Ann Danielewski

Ann Danielewski (March 3, 1968), a.k.a. Poe, was one of a set of assertive female singer-songwriters to first hit the modern rock charts in the mid-1990s. Others include Alanis Morissette, P. J. Harvey, and Liz Phair.

"Poe" received her nickname after wearing an Edgar Allan Poe-themed costume to a Halloween party as a child. Her first album, Hello, was released in 1995. As one of the angsty, grunge-rock female singers of the era, her debut single "Angry Johnny" got much radio and MTV airplay. After a long hiatus, she followed up with 2000's "Haunted", an album she produced entirely in her own home and on her own computer. The album was released to coincide with her brother Mark Z. Danielewski's novel "House of Leaves," a critically acclaimed gothic fiction tale. The two toured together across America at Borders Books and Music locations. A song from Poe's album called "Hey Pretty" was re-released to radio with the sung vocals replaced by Mark reading from his novel. It became a radio hit.

In 2005 Poe purchased the right to her audio masters from Atlantic Records and independently re-released both of her albums on her own label, Sherdian Square Records .

Poe's musical style is an unusual mixture of folk, rock, and electronica, being used to produce confessional songs. Albums exploring similar territory are Beth Orton's Trailer Park and Tori Amos' To Venus and Back.