Chris Maxwell

Chris Maxwell pursues a solo path as an Americana singer/songwriter while sharing duties in the production duo Elegant Too. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, he launched his musical pursuits during the early 1980s as a member of Jubilee Dive. His subsequent ensemble, the Southern alt-pop band the Gunbunnies, issued the 1990 album Paw Paw Patch under the guidance of producer Jim Dickinson, whose credits also include Big Star, the Replacements, and the Rolling Stones. Following the ensemble’s dissolution, Maxwell established the junk-rock outfit Skeleton Key in 1994 alongside Erik Sanko, previously the bassist for the Lounge Lizards. He departed the group during the late 1990s and, in 1998, launched Elegant Too in partnership with Phil Hernandez. Across subsequent projects, the pair supplied production, songwriting, and compositional work for an array of clients that encompassed They Might Be Giants, Iggy Pop, Yoko Ono, and the television programs Inside Amy Schumer and Bob’s Burgers. Their score for the 2012 Gillette commercial “The Gentleman Shaver” earned a Clio Award. Maxwell issued his first solo album, Arkansas Summer, in 2016. One year later, Dangerbird Records released Catskill Christmas, a joint effort featuring Holly Miranda and Shivaree’s Ambrosia Parsley.