Sharon Lewis received an unexpected package at her flat in Brighton, England last year: A homemade tribute record to herself. American songwriter Rose Polenzani (who had long cited Sharon\' now-defunct duo Pooka as one her most important influences) had spent the late winter recording covers at home and while busking in the Boston subway. Rose wanted Sharon to know, especially in the wake of the duo\'s breakup, that her music had meant the world to someone she\'d never even met.

Sharon was so bowled over by the interpretations of her songs that she invited Rose to share a concert with her deep in the Sussex countryside. There, on August 2nd, 2003, they performed together to the ardent delight of a crowded house. In the final days of their visit, they recorded the Throwing Muses\' song ---Ellen West\', and the track appeared later that year on a Throwing Muses tribute album called Hot Hands [Kuma-Chan Records, 2003].

These two artists will now reunite for a US tour in support of their latest albums: Sharon has just released The Hour Lilies, her debut solo record, and Rose has produced a new record entitled August, a misfit, intimate collection of home recordings.

The artists

\"As holy as a mystic, and profane as your perverted fantasies.\" This is how Amy Ray (Indigo Girls) described Rose Polenzani before signing her to Daemon Records in 1998. Soon after, Rose was sharing the stage with songwriters such as David Gray, Alejandro Escovedo, Kristin Hersh and Vic Chesnutt. In 2002 she toured the country with Erin McKeown, Jess Klein and Beth Amsel as part of Voices on the Verge [Rykodisc], a CD introducing four new and important songwriters. The record sold 30,000 copies in its first year and was featured on NPR. The Washington Post, who called Rose \"Haunting and magnificent\" in a recent live review, declared that \"there\'s a lovely, placid quality to [Rose\'s] singing and she uses it to disguise songs that are often dark and dire and wholly disconcerting. . . . Polenzani is staking a claim to intriguing material well beyond standard pop fare.\" August is Rose\'s fourth solo record (release date: 10/6/2004). At times evoking early Liz Phair or Edie Brickell, the record was recorded and compiled at her apartment in Boston.

Sharon Lewis\' band Pooka (signed to Rough Trade) was critically lauded and cultishly followed. Pooka toured the UK, USA and Europe as headliners, as well as alongside acts such as Everything But The Girl and Kristin Hersh, releasing 4 albums along the way. Sharon is now performing songs from her debut solo album The Hour Lilies. Q Magazine exclaimed that Sharon\'s music is \"so fine--- it\'s almost worrying!\" Sharon has collaborated with The Chemical Brothers, Orbital, Ultramarine, and Rob Ellis of PJ Harvey.

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