Chris Pureka is an American acoustic singer-songwriter from Northampton, Massachusetts. Raised in Connecticut, she began writing songs at the age of eight and began playing the guitar at 16. She soon became a frequent performer at local coffee houses and open mics. As a young performer, she opened shows for such artists as Erin McKeown and Pamela Means while completing a degree in biology at Wesleyan University. After graduating, she worked in a microbiology research lab at Smith College in Northampton, eventually leaving to focus on her music full-time. In June 2001, she recorded a self-titled seven-song EP in preparation for a three-month nationwide tour with lesbian folk poet Alix Olson. The EP, which was home-recorded in two weeks and featured her playing back-up accompaniment on the mandolin and bass, was later mastered and reprinted for her 2005 summer tour.

In 2004, Pureka released Driving North, her first full-length album, earning rave reviews from fans and fellow artists alike. In 2006, she released Dryland, and toured the US a second time as a headlining act. The album received rave reviews and was featured on the Paste Magazine Sampler in February 2007.