Born in western Massachusetts,
Deb Talan started classical piano and clarinet at an early age. At ten, she began writing and composing her own music, and by high-school graduation had composed a score to the local production of
Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. After graduating from high school, she moved west to Portland, OR. In Portland, she formed a folk-pop trio,
Hummingfish, which performed throughout the Northwest for over five years. The band released two albums,
Hover and
Love Traktor, and garnered much acclaim. But near the band's end,
Talan began focusing and writing material for a solo career, and after the group disbanded in 1999, she returned east to Boston.
Upon arriving in Boston, she entered the studio to record
Something Burning, which was released in the fall of 1999. The album won Acoustic Guitar magazine's Homegrown CD Award as well as earning three Boston Music Award nominations. Her growing fan base also led to performances at prestigious folk festivals, where
Talan shared the stage with
Suzanne Vega,
Sarah Harmer, and
John Prine, among many others.
Talan's songs have been featured in television shows such as Felicity and Dawson's Creek. Her songs have also been part of compilations featuring
Bruce Springsteen and
Aimee Mann. In 2002 she released her second album,
Sincerely.
Talan is also part of the folk-pop duo
the Weepies, with
Steve Tannen. ~ Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide