Fefe Dobson

Fefe Dobson was a young Toronto-based songstress who brokered demo recordings and a series of solid industry showcases into a deal with Island/Def Jam, which issued her eponymous debut in October 2003. The album showcased Dobson's brassy vocals over a pop-alternative, radio-ready groove skating between styles and incorporating plenty of electric guitar dynamics. For her part, the 18-year-old cited vocal and songwriting influences ranging from Judy Garland to Kurt Cobain. As lead single "Take Me Away" began to make noise online and at radio, Dobson participated in Camplified 2003, a tour of East Coast youth camps that also featured fellow up-and-comer Skye Sweetnam. The singer's sophomore album, Sunday Love, was slated for release in 2006 but due to the commercial failure of the two singles issued ahead of time, she was instead dropped by her label. Showing that perhaps the label was wrong to doubt her appeal, songs from the album were covered by Jordin Sparks, Selena Gomez, and the Norwegian girl group Lilyjets. In the years after she was let go by Island, Dobson also wrote songs for Miley Cyrus, had a track featured on the Whip It soundtrack, and never stopped performing, knocking a crowd of industry types out with a cover of "River Deep, Mountain High" at the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. By this time she had signed to 21 Music (ironically a subsidiary of Island/Def Jam), and in November of 2010 she released Joy.