Merril Bainbridge

A native of Melbourne, Merril Bainbridge became an Australian phenomenon with only her first single, "Mouth." It hit the top of the charts — staying there for over a month — and spawned a double-platinum album, The Garden. Bainbridge was born in the late '60s, and began singing in cover bands as a teenager. She moved to backup singing after several years, offering her voice in return for studio time with the man who later became her producer, Siew. Signed to the Australian Gotham label, Bainbridge spent over a year recording her debut album and released it in late 1994. Though it initially sank, repeated play of the single "Mouth" finally caught on with radio listeners, and it ascended to number one by early 1995. Bainbridge signed to the Universal label in America by 1996, and released The Garden to U.S. audiences in September. It barely missed the charts. Between the Days followed in 1998.