14 year old Natalie Merchant spent her babysitting money on 8 track cartridges of 'cut out' albums by Brian Eno, Roxy Music and David Bowie from her local drugstore and her first live show was seeing the Styx Grand Illusion tour at Buffalo Auditorium

Singer, songwriter and composer Natalie Merchant got her start when she joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 at age 17, becoming the lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the group. She made seven albums with the band before setting out on a solo career and in 1995; her debut album 'Tigerlilly' was an immediate success with singles 'Carnival', 'Wonder' and 'Jealousy' helping the album sell over 5 million copies. She has since released nine studio albums as a solo artist exploring a diverse range of musical styles. At the time of our conversation, her most recent album is 'Keep Your Courage'.