Sara Bareilles to Be a Hit in '08

Comparable to Fiona Apple or Regina Spektor, Sara Bareilles is definitely the up and coming songstress to watch in '08. Despite no formal training in either, this twenty-nine year old talent is certainly keeping up with her talented alternative and folk female peers.

A California native, Sara graduated Eureka Senior High School in 1998, where she participated in the school's musical theatre productions and was voted "Most Talented" of her senior class. She headed to UCLA, where she was a member of their award winning a cappella group Awaken. Awaken took the award for Best of College A Cappella in '04 for their rendition of Sara's original song "Gravity". A year later, she signed with Epic Records.

In 2007, the still unknown Bareilles toured with the star studded likes of Mika, The Hives, Maroon 5, Paolo Nutini, and others. Last June, her now hit single "Love Song" was featured as iTunes' free weekly download. In July her first full length studio effort, Little Voice, was released.

Recently, Sara was featured as VH1's You Oughta Know artist, which prompted "Love Song" to gain major television and radio play, and also landed Sara a gig in an advertisement for TiVo Rhapsody.

"It's a collection of songs that pretty much mean the world to me. They chronicle my life, my relationships, my basket-case-ness, and my utter devotion to trying to write honest stuff down and share it. That's where the title comes from." Sara describes her record on her website, http://sarabmusic.com "This record was really about me learning to trust my own instincts, and more importantly, recognize how desperately I needed to learn to listen to myself, however inexperienced and naïve I may be. It sounds cliché, but that little voice is sometimes the only voice that's speaking the truth. I think that's pretty [expletive] cool."

Currently, Sara is on tour, with many upcoming dates throughout California (specific dates are available on her Myspace, http://www.myspace.com/sarabareilles). Those who can't make the show but are hoping to get a listen or a glimpse of the live performance can catch her Unplugged concert on vh1.com, or head over to iTunes to download live versions of "Many the Miles", "Gravity", "Love Song", "In Your Eyes", and "Bottle it Up".

Sara will definitely be the it-girl of 2008 with her smooth, jazzy piano riffs and smoky voice. If you loved Regina Spektor in '07, this cool California native will certainly be your '08 obsession.