Chris Bathgate

Chris Bathgate
Chris Bathgate performing at Neu! Club in Madrid, Spain in 2007
Background information
Born	(1982-04-21) April 21, 1982 (age 35) Pecatonica, IL
Origin	Ann Arbor, MI
Genres	Folk, indie folk, acoustic, indie rock, alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician, guitarist
Instruments	Acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitar, vocals
Years active	1999-present
Labels	Quite Scientific Records, (UK) Tangled Up!/One Little Indian
Website	chrisbathgate.org

Chris Bathgate (born April 21, 1982) is an American indie folk singer-songwriter and musician. He is prominent in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti folk music scene in Michigan. In 2007, Bathgate signed to Quite Scientific Records, on which he released his most prominent album to date, A Cork Tale Wake. His most recent release was Salt Year, a full-length album released on April 26, 2011. Bathgate has been compared to folk singer-songwriters Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, and Damien Jurado.

Chris Bathgate was born in Pecatonica, IL on April 21, 1982. He began playing music at the age of 16, and relocated to Ann Arbor, Michigan to attend the University of Michigan as an Art & Design student.

Bathgate started out in a heavy metal band for several years before turning to folk. While in Ann Arbor, Bathgate then formed the folk trio Ambitious Brothers with Michael Beauchamp and Karl Sturk, releasing a few records before breaking up in 2005.

During a trip to Northern Michigan, Bathgate and fellow University of Michigan student Jansen Swy along with other friends set music to Swy's poetry, calling the short-lived project The Descent of the Holy Ghost Church. Later on, while attending the New England Literature Program, a University of Michigan summer program in Maine, Descent resurfaced when the group managed to book itself as an opening act for Magnolia Electric Company at Detroit's Magic Stick. The group, which included Matt Jones, Louis Dickinson, and Carol Gray, disbanded in 2006.