Kristy Krüger / Kristy Kruger

Singer/songwriter Kristy Kruger draws inspiration from varied sources — including the catalogs of Tom Waits, Emmylou Harris, Bessie Smith, and Aimee Mann — to create a diverse brand of Americana. Having played piano since the age of five, she began embracing composition as a high school student, winning several competitions in her native Texas and earning a music scholarship from the University of Southern California. Once enrolled, she assembled a band and hit the Los Angeles club circuit in support of her songs, several of which later found their way onto her debut album, 1998's Bachelor of Apathy. Kruger released the album on her own label, Do It Yerself Records, which also issued the follow-up effort The Noise I Make in 2000. While on the road in support her sophomore album, Kruger crossed paths with producer/engineer Andrew Gilchrist, who had previously worked with Ani DiFranco. Gilchrist agreed to produce Kruger's next release, and the songwriter relocated to New Orleans to record An Unauthorized Guide to the Human Anatomy, an anatomically themed album that paired the songwriter with a full band for the first time. Songs from a Dead Man's Couch followed in 2006.