Songwriter Reni Lane received her first big break in 2009, when “Place for Us” -- the leadoff track from her debut album, Ready -- was picked as the theme song for VH1’s reality series Secrets of Aspen. An Oregon native, she had moved to Virginia during her childhood and remained there through high school, after which she headed north to attend Columbia University. It was in New York City that Lane began laying the foundation for a songwriting career. Weekly performances at the Sidewalk Café -- the same Manhattan establishment that helped launch the careers of Suzanne Vega and Regina Spektor -- earned her a growing audience, while several European tours spread that audience overseas. MTV eventually caught on and included Lane in the network’s First Ladies of Rock ad campaign, which led to an offer from Custard Records, a British label owned by Linda Perry and distributed by Motown/Universal. Working alongside producers Sam Bisbee and David Pattillo, Lane then made her studio debut with the release of 2010’s Ready. ~ Andrew Leahey