Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners

Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners Biography by James Christopher Monger Subliming Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners combine indie folk-rock and alt-country elements to create their warm and insightful brand of American roots music, as heard on albums like Solstice (2018) and Subliming (2019), and their hit 2023 collaboration with Mt. Joy, "Lake Missoula." Born in Colorado Springs and based in Seattle, the group was founded in 2015 by longtime friends Mitch Cutts, Nic Haughn, and Jakob Ervin -- Dylan Schneider joined the crew a few years later. They released their eponymous debut album in 2017 on their high school graduation day, with Solstice and Subliming arriving in 2018 and 2019, respectively. By this time, the band had become a seasoned live act, touring at home and abroad and amassing a loyal following. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic halted the group's momentum, but they returned in 2022 with a trio of singles ("Cameron Pass," "3DB," and "Laramee") that showed the lockdown did little to dampen their creative spirit. In 2023, they teamed up with Mt. Joy for the spirited "Lake Missoula," which garnered millions of streams and put plenty of wind in the group's sails ahead of the release of the 2024 singles "North Star" and "Sierra Vista."