Artist description Laura Powers combines her gift for songwriting with her beautiful, earthy vocals for a sound not quite like any other. Her songs are not only beautiful melodically, but have solid well-written lyrics as well.

Music Style A powerful mixture of Pop and Folk with heavy Celtic themes and instrumentation.

Musical Influences Loreena McKennit, Enya & Mary Black

Artist History Laura Powers spent much of her youth living in various parts of the world. She studied abroad and began singing professionally in college. She went on to land a recording deal with Carrere Records in Paris, France where she had several successful singles and appeared internationally on radio and television, including Radio Luxemburg. In addition to her background as a live performer, Powers' craftsmanship as a songwriter has made a name for herself in the music and film industries. Her songs have been covered by numerous recording artists, and is reaching an international audience with her songs recorded in French and Spanish. Powers, who first began songwriting in her late teens says, "I'm drawn to writing songs that have a strong melody, beautiful harmonies and layered vocal arrangements. I'm also influenced by the time-honored structure of the great songs of earlier eras." "Legends of the Goddess" and "Beyond the Pale: Legends of the Goddess II" are the first and second cd in a three volume collection (The Goddess Series) which feature musical themes based on the Celtic Goddess of ancient myth. Powers' fascination and extensive research in Celtic mythology, combined with her talent as a singer/songwriter, led her to the creation of this project. The music, enhanced by instrumentation such as tin whistle, uilleann pipes and Irish flute melds with the lyrical imagery and her oil paintings to present a timeless collection of music and art. "This has been a work in progress for some time," says Powers, who adds that, when she conceived the project, "I was thinking partially in terms of the kind of music that I'd like to paint to, because when I paint I'm on a different level of awareness, and I wanted songs that would help take me--and the listener--to that level." From songs like the mythical "Morrighan's Quest" to "Answer Me With Silence," her music captures the heart and soothes the spirit. Musically, the influence of European pop can be heard throughout the records, and lyrically, it is the metaphysical/mythological aspect of Legends that is the central focus. The songs from the first cd "Legends of the Goddess" are full of ancient Celtic references, including "Tir Na Nog" (Land of the Ever Young) a Celtic/Euro-pop reverie about the mystical land of the Ever Young; "Samhain Madrigal," which heralds the coming of the Celtic "season of darkness"; "Circle of Stone," a majestic look at Stonehenge and the feeling of having been there before; and "Morrighan's Quest," an ode to the lusty, boisterous Celtic goddess of battles. The first album ends, appropriately, with "Song of One." "I wanted a song to hold the album together," says Powers. "This song speaks of the oneness of all people everywhere. I felt that was a good place to sign off." The response and success of her first cd encouraged her to record the second on her newly founded label Red Harp Records. "Beyond the Pale: Legends of the Goddess II" continues the musical journey, delving into the classical world with "A Heart in Winter" which intertwines Pachelbel's Canon, spoken French and a lush pop chorus. "Beyond the Pale" is a pearl of vocal harmonies and countermelodies. "Goddess of the Sea Mist", "Sisters of the Wind" and "In the Arms of the Milky Way" reintroduce the mythical goddess and allow us to soar alongside them in their mystical world. "Long Way Down" is a stirring song about continuing to miss someone after they've passed on. "Sometimes you don't feel like you've made much progress in getting over a loss. We maintain and push on with life, but there is a hole, and the pain can resurface. This is a song that I felt needed to be included. Eventually we all experience these feelings." The evocative "Pipes of Inishmore" and "Sailing Home" close the second album. "People have told me that this music takes them into a special place and creates a mood that is uplifting and peaceful. Since my intention was to take the listener on a musical journey to another time and place it's very satisfying to get that positive feedback."

Group Members Laura Powers

Instruments Laura Powers - Vocals/Songwriter

Albums "Legends Of The Goddess"; "Beyond The Pale: Legends Of The Goddess II"

Press Reviews Magical Blend: "The music is a powerful and haunting blend of Celtic rhythms, containing fiddle, mandolin, guitar, Irish flute, accordian and Uilleann pipes. Laura Powers has a magnificent voice and will soon be listed among such singers as Loreena McKennitt, Mary Black and Enya"-John Osborne New Age Retailer: "Powers sings with passion and conviction, her strong voice ringing out like the goddess she sings of. A delightful discovery, "Legends of the Goddess" is a terrific first effort by a talented new artist."-Steve Ryals "Legends of the Goddess" Powers' first cd, charted at number 38 for national airplay in trade publication New Age Voice, and was finalist for "Vocal Album of the Year" in 1998 as well as received Grammy consideration in 4 catagories.

Location L.A., CA - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).