“I never really thought I was that great of a singer. I was really pretty shy about it. And I had a tough time with that."

She is: Laura Marie

Her sound: Alternative acoustic pop (think Natalie Merchant or Aimee Mann)

Her words: “I never really thought I was that great of a singer. I was really pretty shy about it. And I had a tough time with that,” said the singer/songwriter with the silky voice. “But I loved to write music and eventually decided I had to get over the stage-fright thing and actually start looking at the audience.”

Her records: Drawn (2007)

Where to see her: She'll be at Casa Chiapas in Southtown in late April and early May and will begin playing regularly this summer with her backing band, which includes guitar hotshot Jake Owen.

The Web: lauramariemusic.com, myspace.com/lauramarie

The 210 take: The veteran of Things Between/Sofa Kingdom shares thoughtful, earnest pop-folk on her first solo album, which took a few years to record — “I had to deliver a baby somewhere between the fifth and sixth song, I don't remember which,” said the mother of two. The result is a delicately crafted collage of stories of human relationships. Also cool: Laura Marie is a big advocate of San Antonio music and will host a new Internet radio show, “The Sound of It in S.A.,” giving a songwriter's take on local bands. Details at myspace.com/thesoundofit.x 

Jessica Belasco | Contributor