Fritter

Elizabeth Steen launched her recording career in the mid-'90s by working behind the scenes as a session musician. Hailing from Boston, the singer and songwriter brought her command of piano and accordion to Tanya Donelly’s band beginning in 1997 and lent her skills to three Natalie Merchant projects—Ophelia, The House Carpenter’s Daughter, and Motherland—while also appearing on releases by Billy Bragg, Catie Curtis, and Count Zero. Late in 2002 she stepped out under the name Fritter and assembled a group of players that included Erik Della Penna, Dean Sharenow, and Will Ragano to write and track her first original material. The springlike gem Mockery reached listeners in summer 2003.