with host Bill DeVille, part 2
00:33:08 Let’s Get Together
All songs from Brother Wallace’s album, Electric Love, releasing May 8, 2026, on ATO Records.
Musicians
Christopher Wallace – vocals, keyboards
Ian Newberry – guitar
Travis Murphy – bass
Jordan Manley – drums
Credits
Guest – Brother Wallace
Host – Bill DeVille
Producer – Derrick Stevens
Audio – Derek Ramirez; Erik Stromstad
Video – Josh Sauvageau; Tom Campbell; Sean Belcher
Graphics – Natalia Toledo
Digital Producers – Reed Fischer, Luke Taylor
External Link
Brother Wallace – official site
