Chris Staples

When American singer-songwriter Chris Staples settled into the quiet rhythm of Richmond, VA—where deer graze through backyards and rabbits dart across early morning sidewalks—he was granted a small gift: stillness. In a career that has stretched from Florida to Washington with nearly 500 performances across 12 countries and witnessed the release of 7 studio albums, Staples hasn’t had the kind of domestic ease and opportunity to reflect on more than the immediate past. But in 2023, he was afforded time for deeper, longer looks backward. It was in these quiet moments that Don’t Worry began to take shape. Writing more for this record than any of his others, Chris draws from a wide archive of memory: small towns, long drives, quiet anecdotes from strangers—moments once considered mundane now hum with new meaning. The songs never overstay their welcome— each enters, encapsulates the idea, and moves on before the moment closes in. The arrangements are equally unhurried, allowing space for fingerpicked guitar lines, hushed harmonies, understated piano melodies, and textures provided by a pedal steel guitar or warm synth. Chris is giving us the same gift he received. "Don't Worry" comes out August 5th, 2025. - Joshua Sorrells