Ann-Marita

Singer/songwriter Ann Marita grew up loving country, thanks in part to her rural upbringing — in the Norwegian Mountains — and her parent's collection of Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, and Johnny Cash records. She began writing songs while still a teenager, eventually landing a job as the lead vocalist for an international troupe on a northern European cruise ship. The globetrotting artist has lived in a mining town north of the Arctic circle, Sweden, and Iowa. After a failed attempt at breaking into the music industry in Hollywood — she bought into a production scam that left her high and dry — she left for Australia determined to start over. With the help of some of the country's finest musicians, Marita recorded her self-titled debut album, released in June of 2004.