essence is a San Francisco based singer-songwriter who writes emotionally direct, storytelling, music and lyrics, with winning humor and soul baring honesty. She marries lush acoustic soundscapes with modern technology, creating a distinctly timeless sonic identity. She sings of intimacy and loss with a crystalline voice and an aching passion that has gained her a loyal West Coast following. Raw and visual songs like "Sleeping with the Driver" and "Glitter Gone" play with personal and universal experience, and like her name, reflect the core.
Her parents were flower children in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury, trailblazers of the 1960's cultural revolution. In true bohemian spirit, they named their daughter essence. Growing up in a creative and chaotic environment, essence felt compelled to express herself at a young age. While her parents practiced the fine arts of sculpture and painting, essence worshipped The Beatles and Bob Dylan. After studying theater briefly at The American Conservatory, essence decided to chase her own muse rather than bring to life the works of others. She began writing songs at fifteen, finding music to be the ultimate medium to articulate her inner thoughts, and has kept on writing. She worked her way through San Francisco State University as an artist model while developing and refining her songwriting, vocal and guitar skills. During this time, she received numerous scholarships from Blue Bear School of American Music. essence consistently recorded her original compositions with collaborator Garth May, producing an independent record with over 5,000 units sold, and an impressive body of material yet to be released. After paying dues playing at open mics and coffeehouses, her following has grown to where she now plays to capacity crowds at San Francisco's largest showcase venues such as the famous Fillmore Auditorium, The Great American Music Hall, and Slim's.
In June '98, essence entered the Levi/Lilith Fair National Talent Search. Against 5,000 other entries, she won! Her prize was to open the 1998 Lilith Fair in Portland. While there, VH-1 picked up her story and interviewed her for a 3-hour special called "Women First." Entertainment Weekly also featured the talent search win. essence continues to receive heavy press in the Bay Area with features in the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner, The Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, The Oakland Tribune, and San Jose Mercury News. On the radio her music has received significant attention from radio ALICE, KFOG, KUSF, and KALX. Her song "Glitter Gone" was featured in the highest rated episode of CBS TV's "Nash Bridges." After playing out to support her first album "conception" for over a year, essence was invited back to play the 1999 Lilith Fair at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. There, essence was summoned to sing on stage with Natalie Merchant, Sarah Mc Laughlin, Chrissie Hynde, The Indigo Girls, Sinead O' Connor, and Joan Baez, performing in front of over 80,000 people.
essence's writing and recording collaborators include Bill Bottrell, (producer of Sheryl Crow's breakthrough record "Tuesday Night Music Club" and Michael Jackson's Billboard #1 "Black or White," John Shanks, (producer for Melissa Etheridge and Stevie Nicks) London producer Martin Terefe, Bonnie Hayes, writer of hit songs on Bonnie Raitt's "Nick of Time" record), Bill Spooner of the Tubes, among others. She studied extensively with vocal coaches Raz Kennedy, Sandy Cressman, and Adam Levy, (guitarist for Tracy Chapman.) essence has opened sold out shows for Pat Benetar, Steve Miller, Tom Petty, Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes, Sandra Bernhard, Colin Hay of Men at Work, Ani Di Franco, and Heather Nova. Special event appearances include the Webbie Awards, Border's Books Union Square, Passport Party, (an AIDS benefit in S.F. & L.A.), The Mountain Aire Festival, and the VH-1 "Route 97" concert Tour.
essence was contracted by Way Cool Music, a division of MCA Records, in 1997, for a nine-month development deal. Just as they were beginning to record her first record, Way Cool Music was closed, leaving essence without a label. Soon after, essence was discovered by RCA Records and offered a deal which she accepted just before Christmas 1998. Unfortunately, RCA and producer Bill Bottrell met irreconcilable creative differences in producing essence's major label debut, resulting in a mutual parting of ways between artist and label. With her creative enthusiasm untarnished, essence returned to the studio in 2001, to focus on her next release.
On Saturday, June 8, 2002, essence is celebrating the independent release her new record entitled "Mariposa," at the Great American Music Hall, in San Francisco. "Mariposa" is the result of years of prolific writing and recording. "I have been fortunate to have had such a great learning experiences, and now I want my music to speak for itself." The opening song on "Mariposa" is named "Still Crying." It recently won an international songwriting contest for the SIBL (Songs Inspired by Literature) Project and is found on the compilation alongside legendary artists Aimee Mann, Bruce Springsteen, Suzanne Vega, and Grace Slick. (Proceeds benefit literacy programs. For more info visit: www.siblproject.org) Four songs on "Mariposa" have already been prominently featured on Lifetime television's show "The Division." "Still Crying" has been featured on the ALICE Radio artist spotlight.
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