Biography

Contact Information:
Rich Krueger (505) 506-1090
mail@richkrueger.com

I am a finalist in the 2018 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition. Two years running! Former finalists include Lucinda Williams, Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, and Steve Earle!

I am a semi-finalist in the 2018 Songwriter Serenade Competition. A big honor!

Click here to read the AMAZING rave review (it got an A!) by Robert Christgau on 'Rich Krueger's Wince-Inducing Brilliance' and my new album Life Aint That Long

Click here to read the AMAZING rave review in No Depression of Rich Krueger's debut album Life Aint That Long

Click here to listen to a great interview on Rich Reardon's PRX show Beyond The Song"

Click here for upcoming Rich Krueger shows

New Release Friday, January 26, 2018

Rich Krueger’s Debut Album
Life Aint That Long

Music & Lyrics Rich Krueger (RockinK Music®)
Copyright / Publishing / Licensing
©RockinK Music® / ℗ RockinK Music® / Licensed through BMI (Administered by CD Baby)
©℗ all rights reserved
Master and Synch Licenses available

the album was produced by rich krueger

engineered, recorded, edited and mixed by bill kavanagh at by BobDog Studios, oak park il

significant production assistance by Paul Kotheimer & Bill Kavanagh

additional overdubs, mixing and production assistance on album tracks 1,2 & 4 by jay o’rourke with thomas Thornhill

seth lee jones recorded for A Stoopid Broken Heart & A Short One On Life (album tracks 1 & 4) by dylan layton in tulsa

jared tyler (Can’t See Me In This Light - album track 6) & michael staub (77/17 -‘album track 3) recorded by jared tyler in tulsa

paul kotheimer recorded for The Jessica Smiled (album track 5) by Paul Kotheimer in urbana

the album was mastered by Dave McNair

cover art design by jeff & rich krueger with help from Scott Greene

the linocut “new growth” (cover) and painting “spring growth” (middle panel) are by the artist Scott Greene

laughing rk & skeptical rk photo by Jim Newberry

For more information: Go to Rich Krueger’s Website
Media/Publicity by KG Music Press kim@kgmusicpress.com
US Radio Promotion by Powderfinger Promotions david@powderfingerpromo.com
UK/EU Radio Promotion by Music Promotion, Inc. amanda@musicpromotion.com
Additional Radio Promotion by Airplay Direct. lynda@AirPlayDirect.com

THE CAST OF CHARACTERS
ON LIFE AINT THAT LONG

rich krueger - acoustic guitars, electric 12 string guitar, banjo, piano, harmonica, vocals
vence edmonds – drums, tambourine, bongos
bill kavanagh – bass
seth lee jones - slide guitar
scott daniel - fiddle
issac lyons - accordion & hammond b3
alan burroughs - electric rhythm and lead guitar
simbryt dortch, alan burroughs & michael scott - heavenly choir
jared tyler, kim frost, jodi walker, naomi ashley, max krueger, bill kavanagh, paul kotheimer – background vocals
brian wilkie – pedal steel
skinny williams – tenor saxophone
The SW3 horns – skinny williams on saxophone, norman palm on trombone, leon q allen on trumpet
oliver steck – piano
steve lynn – electric guitar
cody clinton– electric rhythm and lead guitar
charles williams – piano, electric rhythm and lead guitar
paul kotheimer – piano, organ, mellotron, shakers, tambourine, glockenspiel, triangle
paul calzoretti – trumpets
dave bernat – guica, shakers, conga
michael staub – tenor saxophone
jay o’rourke – bass, telecaster

Major credits for
the musicians on the album

Brian Wilkie (Allison Krauss, Pam Tillis, Robbie Fulks, John Langford, The Hoyle Brothers)
Skinny Williams (The Ohio Players, Chaka Khan, Brian McKnight, George Duke, Sheila E)
Simbryt Dortch (Stevie Wonder, Michael McDonald, Seal, Celine Dion, Gladys Knight, Faith Hill, Kenny Loggins, Richard Marx, R. Kelly, Diana Ross)
Michael Scott (Downtown Tony Brown, The Chicago Catz, Nicholas Tremulis, Sonia Dada)
Alan Burroughs (Martha Redbone, Art Porter, Miles Davis)
Norman Palm (Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Elling, The Temptations, The O’ Jays, Aretha Franklin).
Oliver Steck (Bob Schneider Band, Slade Cleaves, Junior Wells)
Jared Tyler (Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Malcolm Holcombe, John Fullbright)
Cody Clinton (Leon Russell’s backing band, John Fullbright)
Bill Kavanagh (The Amazing Jimmi Mayes)
Scott Daniel (Jazz Robots)
Jay O’Rourke (The Insiders)

Credits for some of the folks who helped
record, mix, and master the album

Jay O’Rourke (overdubbing, mixing and production assisting) has worked making recordings by Robbie Fulks, Warren Zevon, Urge Overkill, Material Issue, and Ministry.
The album is mastered brilliantly by Dave McNair who has mastered records by Dylan, Bowie, and Springsteen among others.

Life Aint That Long Track Information

All songs -Music & Lyrics Rich Krueger (RockinK Music®)
Copyright / Publishing / Licensing
©RockinK Music® / ℗ RockinK Music® / Licensed through BMI (Administered by CD Baby)
©℗ all rights reserved
Master and Synch License available

1. A Stoopid Broken Heart 4:31 (Featured Track) Album Track One

Genre: Americana / Alt Country

Fiddle and pedal steel driven upbeat Americana through and through. A bar song about falling for a girl bar singer, and why that’s a stoopid thing to do.

rich krueger - acoustic guitars, vocals
vence edmonds – drums
jay o’rourke – bass, telecaster
seth lee jones - slide guitar
brian wilke – pedal steel
scott daniel – fiddle

2. The Gospel According To Carl 5:14 (Featured Track) Album Track Two

Genre: Americana/ Roots Rock / Gospel Feeling

Randy Newmanesque piano, full band, horn and gospel singer driven tour-de-force. The tale of a used car salesman’s fall from grace, due to a crisis of conscience, as a result of developing a conscience, a crisis for a person who sells used cars.

rich krueger - piano, vocals
vence edmonds – drums
jay o’rourke – bass
issac lyons - accordion
simbryt dortch, alan burroughs, michael scott, kim frost, jodi walker & naomi ashley– background vocals
brian wilke – pedal steel
paul kotheimer – glockenspiel
paul calzoretti – trumpets
vocal & horn arrangements by rich Krueger

3. What We Are? 4:09 (Featured Track) (SINGLE RADIO EDIT)

4. What We Are? 4:25 (Featured Track) Album Track Ten

Genre: Americana / Blue Eye-Soul / AAA

Piano and gospel propelled soul number. A humorous about sober reflection the paradoxes of hope for the future in these difficult times, and in other difficult times. I think hope wins, but barely.

rich krueger - piano, vocals
vence edmonds – drums
bill kavanagh – bass
scott daniel - fiddle
issac lyons - accordion & hammond b3
alan burroughs - electric rhythm & lead guitar
simbryt dortch, alan burroughs & michael scott - heavenly choir

5. Then Jessica Smiled 4:19 (Featured Track) (SINGLE RADIO EDIT)

6. Then Jessica Smiled 5:56 (Featured Track) Album Track Five

Genre: Americana / Blue Eye-Soul / AAA / Springsteen-esque

Think Phil Spector, just out of prison, hooks up with Brain Wilson to co-produce the next big Bruce Springsteen song, one Bruce co-wrote with Vladimir Nabokov and Robert Graves, and Tom Petty shows up with an electric twelve string guitar some girl background vocalists, and Lisa Simpson on Saxophone. Sid Vicious is on bass, back from the dead, now having learned to play really well. The song is story of the best kind of love, hopeless.

rich krueger - acoustic guitars, electric 12 string guitar, harmonica, vocals
vence edmonds – drums, tambourine
bill kavanagh – electric bass
issac lyons - hammond b3
jodi walker & naomi ashley– background vocals
skinny williams – tenor saxophone
paul kotheimer – acoustic left handed stand-up bass, piano, organ, mellotron, shakers, glockenspiel
vocal arrangements by paul kotheimer

NOTE: Then Jessica Smiled (album track 5) ends with a brief quote from “it’s a heartache” written by ronnie scott & steve wolfe & recorded in 1970 by bonnie tyler. universal music careers 1970. mechanical royalties apply. Mechanical license has been obtained through Harry Fox.

7. A Short One On Life 4:19 (Featured Track) CLEAN SINGLE RADIO EDIT

8. A Short One On Life 4:19 (Featured Track Explict – swears Album Track Four

Genre: Americana / Alt Country

Fiddle and slide-guitar driven upbeat Americana, with a Red Dirt tinge through and through. A bar song a girl bar fly, with her own opinions and her own story, unapologetically looking for love, and how I happened to be a co-traveler, for a couple go ‘rounds. And it’s all true I tell ya.

rich krueger - acoustic guitars, vocals vence edmonds – drums jay o’rourke – bass seth lee jones - slide guitar scott daniels - fiddle

9. Can’t See Me In This Light 4:59 Album Track Six

Genre: Americana / AAA / Indie Rock

Acoustic guitar and chorus driven, edgy rock song, with a great solo. The song is more about unrequited obsessive love.

rich krueger - acoustic guitar, vocals
vence edmonds – drums
bill kavanagh – bass
issac lyons - accordion
cody clinton– electric rhythm and lead guitar
paul kotheimer – piano
jared tyler, kim frost, jodi walker, naomi ashley– background vocals
vocal arrangement by rich Krueger

10. What Is It That You Want? 3:20 CLEAN RADIO EDIT

11. What Is It That You Want? 3:20 Explict – swears Album Track Nine

Genre: Americana / R&B / Blue-eyed Soul / Indie Rock

A piano and horn section driven song with a feel like James Brown’s Down and Out In New York City meets Ray Charles Mary Ann. A song which testifys about the impact on me of the death of a couple friends who died way too young. Don’t we all want just one more year?

rich krueger - piano, vocals
vence edmonds – drums, bongos
bill kavanagh – bass
issac lyons - hammond b3
alan burroughs - electric rhythm and lead guitar
The SW3 horns – skinny williams on saxophone, norman palm on trombone, leon q allen on trumpet
horn arrangement by will simms

12. The Wednesday Boys 4:22 CLEAN SINGLE RADIO EDIT

13 The Wednesday Boys 7:09 Explict – swears Album Track Eight

Genre: Americana / R&B / Blue-eyed Soul / AAA/ Van Morrison-esque

Blue -eyed soul anthem , with a Van Morrison inspired groove, with a great sax and gospel singer driven band. An ode that says a big beautiful wet ‘F*** You’ to depression.

rich krueger - acoustic guitars, vocals
vence edmonds – drums
bill kavanagh – bass
issac lyons - hammond b3
alan burroughs - electric rhythm and lead guitar
simbryt dortch, alan burroughs & michael scott - heavenly choir
skinny williams – tenor saxophone
oliver steck – piano
paul kotheimer –triangle
dave bernat –conga

14. Ain’t It So Nice Outside? 5:54 CLEAN RADIO EDIT

15. Ain’t It So Nice Outside? 5:54 Explict- Swears Album Track Seven

Genre: Americana / Folk-Rock / AAA / Paul Simon-esque

A upbeat catchy pop song (think Paul Simon’s song Graceland meets The Edwin Hawkins Singers’ song Oh Happy Day) about the tragedy and stupidity about disabled hopeless thrown away people, and really nice weather. Features the ghost of Phil Ochs.

rich krueger - acoustic guitar, banjo, vocals
vence edmonds – drums, tambourine
bill kavanagh – bass
kim frost, jodi walker, naomi ashley, max krueger, bill kavanagh, paul kotheimer – background vocals
charles williams – piano, electric rhythm and lead guitar
paul calzoretti – trumpets
dave bernat – guica, shakers, conga
vocal & horn arrangements by rich Krueger

16. '77/17 5:07 Explict- Swears Album Track Three

Genre: Americana / Punk / Alt Rock

A punk edged rock song ala early Elvis Costello, if Glen Matlock played bass, Johnny Thunder played guitar, and Roland Kirk showed up with a a fairly dirty saxophone. A reminiscence of my being 17 in 1977, of one’s first girlfriend, of The Rocky Horror Picture Show when it was new, of making out in cars, with the Bee Gees and The Sex Pistols and Elvis Costello competing for your attention. William Jefferson Clinton has yet to inhale. EXPLICT LYURICS – but what would expect from a 17 year old?

rich krueger - acoustic guitar, vocals
vence edmonds – drums
bill kavanagh – bass
issac lyons - hammond b3
steve lynn – gibson les paul
michael staub – tenor saxophone

17. It’s That Time Again (A Christmas Song) 4:55 Album Bonus Track Eleven

Genre: Americana / Christmas / Holiday / Folk Rock

‘And It’s That Time Again’ is one of the earliest songs I wrote. It was inspired by a recollection of a memory of going to church for the midnight Christmas Eve service at our families church, and the snow coming down burying the parked cars. I have noidea why a seven year old would left outside on his own in a snow storm at 11 pm on Christmas, but hey it was simpler times. I always had and still have a soft spot for the entire Christmas season, and all the various traditions my family has, and that I've passed on to my own kids. I actually don't feel all that cynical about the commercialization of the holiday either. I love the secular songs, the department store windows, the cartoons, the films. Every time I feel myself indulging in those delights, I can't help but realize how much luckier I am than so many folks, and how the holiday really is about the birth of someone who was to redeem our souls, and how easy it is to forget that especially once the holiday is over. And more importantly, that sometimes even men can rise above all the hubris and give back at least a little, men on the side of the angels.
.
rich krueger – acoustic guitar, vocals
vence edmonds – drums
bill kavanagh – bass
scott daniel - fiddle
issac lyons - accordion

NOTE: It’s That Time Again (album bonus track 11) ends with a brief quote from “feliz navidad” written and recorded in 1970 by josé feliciano. opj & h publishing company 1970. mechanical royalties apply. Mechanical license has been obtained through Harry Fox.

WHY ‘LIFE AINT THAT LONG’?
Not the fact…the album. And why now?

I have been wanting to make a real full-length properly recorded album forever and the stars finally aligned to permit the project going forward. Initially there was little in the way of a plan. But as things progressed it became clear what this record is about.

How does one move forward in the face of human frailties, foibles, frustrations, fears, and failings?

How do you cope with the knowledge that we all lie to ourselves constantly just to survive, and with the clock always clicking?

How does one maintain hope and work through depression and other miasma of life in this century, where stupidity and ignorance reigns supreme, and where each of us constantly failing to learn from our mistakes.

There is one fact that is universally held in common by all peoples on the earth and always has been and always will be. That fact is that some part of what any individual holds to be true, isn’t. And virtually all of the inhumanity men show their fellow men in some part stems from the great diversity of opinions on that first point. The goal must be equipoise. Wittgenstein once said "Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen", which roughly translates to “If you really can’t say, try saying nothing”.

Each of us face the same paradox, like the characters in O’Neill’s “The Iceman Cometh”, that life without hope, even the false hope of "pipedreams", is unbearable. It is the paradox of our times. These themes echo through every song on this record. They are all torn from my life.
“Just because you can’t step into the same river twice, don’t mean you're ever gonna quit trying.”

THIS ALBUM IS DEDICATED WITH LOVE TO ALL THE OPEN MIKERS EVERYWHERE WHO BELIEVE DEEPLY THAT COMMON SENSE IS FOR PUSSIES.

THE TRULY MAD OPEN MIKERS WHO ARE JUST DELUSIONAL & STOOPID ENOUGH TO REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE OBVIOUS STARK REALITY THAT “DREAMS ARE MEANT TO BE CRUSHED. IT’S NATURE’S WAY.” -greg kotis

Cheers, RK

Rich Krueger Biography

UNCONVENTIONAL FOLK ROCKER
RICH KRUEGER IS HERE TO REMIND US THAT
LIFE AINT THAT LONG

“As a lifelong fan of True Deep American Strangeness, I came to a realization after leaving Milwaukee for the last time in 1959: The truest, deepest American strangeness is to be found in the heartland, the great Midwest. As a perfect example, take a song—any song –of Rich Krueger, and you will see exactly what I mean. Rich is an American Stranger if I ever did see one.”
--Peter Stampfel, The Holy Modal Rounders

Rich Krueger is an interesting and generous guy who has something to tell you if you are willing to listen. Something that you might or might not enjoy, something that might even trouble you, but it will never be ordinary.

Krueger, who is now based in Chicago, IL, was born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, NYC. He has been writing and performing with his band The Dysfunctionells since 1985. The Dysfunctionells, (who describe themselves as “THE Butt-Ugliest Band in Chicago”) have backed up the Holy Modal Rounders at their reunion at The Bottom Line in NYC, and Krueger has recorded with Peter Stampfel on his own and with the band.

This summer Krueger released an EP Overpass, which was the pre-cursor to two solo albums he plans to release in 2018. Overpass draws songs from each of the projects and features many great musicians from Chicago, Tulsa, Pennsylvania and New York City including John Fulbright who plays accordion on the song, “In Between Kingfish” (which is set to release with the 2nd project). Krueger’s friend and fellow musician, Robbie Fulks has claimed that “(Overpass) is the best thing Rich Krueger has done to date.”
Life Aint That Long, the first of the two was released 1.26.18 to critical acclaim].

The folk rock Bible, Dirty Linen (no longer in print) has called Krueger’s music “Richard Thompsonesque”, and Anti-folk noted that, “Krueger is an old folkie at heart (although an esotericist in practice), and has a folkie’s love of text above all.” Just this year Krueger was chosen as one of the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Finalists. His love of text shines on Life Aint That Long. He performs original songs with well-made, intelligent, thoughtful and sometimes disturbing lyrics. His songs are story songs with characters that aren’t always fully aware of or are in denial about what is happening to them. The songs are usually touched by humor, even the songs with heavy topics. They challenge his listener’s beliefs, not just massage their prejudices.

Guest artists on Life Aint That Long are too numerous to name, but all are friends of his, and supporters of his music. The album was mastered brilliantly by Dave McNair (Dylan, Bowie, Springsteen). Along with Krueger, the core of the band is Vence Edmonds (The Dysfunctionells) on drums and Bill Kavanagh on bass. Kavanagh also recorded, engineered, and mixed the record and was one of the producers. Others involved in producing with Krueger were Urbana, IL legend Paul Kotheimer, and Jay O’Rourke, the former Insider’s guitarist who has worked on recordings with Robbie Fulks, Warren Zevon, and Urge Overkill, to name but a few.

Still an MD/PhD Neonatologist at The University of Chicago by day, Krueger came to writing songs because he grew up listening and singing translations of the songs of Belgian singer-songwriter, Jacques Brel. “I listened to these songs over and over,” he said. “They were braver, more honest and cut to the bone. I wanted to write like that.”

“I’m primarily motivated by having my songs heard by as many folks as possible, There have always been doctors who are writers, poets, and musicians, both professionally and otherwise. That’s not unusual. I make a living doing medicine that I enjoy (mostly), I help folks (mostly) and I’m fairly competent at it (mostly),” He jokes. “I’m not in need of making a living off of my music. But,” he adds, “I’m not gonna stand in anyone’s way if they want to pay me for listening.”

30 plus years of making music has allowed for Krueger to grow his fan base. He’s had fans that insist that he sing at their funerals, fans that will jump up and down after he plays a song claiming that the song is “amazing!” He has had fans that will pull up beside him while driving to ask if he had any recordings. Now, with Life Aint That Long, he can tell those fans, “yes”. And after 30 plus years of making music it’s nice to know that Rich Krueger still has something to say.

For more information: http://www.richkrueger.com
Media/Publicity by KG Music Press kim@kgmusicpress.com
US Radio Promotion by Powderfinger Promotions david@powderfingerpromo.com
UK/EU Radio Promotion by Music Promotion, Inc. amanda@musicpromotion.com
Additional Radio Promotion by Airplay Direct. lynda@AirPlayDirect.com