Interview: The Legal Matters

Discussing Their New Album 'Lost At Sea'

Mar 03, 2026

Michigan keeps delivering fantastic new music.

The latest addition to the state’s impressive guitar pop lineage is Lost At Sea, The Legal Matters’ fourth album. The talented supergroup features three Mitten music veterans, Keith Klingensmith, Andy Reed, and Chris Richards.

“Chris and I have been playing together since the late ‘80s, so we’ve played (and are pals) with a ton of Michigan legends…The Junk Monkeys, Orange Roughies, The Shouting Club—so many,” Klingensmith told me for the full band interview below.

The album opens with the impeccable hooks and harmonies of “Everybody Knows.”

“We felt that ‘Everybody Knows’ was the best display of familiar waters The Legal Matters have charted—good melody, big Badfinger vibes, and upbeat. All in a 3 1/2 minute pop tune,” Richards said.

“We wanted to be a little more experimental on this record and we have some newer sounds introduced in this track,” Reed added.

I caught up with The Legal Matters by email to discuss the new album, find out about their songwriting process, and what’s next for the band.

The Legal Matters (L-R): Chris Richards, Andy Reed, Keith Klingensmith

The Legal Matters Interview

Congrats on the great new album. Since there isn’t a song called “Lost At Sea,” is there a concept behind that album title?

Chris Richards: We decided to follow the trend of naming our records after a line in a song (just like our previous record Chapter Three). “Lost at sea” is mentioned in the “Stuck With Me” bridge and it certainly encapsulates our frame of mind while recording this record...just an over-exaggerated sense of being tired from all the things going on in the country.

Andy Reed: We’ve always had a bit of “where do fit in” to our music IMO. We aren’t full power pop and we aren’t full pop/rock. We are this weird hybrid of all things we love so it seems fitting that we have trouble navigating where we fit in. We aren’t trying to make music for anyone but ourselves so sometimes it’s good to be a little lost and take the scenic route.

This is your fourth album together, but the songwriting on Lost At Sea is more collaborative. What prompted this different approach?

Andy Reed: We had to shake things up. That’s what makes it fun. We all know each other very well musically so there is a trust factor there so we can literally finish each other’s sentences.

Chris Richards: It felt like the right approach to try a new direction as we never really tried to do a more collaborative effort (ever). It also worked better for me personally as I’m not writing like I used to do and having 5-6 completed songs in that period may have been an uphill battle. But writing a verse or chorus melody with a lyrical direction was let’s say...music to my ears.

Keith Klingensmith: I have a hard time writing songs, so I personally felt way more involved in the process and we couldn’t be happier with the results.

The Legal Matters have been compared to everybody from Big Star and Badfinger to Crowded House and Fountains of Wayne. Would you consider those major influences? Who else?

Chris Richards: All of those bands for sure! Throw in The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Big Star and you have a window to our collective souls. I also found myself trying to write a Jeff Tweedy song here and there—not possible unless you’re Jeff Tweedy, but I still had to give it a shot!

Keith Klingensmith: Elliott Smith is also a pretty constant reference point when we’re recording.

Andy Reed: For me FOW will always be a big one. Adam Schlesinger was an incredible record maker. The other biggies are The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Elliott Smith, and Brendan Benson.

I also hear a lot of Sloan in your music. Since you’re based in Michigan, how influential have Canadian bands for you?

Andy Reed: We are all giant Sloan fans. Steve Eggers (The Nines) is also a huge influence.

Chris Richards: Yeah. We collectively adore Sloan, a huge band to us. Living on the border we’ve been lucky to have Canadian bands on the radio and touring. I also love The Grapes of Wrath, The Flashing Lights, and The Super Friendz. So many great bands over the years.

Michigan continues to be a hotbed for guitar pop activity. What do you think it is about the Mitten State that is so conducive to hooky pop rock? Who are some of your all-time favorite Michigan bands?

Chris Richards: You know...I wish I knew, but yeah—Michigan has had its share. We’re friends with many bands and songwriters from the area. I’d say the core (also been referred to as the “Michigan Mafia”) is Nick Piunti and Ryan Allen for starters. Great songwriters and even better friends. A new band that landed on my radar this year has been Mod Lang—so good.

Andy Reed: The Raconteurs, Brendan Benson, The Verve Pipe, 19 Wheels, The Atomic Numbers, The Whites Stripes, The Sights—there are so many Michigan acts to list.

Half the songs on Lost At Sea start with drums. Was that intentional?

Chris Richards: Super funny. I didn’t realize this fact. We love establishing a beat up front and all of our records have that theme too. Glad we’re percussion consistent.

Andy Reed: I think it’s merely a coincidence. It’s whatever the song needs.

“Stuck With Me” is a real standout track. I love the groove and the harmonies. What’s the story behind that song?

Chris Richards: I’ve always leaned in on the self-deprecating when it comes to songwriting—not a big story teller traditionally. This one really started out like a slower Dylan song (if you can believe it) and once I started sending the demos out to the boys (for the direction) they felt we had our fill of mid tempo tracks and we should speed it up. Great call from the boys and it really did turn out like a good pop song with the trademark Legal Matter three part harmony.

Andy Reed: Production wise, I wanted it to feel like a Kinks song via Village Green.

What’s next for The Legal Matters?

Chris Richards: Relish in the glory of our new record! Kidding...we may get together in the summer and record a Beatles Abbey Road medley (part of at least) for fun. Also, we may start a new record by the end of the year, considering how fun this record was to make by just writing together. Let’s see what we have left in the proverbial tank.

Keith Klingensmith: We say this after every record release, but I do think we’ll actually get back together towards the end of the year to start whatever’s next. Maybe it won’t be 5 years between!

Andy Reed: To relax and to enjoy the release.