Heather Nova

Name: Heather Nova
Born: 6th July, 1967 (Bermuda)

Profile: She is a singer-songwriter and poet. She has released seven full-length albums and has found lasting success in Germany where two of her albums 'South' and 'Storm' have made their way into the Top-5 of German official album chart.

History: Nova started playing guitar and violin at an early age, writing her first song when she was 12. Her family relocated to New England where she attended the Putney School in Putney, Vermont. Following her graduation in 1983, Nova enrolled at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she majored in film in 1989. She also sat in on poetry classes and wrote music to go with her student films. Later, she would forgo film study to focus on creating music.

After graduating from RISD, Nova briefly relocated to New York City (where she unsuccessfully tried to interest some major labels in a demo), before moving to London. In 1990, she released her first recording, 'Heather Frith', an EP; she had not yet changed her name. The name change came a year or so later, in an effort to create a name with more buzz.

The new name debuted in 1993 with her second EP 'Spirit in You' and her first full album, the critically acclaimed 'Glow Stars'. The success of the album led her to record and release her first live album 'Blow' the same year, which she supported by a tour of Europe.

In 1994, she released what many consider to be her finest work to date, the emotional yet jagged album 'Oyster', for which she toured for almost 2 years. 'Siren', the long-awaited album was released in 1998, after which she joined Sarah McLachlan and others on the 'North American Lilith Fair', a music festival with only female performers.

Over the years, Nova has written and recorded over 100 songs. With the release of 'South' in 2001, she returned to the international spotlight with an appearance on the soundtrack of the John Cusack movie 'Serendipity', the album followed by 'Storm' in 2003, 'Redbird' in 2005 and 'The Jasmine Flower' in 2008.

She also collaborated with the German trance artist ATB on tracks like 'Love Will Find You', 'Feel You Like A River' and 'Renegade'.

Influences: Patti Smith

Axology: Taylor acoustic guitar

Signature song(s): London Rain (Nothing Heals Me Like You Do) - Heather Nova (Siren, 1998) and Gloomy Sunday - Heather Nova (South, 2001)

Link(s):

http://www.heathernova.com/start/menu/home/ (Official website)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buE0nMhyvwI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2fGWQKbX68

"One of pop's most enduring mysteries" - Sunday Times