Chris Staples

When American singer-songwriter Chris Staples settled into the quiet rhythm of Richmond, VA—where deer graze through backyards and rabbits dart across early morning sidewalks—he was granted a small gift: stillness. In a career that has stretched from Florida to Washington and witnessed the release of 7 studio albums, Staples hasn’t had the kind of domestic ease and opportunity to reflect on more than the immediate past. But in 2023, he was afforded time for deeper, longer looks backward. It was in these quiet moments that “Don’t Worry” began to take shape.

Staples has long been a chronicler of the small and deeply human moments. That is even more evident in these songs. “Don’t Worry” is deeply felt and intentionally paced—a collection shaped by memory’s blur as much as its sharpness. At its heart, the album offers what its title promises: a gentle nudge toward ease, delivered with the clarity that only distance can bring.