His first two demos are called The Saddest Songs Ever and The Anatomy of Melancholy, but Chris Harford operates with a sort of transparency that makes him immune to melodrama. Harford's ability to balance humor with deep introspection has contributed to his storied career as a musician and songwriter. After his college band Three Colors parted ways in 1987, Harford built a name for himself in the New York club scene of the 1990s. In 1992, Harford signed a major label deal with Elektra Records, where he made his official solo debut with his LP Be Headed. His studio band for Be Headed featured 35 musicians. This successful collaboration of Harford’s music community sparked the beginning of Chris Harford & The Band of Changes, a decades-long project with a revolving door concept of musicians. Over the years, band members have included Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright III, members of Ween and Dr. Dog, among many others. While being in too many bands to count, Harford has amassed a huge body of solo work over the years. NPR reports that his music "has been described as 'beautiful, heart-rending and soulful,' as well as 'dark, rocking and dangerous.'" A friend of his, who happens to be Mickey Melchiondo of Ween, says, "First of all. The boy's name is Chris Harford & The Band of Changes so don't you be adding no "t" when you say the shit. To me, Hartford means Connecticut, and there's nothing cool about Connecticut. Chris, on the other hand, is one hell of a guy."