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A Fine Frenzy

Alison Sudol (born December 23, 1984), known professionally as A Fine Frenzy (formerly Alison Monro) is an American alternative singer-songwriter and pianist. Her debut album, One Cell in the Sea, was released on July 17, 2007, and peaked at number 91 on the Billboard 200 chart. She has also been very successful in the charts in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and France, amongst other countries. Her music has also been featured on numerous television shows as well as having a song on the drama movie, Sleepwalking. She has developed a strong fan base in the United States and elsewhere with her lyrical and poetic music and her strong emotional themes.

Biography

Early life

Born in Seattle, Washington to two dramatic arts teachers, Sudol and her mother moved to Los Angeles after her parents divorced when she was five years old. She grew up listening to a wide range of music, including Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, and swing. She graduated high school at the age of 16, and considered herself "nerdy and quiet." Sudol did not "drink or smoke or do anything like that." "I was so nervous," she stated in an interview, "about going into college like that and super young. I figured I would take two years and try to find out what I was doing with music. And when I was 18, I was just so deep into it that I didn't want to stop. Sudol also had a passion for literature, and immersed herself in the works of C. S. Lewis, E.B. White, Lewis Carroll, Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens. Her artist name, "A Fine Frenzy", is taken from a verse in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Theseus, Act 5, Scene 1 - "The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven"). She became an author in her own right, and after teaching herself to play the piano, began putting her creative energy into writing songs. The short demo she sent out received immediate attention from EMI's Jason Flom, who signed her after visiting her house and listening to her play.

Music career

In March 2007, Sudol appeared at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, opening for The Stooges. Shortly after, her debut album, One Cell in the Sea, was released to generally positive reviews. The first single, "Almost Lover", peaked at number 25 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. In mid-2007, she secured another opening spot, this time for Rufus Wainwright on his tour. In March and April 2008, Sudol headlined her own tour in the US and Canada, and in April she toured France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. In September 2008, she was the star act on the opening night of the 'New Pop Festival' organized by the German brodcaster SWR3. She is due to return to Germany, Austria and Switzerland on a headline tour in November 2008. Her song "You Picked Me" was featured on iTunes as the "Free Single of the Week" for August 14 2007, and VH1 recently featured her as one of their "You Oughta Know" artists. The album has sold 300,000 copies so far. In 2008 it was released in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Poland. In each of those countries, the album peaked within the top 30, with the first single, "Almost Lover," reaching number eight in Germany, number ten on the Swiss Charts and number five in Austria. She has announced that she is working on a new album, and has been playing a song expected to be on that album during her recent shows ("What I Wouldn't Do"). While Sudol is in some ways a private person, she has developed a reputation for accessibility and friendliness, and she regularly talks with fans after her shows.

Acting career

Sudol starred in the fourth season premiere of CSI: New York, playing the character 'Nova Kent'.

Television appearances

On February 6th 2008, Sudol performed "Come On, Come Out" on The Late Show with David Letterman. On February 23rd, she sang "Almost Lover" and "Come On, Come Out" on CBS' Saturday Early Show. She also appeared on the episode of CSI: NY, "Can You Hear Me Now?"

Literature and writing

Sudol has often referred to the literary influences on her music. More recently she has disclosed that she is also pursuing a secondary career as a writer. In an interview she said she was writing a children's story in the "Narnia" tradition, a fantasy featuring animals.

Discography

Albums

One Cell in the Sea (2007), Virgin, Austria, Swiss, Germany, Poland, US

EPs

Demo - EP (2006) - "Rangers", "Almost Lover", "The Well"
Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) - EP (2007) - "Almost Lover", "The Minnow & the Trout", "Borrowed Time", "Last of Days"
Come On, Come Out (2008), Germany - "Come On, Come Out" + Nachtwandler Protone Mix, "Love Sick", "Devil's Trade"