Sea of Bees

Sea of Bees is the one woman bedroom indie-pop project of Julie Baenziger, a singer/songwriter whose path to becoming a full-time musician surprised even her. Having admittedly never listened to a Beatles or Rolling Stones record until she was well into her 20s, she found music late but quickly scrambled to make up for lost time, diving into various genres and teaching herself to play guitar and bass. Eventually, the Sacramento native began to record songs on her laptop, adding electronic and ambient textures to the folky framework of her guitar and piano playing. Though her lyrics and voice can often drip with melancholy, Baenziger's song arrangement skills and beautiful electronic touches prevent them from straying too far into mopey territory. She released her debut album, Songs for the Ravens, in 2010.