Kaleah

Growing up amid the natural splendor and resilience on a sprawling dairy farm beyond Oakville, Washington, singer/songwriter and musician Kaleah LaRoche encountered the world in that setting. She lost her father at just one year old, an absence that may have ignited an inner search ultimately fulfilled through music. By sixteen, LaRoche delighted in capturing tunes for relatives and close companions while also thriving on stage, joining both a swing choir and a rock & roll band for performances. Private coaches guided her studies, which continued through her school years and into college. LaRoche captured the cassette Spirit Wings in 1989, then launched efforts toward a full-length album in 1995. The quest for her desired sonic texture proved lengthy and demanding until 1997, when she partnered with composer and pianist Richard Keene. The pair constructed a state-of-the-art studio and established their independent imprint, Firedance Records. Years of refinement culminated in the 2000 release of From the Shadows on the Firedance label, featuring the new age tracks “Sweet Sensation,” “Pieces of My Life,” “Love Is the Way,” and “Spiritual Chaos.” She promptly turned to her subsequent project, slated for late 2001.