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Kristen Chandler is a singer/songwriter of a raw and soulful character, and her emotive vocals are definite and original. Through her repertoire of original works, soul, funk, jazz, R&B and blues, she captivates every ear she reaches. Her live performances are each powerful and epic. She has mastered the art of balancing strength and tenderness in her singing. As multi-instrumentalist Dan Kruse has stated, "If you are in the room and you're not captivated, then you are not listening."
Kristen grew up in Maize, Kansas. Her drive for music began at a young age, and her virtuosic vocal abilities were evident very early in her life. Though she studied piano, her focus and soul have always been centered in her voice. By the time Kristen was eleven years old she was performing for large audiences. She started formal vocal training when she was 14, and two years later she began studying under international vocalist Arthur Marks. With over sixteen years experience recording and performing an extensive list of genres, Chandler has a resume to be reckoned with. Performing in formal vocal ensembles, choirs, musical theater, garage bands, concert venues and blues clubs throughout her childhood and school years, she is seasoned in almost any performance environment. Kristen began singing professionally at the age of 14, working for a musical entertainment company until she graduated from high school in 1997. She soon left the Midwest for the Northwest, settling in Eugene, Oregon in 1998.By 1999 Kriste was recording and performing with artists including Ancient Youth, Jahkumba, Vibe Nation, and Norma Frazier. She and music partner Michael James Zimmerman were married in 2000. Kristen began performing as "Kristen Chandler" while continuing to perform and record in collaboration with many artists. In 2003 she began performing with Zimmerman throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Eugene Saturday Market began featuring Kristen Chandler with varied orchestrations, and it soon became a favorite performance venue for Kristen and her fans. She was soon hired on as a regular performer at the Jo Federigo's Jazz Club in Eugene, OR in the Spring of 2004. While the fan base continued to expand Kristen and Michael brought additional musicians into the group. Rusty Morris began playing percussion, and Jeremy Gibons was brought on playing bass guitar.
Kristen released her debut independent album 'bird' in February of 2006. The album was recorded at ETC Studios in Oregon during 2005, then it was mastered by Sarah Register at The Lodge in NYC. The independent release of the album was met with enthusiastic reviews, but limited distribution. Radio stations like KLCC began playing the CD and soon it was circulating local and international radio play lists throughout the US, UK, France, Germany, and Belgium.
In the summer of 2006 Kristen and Michael moved to Arizona. Soon after their first few performances in the Southwest, Ryan Smith was recruited on bass along with Dan Kruse on percussion. Kristen is now composing and arranging her second EP.