Graham Colton

Graham Colton channels his energies into crafting songs as a vocalist and tunesmith drawn to tuneful, guitar-driven pop forms. Raised in Oklahoma City, he relocated to Dallas upon enrolling at Southern Methodist University, where he connected with a guitarist known solely as Turtle. The pair started composing material collaboratively, later adding Drew Nichols on guitar. Teenage drummer Jordan Elder completed the lineup that would become the Graham Colton Band, and Elder subsequently recruited bassist Ryan Tallent. Local momentum earned the group an opening slot for Counting Crows, which led to further support appearances alongside John Mayer, Jewel, and the Dave Matthews Band. Those opportunities secured a deal with Universal Records. In July 2003 the band tracked its debut at Southern Tracks studio in Atlanta under producer Brendan O'Brien, whose résumé includes Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen. Drive appeared in May 2004 and was followed by sustained road work. Colton later dissolved the ensemble to pursue solo endeavors, issuing his first full-length solo effort, Here Right Now, three years afterward. The two-part set Pacific Coast Eyes and Pacific Coast Eyes, Vol. 2 arrived in 2011, showcasing an eclectic range. In 2014 he returned with Lonely Ones, a broader, neo-psych-tinged collection.