# Chris Portka

> Bay Area songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Berkeley, California. Releases folk, psych, experimental rock, and ambient records. Most recent album: *The Album Everyone Wants* (2025), co-produced with Jasper Leach at Sear Sound (NYC) and Brothers (Chinese) Recording (Oakland).

Stylistic touchstones cited by press and listeners include Captain Beefheart, Sparklehorse, Gillian Welch, Silver Jews, and David Berman. Nine albums released since 2020.

## Current release

- [The Album Everyone Wants (2025)](https://chrisportka.com/releases/the-album-everyone-wants): 11 songs — 4 originals and 7 covers (Syd Barrett, Skip Spence, George Jones, Alan Wilson/Canned Heat, Mayo Thompson, Fred Eaglesmith, Brasil). Pressed on limited-edition sparkle black vinyl.
- [Buy vinyl (Seek Collective)](https://www.seekcollective.com/products/vinyl-the-album-everyone-wants)
- [Listen on Bandcamp](https://cportka.bandcamp.com/album/the-album-everyone-wants)

## Selected reviews

- "Conjuring a sound fondly reminiscent of David Berman." — [Obscure Sound](https://www.obscuresound.com/2025/09/chris-portka-the-album-everyone-wants/)
- "Vocals that instantly bring to mind Robert Pollard." — [Loudness Blog](https://www.loudnessblog.com/taew)
- "In an era of singles and branding, it feels radical to hear a record that values friendship and feeling above all." — [Hot Lunch Music](https://hotlunchmusic.com/2025/10/06/chris-portka-the-album-everyone-wants-is-raw-organic-authentic-music-with-a-great-mix/)
- "An album-manifesto, an album-question, an album-discovery." — [Indie Boulevard](https://indieboulevard.com/2025/09/30/vinyl-mutation-and-memory-inside-chris-portkas-expansive-new-record/)
- "A wildly original artist who blends ethereal glitch rock, alternative folk and avant-garde experimentation to create a sound unlike any other." — [Plastic Magazine](https://plasticmag.co.uk/2025/09/chris-portka-releases-brand-new-vinyl-record/)

## Live and video

- [Live on KXSF (December 2025)](https://youtu.be/mVOGIrDj5ts): acoustic session covering the new album plus a few bonus songs (including *Cobra* by Geese).

## Catalog and earlier work

- [Trash Music (2023)](https://chrisportka.com/releases/trash-music): lo-fi folk and outsider songwriting; 12 songs, limited vinyl run of 250.
- [Earlier work](https://chrisportka.com/earlier-work)
- [Full catalog on Bandcamp](https://cportka.bandcamp.com)

## Press

- [Press page](https://chrisportka.com/press) — full quote bank and ~37 reviews across English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese.

## Streaming and social

- [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/43at57fnGGql0yMxsOt9CS)
- [Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chris-portka/1528866398)
- [Tidal](https://tidal.com/browse/artist/21030421)
- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@chrisportka)
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/chrisportka)

## Contact

- Email: [hello@chrisportka.com](mailto:hello@chrisportka.com)