Heidi Spencer is a solo Milwaukee-based singer/songwriter who often performs with her backing band, the Rare Birds. Inspired by the sparse, hauntingly beautiful work of fellow country-tinged folk artists such as Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris, Spencer's songs are stark and honest, often hanging on just some simple strumming and the powerful fragility in her twangy vocals. Though she went to school to study film, her songwriting hobby soon overtook her previous dreams and she was well on her way to becoming a local favorite in the Milwaukee songwriter scene. With the Rare Birds, Spencer's songs are fleshed out with a slightly more full accompaniment of drums and electric guitar. The group's debut album, Under Streetlight Glow, was released in 2011.
