Miranda Lee Richards' songwriting career was shaped by her bohemian upbringing in San Francisco, where her parents (Ted and Teresa Richards) made a living as influential comic book artists. She grew up in the underground comic book scene, with R. Crumb serving as her de facto godfather. During her senior year of high school, a close friend began dating Metallica's Kirk Hammett, who took Richards under his wing and taught her to play several songs on guitar.