This month on Lend Me Your Ears, I interview Chris Allen, one of the most prolific songwriters in Northeast Ohio. A Lakewood native and a St. Ignatius graduate, Allen started to seriously write songs while attending Miami (OH) University where he met fellow musician Kevin Grasha. When Chris’ college band, Two Doors Down broke up, he and Grasha teamed up first as the Wendel Brothers where they added drummer, Miles Loretta to the lineup. After recording one album, the band moved from the Cincinnati area, rechristened themselves Rosavelt (yes, with the unique spelling) and headed to Northeast Ohio. Rosavelt released their debut album, Carp & Bones in 1997. Shortly thereafter, bassist Keith Hanna joined the band. The four piece lineup spent the next six years touring and Rosavelt released their second album, Transistor Blues in 1999. In the early 2000’s, Kevin Grasha left the band and struck out on his own as the Amprays. Guitarist/vocalist Jessie Bryson, son of the Raspberries Wally Bryson joined Rosavelt in time to record the band’s 2004 album, The Story of Gasoline.

After touring to support Gasoline, Allen put Rosavelt on hiatus and focused on a solo career. He released Goodbye Girl and The Big Apple Circus in 2006, the first of many solo albums over the next two decades. Allen also co-wrote with Anne E. DeChant’s and played in her backing band and formed Falling Stars with former Sons of Elvis and Uptown Sinclair guitarist, Tim Parnin. He also frequently partners with his childhood friend, Austin “Walkin’ Cane” Charanghat with both contributing to each others’ solo albums. Allen and Grasha reunited in 2012 and recorded a new Rosavelt album, The Last 10 Days which was produced by Don Dixon and recorded by Mitch Easter at his Fidelitorium Studios in North Carolina. before going on another hiatus. Rosavelt recently made an appearance as Grasha and Allen released two digital only singles in advance of a new album produced once again by Don Dixon and scheduled for release later this year.

Every December you will find Chris Allen performing with the all-star Ohio City Singers who have released a number of holiday themed albums. The lineup includes Don Dixon, Matt Sobol (The Waynes, Superkreme), Kelly Wright (Anne E. DeChant Band) and other NE Ohio musicians. Allen is also a member of the Pogues tribute band, The Boys From County Hell. He and Grasha have recently releIn between music gigs, Chris Allen is co-owner of Ready, Set Coffee Roasters in the Gordon Square area of the West Side of Cleveland, where he roasts several blends of really great coffee.

Lend Me Your Ears plays every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM ET with an encore presentation every Saturday at 1:00 PM on Listen Project Radio. This episode is available on all major podcast platforms beginning May 3, 2022 at 9:00 PM.

Photo by Jenn Noga
Photo by Jenn Noga