Rocker Teddy Richards is proof that networking can pay off.

In 1994, the Oakland County resident went backstage to meet members of INXS after that band's show at Grand Valley State University. Hoping to stir a little interest, Richards slipped his EP to Andrew Farriss, the Australian band's songwriter/keyboardist.

"I thought it would end up in the garbage. This is a guy who has written 20 to 30 No. 1 hits, like he has time to listen to my tape," said Richards, the son of Aretha Franklin.

He was wrong. Farriss called Richards to ask if he was interested in collaborating on a few songs. The result is "Sonic Groove," Richards' latest release for Farrich Music, a name that blends "Farriss" with "Richards."

"I chose 'Farrich' because, if you look at the bulk of the material on 'Sonic Bloom,' three quarters of it is me and Andy. It just made sense to name the publishing company and the label after us," said Richards who hasn't spoken with Farriss since Christmas 1998.

One Farriss/Richards collaboration, "Brand New Day," is, what Richards called, "the song that's getting my phone calls returned." But the styles vary on the CD. "Naked" is an all-out rocker while "Hangin'" revels in funk. Richards, who was managed by former MTV VJ Nina Blackwood, explained that working with Farriss was a learning experience.

"By watching him and working with him, I am able to reconstruct a song and make it more cohesive and not clutter the music. It lets it breathe," he said.

Originally Richards was going to wait until he signed with a major label to release "Sonic Bloom."

"The sonic shelf life of a song is relatively limited. The longer I wait, the more those songs are going to sound a bit dated. Since I was sitting on a tune like 'Brand New Day,' which really seemed to lock in with a lot of people, I decided to go ahead and push the indie out."

"I'm glad I did. It was kind of a snap decision. I decided within a week before doing Arts, Beat and Eats Festival to go ahead and do it. Why not?"

Richards is a life-long musician. In the fall of 1984, he was hired to play guitar for his mother. Since then, he has backed her up at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opening ceremonies, on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and on numerous tours.

"I love working with my mom. It's a real honor. It's a wonderful thing to be able to do, but I have my own song to sing."

The relationship has not made his road to success any smoother.

"Being Aretha Franklin's son does not make me privy to anything...I don't think there's a musician in the world who has an easy road. The average serious musician works really hard. It's not an easy thing to be a full-time musician. Most musicians are weekend warriors and have a full-time job somewhere else."—Christina Fuoco