Des Moines, Iowa's Christopher the Conquered (Chris Ford) has been sitting behind the keys and saying what he can say since he released his debut album I Guess That's What We're Dying For… in 2007. In 2008, Christopher sat in on drums with The Poison Control Center for a national tour supporting The Apples In Stereo; when they got home, he and Patrick Tape Fleming (of The PCC and Gloom Balloon) went to work on a follow-up album, You're Gonna Glow In The Dark, which found a lot of love, with popdose.com writing "...let it come pouring through your speakers, and you’ll experience one of the most enjoyably off-kilter albums of indie rock you’re likely to find this year…". It led to The Conquered growing from a one man band to a 9 piece pop-soul outfit.
Christopher the Conquered & His Black Gold Brass Band went on to tour the country with Leslie & the LY's and play hundreds of shows, along with recording a couple of Daytrotter sessions. All that culminated in 2012's The Fate of a Good Man, Christopher's most sincere effort by far. In addition to its music videos being featured on Magnet Magazine's website and Consequence of Sound, the album received stacks of thumbs-up reviews. Now, Ford is back to where he started to share his songs in their purest form, the way they were written: one voice and eighty-eight keys. And his efforts haven't gone unnoticed. His solo sets have impacted thousands of people with their intimacy and grace: The Lincoln Journal-Star noted his as the best performance at Lincoln Calling Fest 2012. Christopher the Conquered continues to perform regularly with a rhythm section and various arrangements of His Black Gold Brass Band, in addition to solo piano shows.