Imogen Heap

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Birth name: Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap
Born: December 9, 1977
Origin: Essex, England
Genre(s): Electronica/Alternative/Pop/Rock
Label(s): Almo Sounds (1998-2001)
Megaphonic Records/Sony BMG (2005-)
Website: www.ImogenHeap.com

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Imogen Heap grew up playing music from an early age, and is classically trained in many instruments, including the piano (her first instrument), cello and clarinet as well as the marimba and had begun to write songs by the time of her eleventh birthday. Her mother - an art therapist - and her father - a rocks construction retailer - separated when Heap was twelve, and she went to a boarding school. The school was lacking in students wishing to pursue music, with Heap clashing with the music teacher. His idea of punishment was to leave Heap alone to learn for herself, teaching herself sequencing, music engineering, sampling and production on Atari computers. Following this, Heap went on to study at the Brit Music school (later attended by artists such as Katie Melua). She signed her first record contract at the age of 17 to independent record label Almo Sounds, having enjoyed a prestigious live debut, performing four songs, backed by friends Acacia, between sets by The Who and Eric Clapton at the 1996 Prince's Trust Concert in Hyde Park, London.


i Megaphone - Almo Sounds, 1998Heap's debut album, i Megaphone (an anagram of "Imogen Heap") was released in 1998 internationally via Almo Sounds, and garnered critical acclaim, comparing the angst-filled tracks to work by artists such as PJ Harvey, Kate Bush and Annie Lennox. The album was a mixture of self-penned, self-produced tracks, alongside tracks co-written with, and produced by established producers such as David Kahne, Dave Stewart and Guy Sigsworth. Promotion for the record included a tour of America, where the album was becoming popular through word-of-mouth, and performances all around Europe. Three singles were commercially released in limited quantities in the UK; "Getting Scared" (available on CD and 10" vinyl), "Shine" and "Come Here Boy." "Oh Me, Oh My" was also sent to US radio stations, prior to "Oh Me, Oh My," in place of "Shine." Almo Sounds cut funding for the UK promotional tour, and gave Heap a deadline to deliver songs for her second album; she was told that they lacked "hit potential" and left her in limbo for over a year, worsened when it was announced that the record label had been sold to Universal and would be shut down and disbanded, with its repertoire of artists moving or leaving the label. Heap was one of the artists who was dropped from the label, leaving her without a record contract.