CHRIS STAPLES

In the organizer's words:

When American singer-songwriter Chris Staples settled into the quiet rhythm of Richmond, VA - where the deer scamper through the backyards and the rabbits scamper across the sidewalks early in the morning - he was granted a small gift: silence. In a career that has spanned from Florida to Washington and released seven studio albums, Staples has had the opportunity to reflect on more than just the immediate past. But in 2023, he was granted time for deeper, longer retrospectives. It was in these quiet moments that Don't Worry took shape. Chris Staples wrote more for this album than for any other of his albums, drawing on a wide archive of memories: Small towns, long car rides, quiet anecdotes from strangers - moments that were once considered mundane and now have new meaning. And perhaps it's the stillness or perspective that comes from time spent writing for others (he's written over fifty bespoke songs for people), or the clarity he gained from the experience of writing Cloud Souvenirs, here Staples is deliberately restrained. The songs never linger too long - each song gets in, sums up the idea, and moves on before the moment is over. The arrangements are equally unhurried, leaving room for finger-picked guitar lines, subdued harmonies, understated piano melodies and textures created by a pedal steel guitar or warm synthesizer. Chris gives us the same gift he received.