Blessed with a clear, expressive voice that can adapt to everything from jazz to rootsy punk, Julie Christensen is best known as a sought-after backing vocalist who recorded and toured with Leonard Cohen, Van Dyke Parks, k.d. lang, Rufus Wainwright, and many more. Not just a gifted accompanist, Christensen has also enjoyed a well-respected solo career, writing literate, emotionally thoughtful songs and recording with musicians conversant in her blend of blues, jazz, folk, and country idioms. Christensen had been singing professionally for over 15 years when she released her first solo album, 1996's Love Is Driving, and since then she's been unafraid to explore fresh musical territory, recording an album of standards (2006's Something Familiar), soulful R&B sessions (2000's Soul Driver), tough roots rock (2016's The Cardinal), and full-bodied acoustic material (2018's A Sad Clown), letting her one-of-a-kind voice take the lead in every context.