By: Josh Kitchen / November 26. 2024
I've known Chris Lambert for almost twenty years. In that time, Lambert has been releasing home grown original music inspired partly by life growing up on the Central Coast, primarily in Orcutt and Santa Maria, California. Lambert's lyricism and music have reflected his curious and introspective take on pop music, some of his influences being Brian Wilson, Jeff Tweedy & Wilco, and Brian Eno. One of the themes I think about when I listen to Lambert's music is his sense of community and home. The Central Coast has been central to Lambert's output over the years, from homegrown tongue-in-cheek Santa Maria and Orcutt sticker and art popups he's created with his long-time partner Alli Wallace, to working and helping to create live opportunities and spaces for Central Coast talent, Lambert has become a familiar hometown staple.
All photos of Chris Lambert by Alexandra Wallace
That passion and love for his community rose to new heights in 2019 when he began researching the disappearance and murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. Your Own Backyard quickly became one of the biggest (and for a time, the #1 podcast in America), podcasts in the country, which ultimately led to a conviction in the case. Lambert was thanked by the family of Smart and a grateful community. After the podcast and later trial itself ended, Lambert spent the next two years taking a much deserved breather, and dove back into making music, which Lambert tells me is his greatest passion. After offers from big networks to create true-crime shows and features, Lambert declined them all to keep doing what he loves most - making music. This past week, Lambert released his 12th album, Be Great, a return to form that also feels like a great forward step. I spoke with Lambert all about the new record, Your Own Backyard, and that feeling of home that you just can't shake.
Chris, your new album, Be Great, came out just this past week. This is your first record in six and a half years. In that time, you've also put out a pretty massive podcast, Your Own Backyard. How does it feel to get back into music in such a big way?
It’s a total relief in some ways. I started Your Own Backyard thinking it would be a small, local podcast, but it blew up into an international chart-topping phenomenon. That brought all kinds of unexpected opportunities—like requests for a TV show—but I realized quickly that wasn't my interest. I pursued that story because it was a local missing-person case that meant a lot to me, and I wanted to help solve it. I never wanted to be known as “the crime guy.”
Laura Dickinson / San Luis Obispo Tribune photo
Music has always been my true passion. Since I was a teenager, I’ve been writing songs, recording them in my bedroom, and playing shows. That cycle—writing, recording, releasing—was constant for me. Your Own Backyard was the first time it got derailed. It was a good reason, of course, but during that six-and-a-half-year gap, I was holding onto a batch of songs, waiting to get back to them. After covering the trial, which led to a first-degree murder conviction, I couldn’t wait to return to music. Compared to sitting in courtrooms and being mentioned in defense strategies, making music felt like the easiest thing in the world.
That sounds surreal—and scary, honestly.
It was. Emotionally, it was taxing. When the jury read the guilty verdict, I cried—not just out of relief but because of years of built-up tension. After the trial ended, I thought I’d jump right back into music, but it took a full year to process everything. Even then, it took another two years to get the album out. That time gave Be Great a chance to evolve into what it is today. Initially, it was just a collection of songs about the future. But after everything that happened, it became much deeper and more personal.
That personal evolution comes across in the album, and I noticed that reflected in the lyrics, like: “Even then, knew you when I had pimples / Now, I'm growing gray in the temples.” It's relatable—I'm 34, you're 36, and we're both seeing those changes.
Totally. Thematically, Be Great is the final chapter of a trilogy. My 2016 album was about my past—my childhood and where I came from. The next one was about the present, focusing on mindfulness and stillness. So, naturally, this album is about the future: fear, anxiety, marriage, kids—but also things like divorce, death, and aging. When I started writing these songs at 30, I didn’t have any gray hairs. Now, I do, and my perspective has shifted. The album reflects that growth and change.
One song, “Waiting at Home,” originally came from touring and missing Alli, my girlfriend. But now, it’s taken on new meaning after living apart while covering the trial. That’s the beauty of time—it strengthened the core themes of the album.
That attention to detail really shines. The tracks feel cohesive but also layered, like “Down the Line,” with its vocal arrangements. Those reminded me of Brian Wilson.
Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys are big influences. This time, I really embraced what I’ve always loved about vocal harmonies and layered instrumentation. I used to hold back because I didn’t want my work to sound “overproduced,” but with this album, I leaned into what makes those arrangements so special.
For “Down the Line,” I experimented with stacking multiple vocal tracks, and it created this lush, almost orchestral quality. I also played with adding unexpected instrumentation—like a Mellotron part I layered in after hearing it on one of those late ‘60s Beach Boys records. There’s something magical about creating arrangements that feel almost cinematic. This album gave me the freedom to experiment and indulge in that side of my creativity.
When I think about you and your work, whether it’s your music or your podcast, I always come back to this idea of community and home. It feels like those themes are ever-present in what you do. Can you talk a little bit more about why community and home are so important to you?
I think it was probably present subconsciously before I ever noticed it. I totally agree with what you’re saying, because that is a through line. But consciously, I wasn’t thinking about it until much more recently.
When Alli and I started dating in 2010, she was just getting ready to go away to college, and I stayed here. Then she moved back home, and we both lived with our families for a while, and during that time, I felt like I just wanted to get out of here. I thought, “I want to go somewhere else.” But she's very close with her parents and wanted to stay near them. Over time, I started to realize how much I really appreciate this area.
For instance, everyone who grew up here and moved away seems to have this longing to come back. They’ll go to LA or the Bay Area, but there’s something comforting and familiar about the Central Coast that pulls you back. Now, I think I’ve embraced that. This community really came together around Your Own Backyard. People were so supportive—they helped push it into the upper echelons of podcasting. And when we’re out and about now, people will come up to me, buy me coffee, or just share kind words. It’s so different from how I grew up, being very shy and quiet. I didn’t expect that kind of warmth.
Waller Park in Santa Maria, California
On top of that, I’ve been working on a project about Waller Park. It’s this place that was such a huge part of my childhood in Santa Maria, but so many people don’t realize how much history it has. There’s a whole story about how the park was originally part of a movie studio’s plans in the 1920s—it’s fascinating. I’ve been digging into old archives, and I’m hoping to turn it into a mini-documentary at some point. For now, it’s just something I’m doing for fun.
What are you watching or listening to lately?
Alli and I have a long list of movies we’ve been working through—things we’ve always meant to watch but hadn’t gotten around to. I also have a weekly movie group with friends where we pick a theme and work our way through films that fit it. Right now, we’re doing Kurt Russell movies. We’ve watched Escape from New York, Escape from L.A., and Overboard. Next, we’re doing Executive Decision. It’s been really fun.
For music, I’ve been rediscovering Bright Eyes. I hadn’t listened to Conor Oberst in a while, and I realized how much incredible work he’s done that I’d missed. I’ve also recently gotten into Hayden Pedego, an amazing fingerstyle guitarist. His music just pulls you in—it’s so atmospheric and evocative. He reminds me a lot of the Ry Cooder score from Paris, Texas. Oh, and I went through a huge Phoebe Bridgers phase. Her production and songwriting are incredible.
Lambert with fellow Central Coast renaissance man and playwright, Weston Scott
Any words for Weston Scott?
Wes is always working on something new, and his plays just keep getting better and better. He’s one of those people who might not have had the trajectory he initially envisioned, but I think he’s doing his best work now. There are definitely big things ahead for him. I’m really proud of what he’s been creating. We spent his last birthday watching old WWE footage—he’s such a history buff when it comes to wrestling lore. It’s always fun to hang out with him.
Final thoughts on Be Great?
I think the main thing is that it’s the closing chapter of a trilogy. My first two albums in this series were about the past and the present, and this one is all about the future. It touches on the fears, anxieties, and hopes that come with looking forward—marriage, aging, and mortality. It’s deeply personal, but I think those themes are universally relatable.
I’m already excited to start my next album. This one took so long to finish because of everything else going on in my life, but I’m hoping the next one will come together much faster. I want to prove to myself that I can still flex that creative muscle.
Purchase Be Great by Christ Lambert on the Bandcamp page here and subscribe to Your Own Backyard here.
Listen to Be Great below:
Comments