Christina Maria Rieder, known professionally as Rykka, was born on March 13, 1986, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She began her musical journey at age 15 with guitar lessons and performed at local community festivals. In 2009, Rieder moved to Toronto to record Straight Line, her third independent album under the name Christina Maria. The album was produced by several Canadian producers including David Baxter, Russel Broom, and Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother. In 2012, Rieder released Kodiak under the stage name Rykka, marking a significant shift in her musical career. This album was produced by Ryan Guldemond, engineered by Shawn Penner, mixed by Warne Livesey, and mastered by Andy VanDette. In 2016, Rykka represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest with "The Last of Our Kind," placing 18th in the second semifinal. She has also been featured on TV series such as Rookie Blue and "Tessa & Scott."
