Lonesome Val

Lonesome Val, a Manhattan resident, drew widespread notice and acclaim in 1988 when Musician Magazine named her Best Unsigned Artist of the Year on the strength of her country- and folk-tinged songs. A painful breakup then derailed her progress, leaving her career in ruins until she crossed paths with Suzzy Roche of the Roches. The pair began performing jointly, after which Roche guided Val through the creation of a demo tape. Bar/None Records responded by commissioning a complete album, which Roche produced while also contributing guitar. That effort, NYC, reached stores in the summer of 1994.