Album Notes

"Strong, confident guitar, true folk-laden vocals, and meaningful writing are the trademark of Vanessa Peters. An incredible songwriter with an out-of-this-world voice, she has captivated audiences wherever she plays. Peters defines herself as a truly enjoyable performer." - MyTexasMusic.com

This is an independent album, lacking in the slick production you hear in an album by a major label, but you get the feeling that it could be a major release by a major name in the business. That's because this album has "the sound," of music you hear in the media by singers like Shawn Colvin, Sheryl Crow and Patty Griffin. Vanessa Peters has got it, got the sound, got the rhythms, got the musical feeling that the big names have." - MusicAustin.com

'Sparkler,' the stunning new album from Vanessa Peters, is a 12-track exploration of every heartstring you've ever had tugged. From the rollicking, nearly-country feel of the opening track 'you're losing me,' to the otherworldly loveliness of the title track, 'sparkler' entangles the listener in its layers and intricacies. Produced by Lindsay Graham, 'sparkler' shines with the touch of seasoned musicians who know how (and when) to apply instrumentation.

Anyone who has seen one of Vanessa's live performances knows how capable she is of working the nuances of her dynamic vocals and guitar playing. The joy for a long-time fan (and first-time listener) will be to hear how seamlessly her voice and guitar wrap themselves around other instruments. The mid-range, heart-breaking moan of the cello on 'sparkler' settles right into the warmth of Vanessa's voice, while the frantic drums and electric guitars on 'hooked' keep pace with the driving acoustic guitar. From the jangly pop-rock of 'I wanted to ask you' to lovely folk-ballad of 'july,' these songs slide effortlessly between genres.

Lyrics are in top-notch form on this album as well. Her lyrical strength lies in the deceptively simple manner in which she is able to capture the little details that make up the fabric of heartbreak and happiness. In 'easy,' she sings "I send you postcards cause there's less space to fill with brilliant things to say/to try and explain how we ended up this way, and I burn all the letters," and she summons a thousand memories of a love that just wouldn't work. When the album closes with its lovely tour de force, 'too far gone,' fading out with her fragile voice singing, "and I don't want to lose me again, I was so hard to find/I don't want to lose me again, I don't want to lose this time/and this is too far gone," you find yourself too far gone as well, and more than willing to hit 'play' again and settle in for an encore performance of one of the most striking debuts in recent memory.

A Bio, in brief:
At the age of 4, driven by subconscious ambitions, Vanessa summoned up her courage in her grubby little fist, climbed on stage, took down the mic, and belted out "We Are the World" to an unsuspecting church audience. Needless to say, everyone (especially the pastor and her parents) was a bit surprised.

But after that auspicious debut, being comfortable on stage was a long time coming. Vanessa's desire to perform vanished for the next 15 years. In fact, her stage fright was nearly debilitating. She played her guitar in her room, maybe on the front porch, but never for an audience if she could help it.

Then 2001 rolled around, and Vanessa found herself living la dolce vita in a tiny hill town in Tuscany. The charm of the small town, the slow pace of life, the odd tug at her heartstrings when she thought of America...all of these elements fused together and led to a prolific pen and melodies she couldn't keep out of her head. After a few months of living in Italy, Vanessa had written an album's worth of material, and had hidden it safely under her bed. But at the heavy prodding of friends who had overheard her practicing one afternoon, Vanessa found herself making her public debut in front of an audience of 200 Italians and Americans at a pub called The Velvet Underground in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy. It was a strange place to take to the stage, to be sure, but no stranger than sneaking the mic off the stand during a church service. After her set was over, and after the crowd had finished calling for an encore, she realized this was just the beginning. And now, an EP and a full-length album later, Vanessa is taking the Texas music scene by storm, one beautifully crafted melody at a time.