Singer/songwriter Emily "Birdie" Busch made her debut with 2006's The Ways We Try, having traded in her day job (as a restaurant hostess in downtown Philadelphia) for the folksy instrumentation and delicate-voiced melodies that characterize her music. Originally from Collingswood, NJ, Busch attended the University of Miami before moving to Philadelphia, where she found songwriting to be a more expressive occupation than restaurant work. Busch finished her debut album in spring 2005; it was released the following January by Bar None Records and drew praise from such outlets as the Village Voice, who deemed the album "one of the slyest neo-folky records in recent memory." For her sophomore effort, Penny Arcade, Busch enlisted the help of producer/musician Devin Greenwood (who also helmed her 2006 debut) to create a rousing follow-up to the intimate The Ways We Try. Penny Arcade was released in September 2007, featuring Busch's oft-requested cover of Steve Miller Band's "Wild Mountain Honey." ~ Andrew Leahey