Eri was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she grew up in a quiet suburb with her parents and two older siblings. She grew up playing music on the piano, going to Tokyo to visit her relatives in the summers, and trying to make as many friends as possible. She became a professional musician in many styles through percussion and piano, and in 2018 started attending Twin City Chinese Christian Church (T4C) regularly, where she used to attend youth group in high school. Richardson immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 11, first arriving in St. Paul from Jakarta, Indonesia. Living with relatives in Virginia, he would only see his parents and two younger siblings during school holidays in the summer and winter. He reconnected with his Indonesian identity in college, began exploring other Asian American communities, and learned traditional Korean percussion. After working overseas in Malaysia for a few years and picking up Japanese along the way, he decided to return to Minnesota, where he began attending T4C in May 2018.

Richardson met Eri for the first time on his first visit to T4C, but she then left for most of the summer to Breckenridge, Colorado, for work. On the second time they met when she returned, she asked a rather disappointing question, "So what was your name again?" (She has apologized.) A couple months later, Eri went to visit her relatives in Japan, and an email thread started between a few T4C people discussing the latest Manga that she should purchase, and Richardson was included in the list. Richardson had great recommendations. She was impressed. They kept talking that fall, and she invited him to a concert where she was performing. He was impressed. In December, they went on their first date to Surly Brewing, where they exchanged Japanese comic books and kept chatting long into that night. They started their relationship as partners the following January and had a wonderful time getting to know each other. Eri started to learn Indonesian, and Richardson has mastered the art of packing a marimba (and setting it back up at home). Jokes aside, their differences only complemented each other, and they grew closer together. Through the pandemic and stressful times in Minneapolis, they continue to see that their values align in how they want to help the world become a better place. It was easy to know and believe that God has a purpose for the two of them together. In August 2020, she said yes, and since then they have continued to walk together in life and faith, giving thanks for all the blessings this chapter has brought them.