Richards joined the band Catatonia in 1996, who were on the verge of signing a deal with the major record label, Warner Brothers.
[2] Richards joined Catatonia when they were signing a deal with Warner Brothers[3] Richards played with the band in all of their shows ranging from Glastonbury Festival to playing in Wembley in support of NetAid and TV performances such as Later... with Jools Holland, and Top Of The Pops.
During promotional appearances for this album it became clear that Matthews was not coping well with the increased pressure, suffering from anxiety and nervous exhaustion, which resulted in the cancellation of several tour dates, and a deterioration in the relationships between the band members.
[citation needed] On 21 September 2001, the band officially split and Richards took a break from the music industry to spend time with his children.
He then went into teaching and is a music technology lecturer at Coleg Sir Gar in Llanelli, Wales.