The Legal Matters isn't just a band, it's a meeting of the minds of three notable figures on the Midwest power pop scene -- singer/songwriter/guitarists Keith Klingensmith, Andy Reed, and Chris Richards. The harmony-loving trio takes inspiration from all the heroes of the genre from the Beatles to Jellyfish, delivering a mature and thoughtful spin on the sound. They made an impressive debut with their self-titled first album in 2014, and grew more ambitious on 2016's Conrad and 2021's Chapter Three with the increasing use of keyboards. 2026's Lost at Sea gets back to basics with a heavy focus on guitars and harmonies, while adding a dash of politics to the mix.
The Legal Matters first came together in early 2013, when Chris Richards & the Subtractions cut an EP of covers titled That Covers That 2: Electric Boogaloo. Reed took part in the That Covers That sessions, and when Klingensmith and Richards began blocking out plans for a record by their band the Phenomenal Cats, they invited Reed to join them in the studio. The three songwriters began exchanging demos, and since they all lived in different cities in Michigan, most of the collaborating and pre-production was done by phone or online. By the time Klingensmith, Reed, and Richards gathered at Reed's studio, Reed Recording Company, the three realized that with Reed's extensive input, this music was a different animal than that of the Phenomenal Cats, and with this in mind, the new trio adopted a new name, the Legal Matters, based on their shared love of the Who. From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-legal-matters-mn0003263088#biography
