Singer/songwriter Nelly Furtado heavily credits her ethnic background and childhood for culturally and crucially spawning her creativity as a female and as an inspiring musician. Born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Furtado's working-class parents, whom are of Portuguese decent, instilled a hardcore work ethic during her upbringing. She spent eight summers working as a chambermaid with her housekeeping mother, quickly realizing what it meant to honestly make a living. She turned to music for enjoyment, learning to play the guitar and the ukulele, and listened to mainstream R&B like Mariah Carey, TLC, Jodeci, Salt-N-Pepa, and Bell Biv DeVoe. Later, she delved into her older brother's collection of Radiohead, Pulp, Oasis, Portishead, the Verve, and U2, pushing Furtado to fully embrace different musical genres, specifically Brazilian music and material by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Amalia Rodrigues. Hip-hop was also a big catalyst in shaping Furtado's musical appreciation. After high school, she headed to Toronto where she worked at an alarm company by day and experienced the music scene by night. She joined a hip-hop duo tagged Nelstar, and this opportunity lead Furtado back to her hip-hop influences of ... 

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Shawn Colvin is one of the bright spots of the so-called "new folk movement" that began in the late '80s. And though she grew out of the somewhat limited "woman with a guitar" school, she has managed to keep the form fresh with a diverse approach, avoiding the clichéd sentiments and all-too-often formulaic arrangements that have plagued the genre. In less than a decade of recording, Colvin has emerged as a songcraftsman with plenty of pop smarts, which has earned her a broad and loyal following.
Shawn Colvin was born in Vermillion, SD, on January 10, 1956. By age ten, she found a passion for music, teaching herself guitar. After moving to London, Ontario and then Carbondale, Illinois, Colvin formed the Shawn Colvin Band, a hard rock outfit, whose high-energy demands soon strained her voice. She moved to Austin, Texas and joined the Western swing band the Dixie Diesels, singing with the band until nodes forced a temporary retirement at age 24. In 1983, she moved to New York, where she found a home in the city's singer/songwriter scene, building a following in New York and Boston through constant gigs. Through the '80s she worked her way up the folk circuit, also appearing in off-Broadway shows such as Pump Boys and Dinettes, Diamond Studs and Lie of the Mind. Her work appeared in Fast Folk magazine, and she got her first break in 1987 singing backup on Suzanne Vega's hit "Luka."

By 1988, she found a songwriting partner in John Leventhal, Colvin providing the lyrics to his melodies. A live tape sold at gigs (Live '88) attracted the attention of Columbia Records, who signed her the same year in the wake of success from like-minded performers ...

 

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When most people think of English music, the Beatles obviously come to mind, along with the punk of the Sex Pistols, the glam rock of David Bowie, and maybe the soft pop of Elton John. Few would immediately think of David Gray and his acoustic guitar, but he's on a mission to change all that. Born in Manchester in 1970, Gray grew up in Wales before attending the University of Liverpool. While in school, he dabbled in a few punk bands, and then began exploring new styles of writing, eventually uncovering his own poetic penmanship. Following a move to London, Gray signed to Hut Records in the United Kingdom and Caroline Records in the United States, releasing the single Birds Without Wings in 1992. The next year saw his debut album, A Century Ends. Through his emotional tales of anger and passion, love, and solitude, Gray's trademark style of fiery intensity countered with tender poignancy started to find an audience. However, despite solo touring and an opening slot for Shawn Colvin, the wonderfully raw and powerful Flesh was released in 1994 to an underwhelming response. Although he was dropped from his label, EMI Records saw his potential and talent, and quickly signed him to a new deal. Meanwhile, a quiet buzz was building in Ireland thanks to support from No Disco, an alternative music video program that showcased Gray every chance it got. Hanging on to that thread, Sell, Sell, ... 

 

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Nina Gordon, former singer/songwriter/guitarist for Veruca Salt began getting ready for her first solo release soon after leaving the band in early 1998. Tonight and the Rest of My Life, her first album without the Veruca Salt gang, was filled with the hard guitar sounds and mad lyrics that made Veruca Salt popular with such songs as "Seether" and "Volcano Girls." The album was produced by Bob Rock, who also handled production duties on Veruca Salt's 1997 album, Eight Arms to Hold You.

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