by Andrew LeaheyBritish singer/songwriter Natascha Sohl first appeared in 2004 as an edgy pop starlet, mixing dance beats with polished melodies on her debut album, Strange Fascination, before resurfacing several years later as an Alanis Morissette-styled rock artist. Born in Paris and raised in Surrey, England, Sohl grew up listening to her parents' Queen records and later enrolled in the Academy of Contemporary Music, where she received a degree in vocal performance. From there, she entered the London circuit as a solo artist, writing her own material and attracting attention from several independent labels. She signed with Granite Music in 2003 and released Strange Fascination, her debut offering of pop/rock material, the following year. While touring in support of the release, Sohl visited New York City and was introduced to a roster of A-list songwriters; she soon began making multiple trips to the city to collaborate on new material. The first product of those collaborations, Naked, was released as a single in April 2006 and later wound its way into an episode of MTV's The Hills, effectively expanding Sohl's audience and whetting their appetite for her full-length sophomore release.