Roots-rocker Chris Merola was born and raised in New York's Hudson Valley region, playing in a series of short-lived and little-known bands before co-founding the Rain Deputies in 1993. The group's debut LP appeared the following year, and the track "Somewhere in Between" was also licensed by Coca-Cola; however, after completing a second album, the acoustic Backporchindeliblesunburstfinish, the Rain Deputies disbanded, and Merola mounted a solo career with Straight Answer in a Crooked Town. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi