Odessa Chen's singular musical vision is not easily categorized. She approaches songs of love, longing, and displacement with accomplished lyrics, and unusual song structures. Aspects of folk, classical, and indie rock converge to make music that requires quiet attention.
Described as intelligent, subtle, and haunting, Odessa's pure, ethereal voice and finger-picking guitar style has drawn comparisons to Jeff Buckley, Sigur Ros, and Cat Power.
Her debut One Room Palace (2003) attracted international attention and laid the foundation for her current release The Ballad of Paper Ships, which she wrote, produced, and arranged. She has had the pleasure of collaborating on her recordings with Wilco's Nels Cline, Xiu Xiu's Devin Hoff, The Drift's Rich Douthit, Scott Amendola and Matt Brubeck among others.
Touring internationally, Odessa has been featured on NPR, MTV U and MTV Chi, KRON4, and in independent films, compilations, and on radio stations. She has shared stages from a boat in Paris to the Great American Music Hall with artists such as Jolie Holland, Damien Jurado, Mia Doi Todd, and Vienna Teng amoung others.
Interested in exploring collaborations and alternate settings for her music, she most recently performed at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts with 24 dancers, string quartet, piano, drums, and bass clarinet in the Illustrated Book of Invisible Stories. She is set to release a new record in 2010.
A former poetry major, she has studied classical voice and cello, and sung in early music choirs. A self-taught guitarist, she grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.
