Artist description With one full-length album and countless live shows to her credit, Laura Burhenn is making quite an entrance onto the D.C. music scene, reducing clubs, bars and coffeehouses to silence with the command of her soulful, and at times ethereal voice. Laura's piano playing draws on years of Classical training as well as her recent exploration of Rock and Jazz. Her voice hints at influences that range from Nina Simone to Beth Gibbons of Portishead, and her songwriting skills give her music a soundscape that recalls Blues and Folk, yet allow her music to retain a character entirely its own. She claims to have been influenced by almost every genre imaginable, with musicians such as Stevie Wonder, PJ Harvey and Bjork ranking equally high on her list of inspirational sources. "I'm a girl, I sing, I play the piano. Of course I'm going to be compared to Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos or Fiona Apple," says Laura of the comparisons that are often drawn to her musical style. But those who see her perform are quick to add to those allusions that she is somehow unlike the artists who precede her, and is remarkably distinct from her contemporaries in the world of pop music. Lyrically, her songs shy away from overplayed ideas of love lost and address issues of sexuality, religion, philosophy and politics in the tradition of folk writing and with the language of universal experience. Her melodies are catchy and memorable, giving her poetry the power to sink into the subconscious and permeate the emotional mind. Laura understands her role as a songwriter as someone who can initiate needed dialogue between people who have so much to say but are afraid to speak out. In August of 1999, Laura completed her first album, Not Ashamed To Say, which includes thirteen songs collected from 1994 to 1998, and ranges in style from jazz to folk to rock. It was released on Laboratory Records-the label independently owned and operated by Laura since March of 1999. The album has received local acclaim, attracting attention from audiences across the D.C. and New York areas as well as major record labels across the U.S. With the earnings of the CD sales, Laura is planning to begin work on her second album in the Spring of 2001, and is donating a portion of the proceeds to benefit RAINN and other charities.

Press Reviews "Laura is a talented musician, an innovative songwriter, and a mesmerizing vocalist."--Lisa O'Neil, The Tower "She catches fire. It's just that simple."--Laurin Wollan, Music Monthly

Location Leesburg, Virginia - USA

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