Basia Bulat

Canadian singer/songwriter Basia Bulat became one of the indie world's most talked about newcomers with the release of her first full-length album, 2007's Oh, My Darling. Originally from Toronto, Bulat later resettled in the quieter community of London, Ontario, where she recorded a self-released EP in 2005. Her rich, expressive voice proved to be the ideal vehicle for her songs, which dealt with love and life with a combination of sadness and wonder, and her melodies were bolstered by a band that incorporated strings and keyboards along with the traditional drums and guitar. In 2006, producer Howard Bilerman — best known for his work with the Arcade Fire — took Bulat and her band into the studio to record her first full-length album; the result, Oh, My Darling, caught the ear of the esteemed U.K. label Rough Trade, which signed Bulat and released the disc in the spring of 2007, before she had a deal in Canada or the United States.

British reviews for Oh, My Darling were enthusiastic, and a tour of England and Europe impressed critics and fans alike. The Canadian independent label Hardwood Records (home to noted singer/songwriter Hayden) signed Bulat in the summer of 2007 and released Oh, My Darling the following fall. The album fared well in Bulat's homeland, where it was short-listed for Canada's Polaris Music Prize (an honor it lost to Caribou) and encouraged Bulat to continue touring. She remained on the road for several years, playing a slew of international dates while compiling material for her next album. Heart of My Own arrived in early 2010.