Pieta Brown June 4, 2009

The daughter of two preacher's kids, Brown spent her childhood in Iowa and Alabama amidst a broken yet musical family. In her bare-bones Iowa upbringing Pieta was exposed to traditional and rural folk music through her father, Grammy nominated folk singer, Greg Brown. Later, while growing up in the deep south of Birmingham, Alabama with her mother - who worked and attended medical school - Pieta drew on and expanded these musical influences and began writing poetry and composing music for piano. But it wasn't until her 20s that she picked up a guitar. Her songs, like her poetry, convey a strong sense of place - equal parts southern gothic and heartland hip.