Chris Richards   -  Biography

Chris Richards grew up in Sheboygan, Wis., and credits his grandmother's love of taverns, jukeboxes and traditional country for shaping his musical vision. He moved to L.A. and worked at an advertising agency, then decided to pursue a career in songwriting. He bought a Tom T. Hall book about songwriting, and his demos persuaded Dave Alvin's sideman Rick Shea to produce an album. Richards' first project, Jam the Breeze, found an audience at Mojo and No Depression magazines and BBC Radio.

Encouraged, Richards left L.A., moved into a former crack house in Nashville, found employment as a janitor and grocery stocker and worked on a new album. A family friend from Sheboygan helped Richards set up his own label which released Tumblers & Grit in 2004. He recorded the album in Nashville with producer R.S. Field and esteemed guitarist Kenny Vaughan, Old Crow Medicine Show fiddler Ketch Secor, bassist Jared Reynolds and legendary steel guitarist Lloyd Green.