Richie James Follin

Biography

Richie Follin is an American musician, writer, actor, and filmmaker, and a proud member of the Cherokee Nation. Follin began writing music at 12 after watching his stepfather Paul Kostabi (founding member of White Zombie) record with Dee Dee Ramone. He worked at his uncle’s art gallery in New York City while growing up, taking large format slide photographs to catalogue the art. He came to prominence in 2001, at the age of 18, after releasing a 7-inch record on legendary punk label Posh Boy Records (Black Flag, Agent Orange). Shortly after, Michel Gondry directed a music video for him and featured his music in the soundtrack to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Follin has toured the world and released music with The Willowz, Cults, CRX (with members of The Strokes), and Guards. He has scored multiple documentaries for CNN and ESPN, as well as commercials and major campaigns for brands including Chevrolet, Vice, HBO, Pepsi, and Wal-Mart. As a filmmaker, he has directed music videos and short-form documentaries for artists such as The Hives and Christopher Owens (of Girls). In 2024, he wrote and directed his debut feature film Crystal Cross, accompanied by a soundtrack of original songs inspired by the film. "My career in music is tied to film. I made my first record at 18 while studying film in college, and shortly after that I received an email from Michel Gondry asking to use my music for his film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I wanted to go to film school, but I began the life of a touring musician and had to drop out. When I think of music, I think of film. They are inseparable for me, and that is what led me to writing and directing a film. My family is from California by way of Oklahoma, and we are related to the old Okie Cherokee cowboy actors Will Rogers and Clu Gulager. So, I grew up with my grandmother taking me to auditions as a child. I would never get the part because I would always change the lines to what I thought they should be. This was a horrible method of beginning an acting career, but a great method to begin screenwriting."