Elena Powell began pursuing a life in popular music after graduating from UCLA with a MA. Though she'd always been a musician, learning classical violin from the age of 6 and playing in other people's bands in college, Elena had gone to LA to pursue a career in film. But the muse had other plans. Elena began singing to herself to relieve stress and depression, when songs started coming to her fully written and she was encouraged to record them. So Elena moved to Nevada City, CA, near Sacramento, taught herself to play guitar and sing, put a studio band together and recorded a 12-song CD "fractal hoedown," released March 1999, and picking up a distribution deal in December. In May 2000 she released second CD "Left of the Moon" also on her own label Mugwort Manor Records. For the past year and a half Elena has toured regularly to Portland, Eugene, Santa Cruz and the Bay Area as well as Sacramento in building an audience, both solo and with a band. Her fans report loving Elena's songs, voice, virtuoso electric violin and dynamic stage presence. She released "Alta Nova" in 2002, a mostly electric album, and "Lull" an all-acoustic album on which she plays nearly all of the instruments, in 2008. Currently Elena has a new band with whom she will be recording a fifth CD.