June 20: lead vocalist Grace Potter of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals is 30-years-old today.

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Grace grew up in I grew up in the Mad River Valley, Vermont. She learned to play piano from her mother beginning at age 6, sang in the school choir all through middle and high school, and participated in the All-State and All-New England Music choir festivals for three years. 

She also performed in a handful of Harwood Union musical theater productions. She then Attended the Governors Institute for the Arts in 2000; then studied under Professor Michael Farley in the St. Lawrence Music dept. from 2002-2004.

Grace has said she always wanted to be on stage, and that music would be a part of her life. She didn't realize, though that Rock & Roll was going to be her true path until she tried other things, like writing and acting. "Music came so much easier than anything else, it was the only language I could really understand."

Grace Potter is a multi-instrumentalist. In addition to lead vocals, Potter plays Hammond B3, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer Electric Piano and electric and acoustic guitars. lead vocalist Grace Potter of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' was originally formed in late 2002 when drummer Matthew Burr saw Potter perform folk songs in a student-run venue called The Java Barn on the St. Lawrence campus.

Burr approached Potter about starting a band, citing James Brown and The Band as musical influences he heard in Potter's voice and original songs. In the spring of 2003, Burr invited guitarist (including slide guitar) and harmonica player Scott Tournet to join the group.

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The other members of the band are Catherine Popper on bass guitar and vocals, and Benny Yurco on electric guitar and vocals. Bryan Dondero played bass guitar, upright bass, and mandolin with the group until his departure in early 2009.

In 2005, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals signed for Hollywood Records and since then they have published three critically acclaimed studio albums, encompassing rock subgenres such as blues rock, folk rock, hard rock, and alternative rock. Their third, self-titled album, released in 2010, has been a major commercial success, topping iTunes charts and receiving international attention.

On February 9, 2012, Grace Potter announced the title of their upcoming fourth studio album, The Lion The Beast The Beat, noting that they collaborated with The Black Keys member Dan Auerbach. Song titles such as "Star," "The Divide," "Parachute Heart," "Never Go Back," and the title track.

Grace is well known for her vocal qualities, and is sometimes compared to rock and blues cult singers like Janis Joplin, Lucinda Williams or Koko Taylor, as well as for her vibrant energy on stage.

Besides playing in the Nocturnals, she has released solo material and collaborated with other artists.

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For more about Grace Potter, visit her Website at -

http://www.gracepotter.com/

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