Michelle Penn is a true chick rocker, proud to continue the tradition established by Chrissie Hynde, Joan Jett, Sheryl Crow and Liz Phair. Despite easy comparisons, however, the artist is most comfortable just being herself. When asked what drives her music, Penn is quick to point out the importance of integrity and originality.

Growing up in urban Detroit, Penn found herself influenced most by Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders – and quite by accident. “One day I was going through some of my older brother’s stuff, and I happened to find an old cassette tape of the Pretenders. From the first moment I heard it, I was hooked. I listened to that tape religiously. I guess you could call it the foundation of my music career.” Inspired by her idol, the young Penn picked up her brother’s guitar and quickly realized she had a knack for plucking out melodies. By junior high school, she was fronting bands with her newfound guitar skills, and quickly thereafter, she stepped out on her own to embark on a solo career with an alternative-pop-rock sound. Through it all, Penn still appreciates Chrissie’s originality and strives for the same in her own music: “Chrissie was the epitome of independence – a good hook, a good look and a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ attitude. You either got it or you didn’t, and I loved that.”

Penn’s touring career took her to many different parts of the country and exposed her to a wide variety of musical influences. Penn found herself sharing stages with the likes of John Mayer, Sarah McLachlan, Collective Soul, Jeff Buckley, Jason Mraz and the Go-Go’s. “One of my first breakout gigs was opening for Jeff Buckley. He was such a musical genius, and I would sit there mesmerized by his presence on stage. As a young artist – and still pretty green – Jeff helped me a lot in honing my craft. I owe a lot to his early influence on my music.”

Michelle set up shop in Atlanta during the release of her first two CDs. Flourishing in the singer-songwriter scene, Michelle routinely performed with other up-and-coming artists such as John Mayer. “I remember playing shows with John. It didn’t take a music expert to know he was destined for a bigger stage. He motivated me to further develop my own unique style.”

Penn explored the music scene in Nashville and NYC before ultimately heading west to Los Angeles (her current home). After a nationwide tour with Jason Mraz, Michelle returned to the studio to record Red Five. And, like any effective solo artist, Penn showed the good sense to involve other musical talents in its creation. Train’s Brandon Bush lends his expertise on the keyboards, threading his multi-faceted sound through Penn’s complex and catchy melodies. Penn also delighted in involving Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Adam Seymour of the Pretenders – a dream come true for Penn, a lifelong fan of the group. “I met Adam during Lilith Fair in 2000.I remember being star-struck while watching my childhood idols on stage. After the show, I approached Adam and said something stupid like, ‘Nice set. I learned to play guitar from listening to you while growing up.’ The polite Englishman took my CD, thanked me and wished me good luck. Five years passed and while working on Red Five, I decided to shoot an email to Pretenders manager Gail Colson in London – asking her to forward a message to Adam. Sure enough, Adam emailed back, remembering our brief encounter, and paid me compliments on the CD I had given him. Like a giddy schoolgirl, I told him about the new tracks I was working on and asked if he’d play some guitar. In a surreal moment, another email came from across the pond with his glowing response of ‘yes’ to be on the CD. To this day I can honestly say that having him on my album is the personal highlight of my music career. Without Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders, I would have never developed into the singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer that I am today.”

Now based in the land of movies and television, Penn’s music is finding new avenues of expression, making its way to the big and small screen. But make no mistake, the new disc Red Five is a real-life soundtrack that needs to be heard…

Red Five is Michelle Penn’s fifth CD release. Her other albums include: Last Laugh, 2 Good 4 U, How Do You Live, and Running from the Seasons. Penn’s music is available through CDBaby or iTunes.