Something New: Singer Susie Suh

By Liane Hansen

Published May 1, 2005 at 12:00 AM EDT

At 25, singer-songwriter Susie Suh has a recording contract with Sony's Epic label and a self-titled debut CD.

It's a typical story: She's a California-raised Korean-American girl who went to boarding school in New Hampshire and then to Brown. She was discovered by talent scouts while playing music in a coffee shop. And she auditioned for Sony Music executives playing Bob Dylan's guitar.

Well, maybe not so typical, after all.

Suh's lyrics are introspective. And though she shares a homonym with wailer Siouxsie Sioux of Banshees fame, her music is on the softer side. Her first single, "Shell," was co-written by producer Glen Ballard, who worked with Alanis Morrisette on Jagged Little Pill.

Susie Suh talks to Liane Hansen about where her music comes from and where she hopes it will take her next.

Tags

NPR News

Liane Hansen

Liane Hansen has been the host of NPR's award-winning Weekend Edition Sunday for 20 years. She brings to her position an extensive background in broadcast journalism, including work as a radio producer, reporter, and on-air host at both the local and national level. The program has covered such breaking news stories as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the capture of Saddam Hussein, the deaths of Princess Diana and John F. Kennedy, Jr., and the Columbia shuttle tragedy. In 2004, Liane was granted an exclusive interview with former weapons inspector David Kay prior to his report on the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The show also won the James Beard award for best radio program on food for a report on SPAM.

Supreme Court to consider whether Catholic group is exempt from religious taxes

Nina Totenberg

At issue is whether the charity Catholic Charities is qualified to be exempt from state unemployment taxes as a religious institution.
A program in D.C. raised the wages of child care workers. We check back 3 years later

Andrea Hsu

Three years ago, councilmembers in Washington, D.C., approved a tax hike on the wealthy as a way to raise the wages of child care workers. It's led to big gains for the city's child care workforce.
Will a song ever again become a holiday fixture like 'All I Want for Christmas is You?'

Stephen Thompson

This year marks 30 years since the release of Mariah Carey's hit, "All I Want for Christmas is You." But have any other pop singles been able to enter the holiday music canon since?