Imogen Jennifer Heap, a talented British singer-songwriter, was born in the London Borough of Havering, London. Her early life was marked by a passion for music, which she began playing from a young age. By the age of 13, she had received classical training on several instruments, including the piano, cello, and clarinet, at the prestigious Friends School, a private boarding school.
Although she did not get along with her music teacher, Heap's determination to learn music led her to teach herself sequencing, music engineering, sampling, and production. This self-taught skillset served her well in her future music endeavors. In the mid-1990s, she attended the renowned BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon, South London, further honing her musical talents.
After being introduced to Nik Kershaw by his manager Mickey Modern, Heap and Kershaw recorded four demos that Mickey Modern took to Rondor Music. Consequently, a few months later, Heap signed her first record contract at the age of 18 to independent record label Almo Sounds. Her debut album, "I Megaphone", was released in 1998 to strong reviews that compared her to Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, and Kate Bush.
Although "I Megaphone" had little commercial success, Heap continued to pursue her passion for music. She began writing with Guy Sigsworth in 2001 for her second album and remained in contact with him until they formed Frou Frou and released their first album, "Details", in August 2002 to strong critical reaction. Over the next year, they released several singles and toured extensively until they too were dropped by their record label due to poor sales.
Undeterred, Heap set about producing her long-awaited second studio album in 2004. She re-mortgaged her flat to fund the album, which was eventually titled "Speak for Yourself" and released in 2005. It became a slow-burning success, with early pressings selling out quickly. Her popularity increased when several of her tracks were featured in hit TV shows like "The OC", "Six Feet Under", and "Grey's Anatomy". Friend Zach Braff also included the Frou Frou track 'Let Go' in his film "Garden State" and on its accompanying hit soundtrack.
In 2006, Heap was nominated for two Grammy awards for Best New Artist and for her song "Can't Take It In", which was featured in "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". "Speak for Yourself" has sold over 430,000 copies in the US and has been certified gold in Canada.
Heap released her follow-up album, "Ellipse", in 2009 to generally strong reviews. The album marked a career high for Heap when it entered at #5 on the U.S. Billboard 200. It won her a Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 2010.
