Growing up in Mission Viejo, California, pop/rock songwriter Kina Grannis first delved into music during childhood. Early on she entertained her collection of stuffed animals and harmonized alongside her sisters, then at age 15 she came across her aunt’s guitar. The next year she acquired her own instrument and devoted a month to sharpening her songwriting, drawing inspiration from Jason Mraz and Vertical Horizon. While attending the University of Southern California she maintained that focus, earning selection from the Thornton School of Music to craft a six-song EP as a sophomore; Sincerely, Me. appeared in 2005. Two years afterward she cut a track for Rachael Lawrence and Deborah Ellen that aired repeatedly across episodes of General Hospital.
Following her USC graduation, Grannis moved to Austin, Texas, where she performed and recorded with a band while posting videos of her performances on YouTube. Those clips contributed to her victory in a 2008 Super Bowl contest, leading to a contract with Interscope Records that ultimately produced no releases before she resumed independent status. In February 2010 she issued her debut full-length album, Stairwells, on her own and reached the Billboard 200. The ensuing two years found her touring extensively in support of the record, with stops spanning British Columbia, New York City, Europe, and Asia. Her second album, Elements, arrived in early 2014 under the guidance of producer Matt Hales, also known as Aqualung.
