Graham Colton is a passionate singer/songwriter with a bent toward melodic, guitar-based pop. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, he moved to Dallas to attend Southern Methodist University and met a local guitarist known only as
Turtle. The two began writing songs together before hooking up with another guitarist,
Drew Nichols. The fourth member of the soon to be named
Graham Colton Band was teenage drummer
Jordan Elder, who in turn brought in bassist
Ryan Tallent. The
Graham Colton Band built up a local following that eventually led to an invitation to open for
Counting Crows. That was followed by other support bills with
John Mayer,
Jewel, and
the Dave Matthews Band. And all that exposure in turn led to a contract with Universal Records. In July 2003, the group went into Atlanta's Southern Tracks studio with producer
Brendan O'Brien (known for his work with
Pearl Jam and
Bruce Springsteen) behind the board. The result was their debut album,
Drive, released in May 2004 and accompanied, naturally, by extensive touring. Ultimately,
Colton disbanded the outfit, instead deciding to focus on a solo career. Three years later, he released his first proper solo album,
Here Right Now. In 2011, he delivered the eclectic albums Pacific Coast Eyes and Pacific Coast Eyes, Vol. 2.
Colton returned in 2014 with the even more expansive and neo-psych-influenced
Lonely Ones. ~ William Ruhlmann