A lover of all things dance, theater, voice, and visual arts from a young age, Cotton began composing and recording her own material while at Vassar with the help of fellow student and bandmate Chris Kiehne, resulting in the release of her 2005 debut EP, Baltimore Trees. In 2006 Cotton embarked on a cross-country tour that would eventually find her taking root in the San Francisco art scene and releasing the stark, sorrowful full-length Out of the Ocean (2007). Produced by Kiehne and recorded in her grandparents' cabin in Connecticut, it captured the ears of critics both local and national. Cotton has performed and recorded with numerous other Bay Area acts such as the Bland Allisons, Chris Maher, and the National Lights. ~ James Christopher Monger