Virginia Dare

Virginia Dare originated from the partnership of singer and autoharpist Mary O'Neil with guitarist Brad Johnson, earlier a participant in the San Francisco outfit Wannabe Texans that earned solid respect on the area's alternative circuit. Paula Fraser began as bassist in the initial trio but soon exited to concentrate on Tarnation. Greg Freeman, bassist in Pell Mell as well as engineer and producer for numerous local underground projects, took her place. Virginia Dare rank among the scarce drumless rock outfits operating in either the mainstream or underground, favoring the slow, sparse folk-rock material that O'Neil both writes and sings, their arrangements notable for autoharp textures, the absence of drums, and an overall stark, open atmosphere. After issuing a pair of EPs on Nuf Sed, the group delivered its debut album, Baby Got Away, in 1998.