Tristen Gaspadarek
Tristen (born Tristen Gaspadarek, November 23, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has released five albums: Teardrops and Lollipops (2008), Charlatans at the Garden Gate (2011), C A V E S (2013), Sneaker Waves (2017), and Aquatic Flowers (2021). She also performed as a member of Jenny Lewis's live band in 2015. Biography After graduating from De Paul University in 2007, where she studied relational group and organizational theories of communication, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to immerse herself in its music scene. Tristen's first EP was an independent release, a collection of lo-fi demos titled Teardrops and Lollipops that was completed in 2008. She recorded the homemade EP in her Nashville apartment, burning the CD's herself and packaging them in unique, hand-sewn felt sleeves to sell at her shows. In February 2011 she released her label debut Charlatans at the Garden Gate, which Rolling Stone magazine praised for its "catchy refrains with multiple meanings," and "ear-tugging melodies with hidden hooks." They interpreted the album's sound as "vintage rockabilly and girl group pop" and called Tristen "an artist worth watching." Slant Magazine reviewed Charlatans at the Garden Gate, stating that "the basic mastery of these songs, the way