Grace Woodroofe - I've Handled Myself Wrong

Hometown: Perth, Australia Album: Always Want For Fans Of: Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Cat Power Grace Woodroofe’s voice calls to mind Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Etta James—maybe even the weighty, raspiness of Tom Waits. Certainly not a 22-year-old singer/songwriter from Perth, Australia. And if she sounds like someone who’s lived through decades of crucial life experiences, it’s no accident. Woodroofe has already toured with Ben Harper, Cat Power, WIM and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. She first tried her hand at songwriting at age 16, recording demos of the first two songs she wrote. She submitted those songs in a radio competition and sheepishly asked her friends if they would listen. One of those friends was the sister of actor Heath Ledger, and her soulful singing caught his ear. Ledger flew her out to Los Angeles for a recording session. Quickly Woodroofe’s age became nothing but a number. “I think it proves that you don’t need to be a particular age, race or be from a particular place to be able to feel these certain emotions,” Woodroofe says. “It just proves that you can never really know what people are going through, no matter who they are. Hopefully my music gets that point across and people can embrace their emotions listening to [it].” "Llana Kaplan"