Brisa Roché (born April 26, 1976 in

Arcata, California Arcata (; ; ) is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay (northern) portion of Humboldt Bay (United States), Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, California, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, 2020 census, Arcata's population was 18,857. A ...

) is an American singer-songwriter who sings primarily in English, occasionally in French, and who has spent much of her life residing in France.

Early life and career

Roché was raised by an artist mother and initially her adventurer father, then her stepfather (after her father moved to

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

). Growing up with her family and surroundings in a small, electricity-free cabin, shared with her mother and stepfather in Arcata, northern California (known for redwood forests and artistic communities), music played a major influence in Roché’s life. It was a childhood neighbour who introduced her to the drums, which she later swapped for the guitar. At 16, Roché moved to Seattle to be with her ailing father, at a time

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...

music was coming to the fore in the city. She found escape from her personal challenges by immersing herself in Seattle's music scene, playing in a local band, the Amazing Dimestore, having traded her acoustic guitar for an electric one. Following her father's death, she moved to Paris, and began busking at age 18 in the Paris Metro. The founders of Glazart club in Paris then noticed Roché, which consequently led to opportunities to start singing in the jazz clubs of

Saint-Germain-des-Prés Saint-Germain-des-Prés () is one of the four administrative quarters of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its official borders are the River Seine on the nor ...

, where a few years later she was discovered and signed to

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

. Roché has performed folk, garage, psyche-pop, soul and electronica. Her first album (on a label), ''The Chase,'' was released 5 October 2005 in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

; reviewing the album in ''Billboard'', Aymeric Pichevin wrote, "A

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer-songwriter. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automat ...

fan, Roché delivers jazzy tunes with a punk spirit." In 2016, Roché released ''Invisible 1''. She returned to the United States in the course of writing her fourth album, which ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' described as "succeed ngin capturing the essence of pop in order to restore it to a song that was both pure and sensual."

Discography

Albums

* 2003: ''Soothe Me'' (self-release - no label) * 2005: ''The Chase'' (Blue Note / Capitol) * 2007: ''Takes'' (Discograph) * 2010: ''All Right Now'' (Discograph) * 2016: ''invisible1'' (Kwaidan Records) * 2018: ''Father'' (Black Ash) * 2019: ''Low Fidelity'' (Black Ash) * 2021: ''Freeze Where U R'' (with Fred Fortuny - Black Ash) * 2022: ''BRMD'' (with IX - Black Ash) * 2023: ''Hero Palo'' (Black Ash)

References

External links

* * 1976 births 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers American expatriates in France American women jazz singers American jazz singers American women pop singers Jazz musicians from California Living people People from Arcata, California {{US-pop-singer-stub