Austin, Texas musician Heather Bishop, not to be confused with the Canadian artist of the same name, is a Singer-Songwriter and Multi-Instrumentalist, Poet and Playwright. After a long hiatus, 2005 saw her return to the public eye with her guns blazin, or rather more fittingly, with her guitar and viola strings on a slow, sultry burn.
Born in New York to West Indian parents, Heather was raised in then rural Austin, where she began her career at age 5 straddling a fence and serenading cows in the pasture behind her parent's home. Years later, while in college studying English, Biology, and Viola Performance, she found herself singing backup for a local blues band. While studying classical performance with members of The Austin Symphony, The Manhattan String Quartet, and violinist Alejandro Mendoza, a side project with guitarist Lasse Savola (formerly of Hugging Wayne, currently of NYCs Apocalypstik) led to new directions. After a brief break to enjoy the jazz and punk scenes in Atlanta, Georgia, Heather returned to college filled with lyric inspiration and the duo, then called 2am Blue, released "Attic Rooms" in 1995.
Building her reputation as a solid studio session musician, since that time Heather has contributed vocals, strings, and light percussion to studio projects for bands in a wide variety of styles- reggae, hip-hop, pop, hippie jam, bluegrass, punk, and metal. She has played festivals such as Austin's now defunct Aqua Fest, Bob Marley and other Reggae Fests, Blue Grass Jams and Festivals, 2001 GoGirls Music Fest, and Houston's International Fest. She has also been a featured performer on local radio and television morning programs and had her music selected for use in women's literature and creative writing classes at two universities.
Despite her singer-songwriter style, Heather has always had a proclivity for punk rock and heavy metal. She began a solo residency at Room 710 in Austin, Texas in January, 2001, opening primarily for rock and metal bands. A Live CD, "Graceful Riot at the 710", was released in April 2001, and delivered poignant and biting lyrics with raw vocal power and delicacy. The release illustrated why her fans range from hard rock to folk music lovers alike. She remained a weekly fixture at Room 710 until June 2002, when she took a break to rest and begin pre-production for her next CD.
From June 2002 through 2004, Heather had few public performances. These included poetry features and performances, fundraisers for Texas troops and the American Cancer Society, a holiday commercial with the band Echoset, and a reading to coincide with the release of "Mother Tongues: A Literary Exchange Anthology" in Chicago. More recent studio work includes contributions to CD releases by Mark MacMinn (formerly of Flipside Den), the Houston-based band Pale, southern rockers TriggerFish, Blue Cartoon, and various independent hip hop artists.
NEWS OF THE HERE AND NOW: Currently in extensive pre-production for the next release, tentatively titled "Other Side of the Riot", Heather is experimenting with a fusion of folk and hip hop with radio-friendly rock and a new sensuous vocal styling notably different from the raw gospel-tinged rock and power vocals for which she has come to be known at her live shows.
CURRENT SOLO STUDIO PROJECTS: "Graceful Riot At The 710" is available at www.cdbaby.com as well available for download at MSN Music, Apple itunes, and many other sites. Also look for "Other Side of The Riot" online and at live shows in 2008 and check out the music page at www.heather.fm for studio samples, lyrics, and additional tunes.
NEW BOOK/PLAY PROJECTS: Tentatively titled "Cantaloupe and A Quarter Moon", Heather's first publicly released poetry collection will be completed and released in 2008. A multimedia play of the same name is planned as well. HydePark Theater's Fronterafest 2008 saw the debut of "To Russia, Languidly"- a short musical play collaboration with playwright Jason Tremblay. Additionally, her first full length novel is also in progress, loosely patterned and inspired by Nina Simone's song, "Four Women". Check back here, the website, or local listings for details.
