A native of Reno, NV, Kathleen Smith attended theater school at USC before a songwriting class pushed her to pursue a career in music. She composed her first song at the age of 19 and soon moved to Los Angeles, where she performed at the Cat Club and other local venues while working a day job at MTV. Smith also rubbed shoulders with a number of session musicians, many of whom appeared on her self-produced debut album in 2008. Titled Dolls, the album earned warm nods from the likes of Billboard, KCRW, and her employers at MTV (who began placing Smith's music in several of the network's programs). ~ Andrew Leahey