Natalie Merchant

Natalie Merchant is a singer-songwriter from Jamestown, New York, who spent the 1980s as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist for college rock band 10,000 Maniacs. She left the group in 1993 to pursue a solo career, releasing a series of albums that draw on folk, rock, and pop influences. Over four decades she has built a reputation as a careful, socially engaged songwriter and a compelling live performer.