BREANNE DÜREN

HOMETOWN: Minneapolis, Minn.
INFLUENCES: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor
ALBUM: Sparks EP, out now
WEBSITE: breannedurenmusic.com

All four of the Düren children were compelled to take piano lessons, but Breanne proved a natural—soon she was playing by ear, teaching herself favorites like Joni Mitchell’s “The River.” By middle school she was writing her own songs, and by high school she was playing local coffeehouses. While attending college she met Owl City frontman and fellow Minnesotan Adam Young through a mutual friend who suggested their voices might sound good together. He was right—before she knew it, Düren was touring the world as a backup singer with Owl City. Her solo debut EP, Sparks, was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Mike Daly (Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Stephen Kellogg). “I’m searching,” she says. “And I guess what I realize now is that there is no destination. There’s always going to be something new that you’re searching for. I don’t ever want to feel comfortable. I want to stay curious forever.”

“I want to stay curious forever”