Christopher Owens On World Cafe

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Christopher Owens. Ryan McGinley/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ryan McGinley/Courtesy of the artist

Christopher Owens.

Ryan McGinley/Courtesy of the artist

Formerly of the San Francisco rock band Girls, Christopher Owens now explores music and life on his own. Shortly after the duo released its second album, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Owens announced that he was leaving to go solo. Released this past January, Lysandre is his first album recorded under his own name; it's a coming-of-age story for the singer, intertwined with hints of romance.

Here, Owens talks with WXPN's Michaela Majoun about the album's quiet nature; it's a gentler version of the '60s- and '70s-inspired music he'd been making with Girls since 2009. Several of Lysandre's songs are written in the same key, making the entire album feel like a unified piece. It also offers a revealing look into Owens' personal life and unconventional upbringing: At 16, he decided to leave a religious organization widely described as a cult.

Since then, Owens has been trying to find his own way, and he's used songwriting as a means of exploration. On this installment of World Cafe, hear him perform four raw and intimate songs from his latest album.