She’s spellbinding across the spectrum, and a standout whose star is on the rise.” — The Portland Tribune “Richards delivers with a stand-up comedian’s sharp timing and the righteous indignation of a woman who isn’t going to take sh*t from anyone.” — CD Reviews Oregon’s own Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter, Amanda Richards, releases her fourth, highly anticipated studio album, Tough Ones to Love. Following her 2012 Independent Music Award-winning concept album, Play Dead, Amanda and her band, The Good Long Whiles, offer thirteen new songs of provocative, hard-hitting country and Americana. With Amanda on acoustic and electric guitars and lead vocals, Andy Clapp on bass, Mark Powers on drums, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Moore providing guitar, lap steel, banjo, and backing vocals, Tough Ones to Love further establishes Amanda’s place as “one of country music’s most important singers.” (Country Music People UK) Amanda’s ten original compositions explore the boundaries of love, heartbreak, and temptation, while showcasing her natural gift for storytelling. Whether skewering former lovers, or rebuffing the Devil’s advances, Amanda holds nothing back. “Someday you might have some clout / When your teeth turn yellow and your hair falls out,” she sings on “Lame Tattoos.” “But there’ll be some things you’ll never lose / Like your battle scars and your lame tattoos.” On opening track, “Fresh Kill,” she sings, “I’ll lick the salty tears right off your face / It’s a bitter sadness, but I’ve come to like the taste.” Tough Ones to Love also includes a beautiful rendition of the Magnetic Fields song, “Two Characters in Search of a Country Song,” and Johnny Dowd’s badman ballad, “First There Was,” with Steve Moore taking over lead vocals. Paying homage to Amanda’s famous lineage, Tough Ones to Love includes Terry Gilkyson’s classic, “Cry of the Wild Goose,” previously recorded by Amanda’s grandfather, Rusty Richards, a long-time member of the Sons of the Pioneers. Rooted in the country tradition, but not confined to it, Tough Ones to Love ranges from country-soul to gritty roots-rock, all guided by Amanda’s smoky, commanding voice.