Terra Deva is a singer, songwriter, and producer and one of the original Om artists.
Many consider San Francisco´s prodigious music scene to be one of the most progressive and diverse in the world. Adding singer, songwriter, and producer Terra Deva – the passionate and sinewy artist on OM Records – can only strengthen that presumption. Boasting vocal creations`, backed by an intoxicating soundtrack of hauntingly beautiful drum–and–bass, Terra Deva´s debut album, Pulled Apart, has poised her to become one of the most exciting singers from the region in years.
Those in the underground dance scene may already recognize the siren. She has collaborated on a number of projects with artists, including Electric Skychurch, the Hardkiss Brothers, San Francisco beat–mavens Better Daze and Bugs, jazz guitarist Andre Bush, and even a remix for Elton John and his song "Believe."
From the cinematic firebrand of "Lethal" to the soulful desires expressed in "Inside," Terra´s album Pulled Apart will amaze you with its breathtaking splendor. The songs flirt with ghostly echoes of past jazz singers, albeit in a wholly new musical context. Among her many influences, Terra cites crooners like Nina Simone ("Because she had a weird voice and challenged all the conventions,"), Nancy Wilson ("I loved the confidence which she sang with,"), Bjork, Joni Mitchell, and Nick Drake, an old English folk singer.
As for working with the modern sound of drum–and–bass, Terra remembers when she first heard the music´s mesmerizing rhythms. "When I was in London, I heard this music, and I was thinking to myself, ´What are all these people doing?" she recalls laughing. "But I fell in love with it. With drum & bass and jungle, you have more space in which to sing."
Terra was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area – with brief stays in both Florida and Los Angeles – nurtured in a very musical household. She began singing as a young girl of four while a member of children´s theater. At eight years old, Terra picked up the violin. She currently also toys with the guitar and the piano.
In addition to singing, another ambition of Terra´s has been to act. She spent years in children´s theater and then two years as a variety performer with Walt Disney. Her experience carried over into various acting roles in commercials and television shows, most recently in CBS´ Nash Bridges and HBO´s Grand Avenue. However, if the hypnotic sounds emanating from Terra Deva´s debut is any indication, acting may not be considered an option.
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