Chrissie

Chrissie Miller is a musician, writer and folk-metal-faerie, who currently resides in her hometown of Bedford.

Chrissie has been playing traditional folk music since she was fifteen, and was a founding member of one of Bedford’s premiere folk bands, The Ragged People. She started by taking guitar lessons at school, but soon began knocking out tunes on an old banjo that her dad had bought but never mastered. Whilst playing the banjo may not have been the coolest thing to be able to tell your mates in the playground, such things never bothered Chrissie, and she continued to progress on the banjo, and shortly after, the mandolin and concertina.

Chrissie was lucky enough to be tutored by seven-times All-Ireland banjo champion Annette Hannigan. Chrissie spent a brief time training for various Fleadh Cheoils, and for a while was the regional banjo and mandolin champion, but she soon found herself struggling with the pressure of competitions, much preferring the company of others, and most nights of the week could be found in a session in some pub or other around the counties of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

After a three-year break to study English Literature at the University of Durham (she may be the blonde one, but don't let that fool you!), Chrissie returned to Bedford as the lead musician in Scottish band Muckle, replacing much-loved fiddle player Amanda Smith, who retuned to Scotland in 2007.

But as well as being a folky, Chrissie has always had a love of all things Goth and Metal (folk and goth-metal actually aren’t as different as you might think… ). Chrissie has worked as a music journalist for Zero Magazine, Burn Magazine and Room13, as well as being the in-house writer and reviewer for music venue Bedford Esquires, where she could often be found hanging out with the likes of Rattlesnake Remedy, Betty Curse and Enter Shikari.

Chrissie had known Polly since they were tiny; their parents had been best friends, and the girls were born just weeks apart. In late 2006, thanks to a random twist of fate (and a little help from the faeries, we like to think!) Chrissie and Polly crossed paths again. Older and wiser, and with Polly harbouring an interest in folk music, the two spent more and more time together until Faeries Wear Boots was born. And the rest, as they say, is history!

Chrissie plays Gibson banjos, Paul Hathway mandolins, Elf Song whistles, Yamaha, Ibanez and B.C Rich guitars. Chrissie wears New Rock boots, and Pleaser shoes.