Carla Werner is a singer and songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

 from New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 who began her music career at age 11.

Her first major record deal was in 2002 with Columbia Records

Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

, Sony Music (New York, USA) and was followed by the release of her debut album Departure in 2003. To date, Carla has worked with producers, writers, musicians, and DJ's all over the world including producers Ken Nelson (Coldplay

Coldplay

Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...

) and Carmen Rizzo

Carmen Rizzo

Carmen Rizzo is a producer and music engineer who has worked with Alanis Morissette, Oakenfold, Kate Havnevik, Huun-Huur-Tu, Temposhark, Jem, Niyaz and Esthero. In addition, he has recorded his own albums entitled The Lost Art of the Idle Moment , Ornament of an Imposter , and Looking Through...

 (Paul Oakenfold

Paul Oakenfold

Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...

); collaborations with songwriters Glen Ballard

Glen Ballard

Glen Ballard is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill , which won Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album", and "Album of the Year" amongst others, and is ranked by the Rolling Stone amongst The 500 Greatest Albums of...

 (Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette

Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...

's "Jagged Little Pill") and UK DJ Paul Oakenfold

Paul Oakenfold

Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...

, providing vocals and lyrics for the hit song "Southern Sun" which reached number one in the UK Dance Charts, prompting a performance on the (now defunct) "Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...

" in 2004. With compositions appearing in film and television, including the Michael Stipe

Michael Stipe

John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...

 (R.E.M.

R.E.M.

R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...

) produced film Saved!

Saved!

Saved! is a 2004 teen comedy-drama film involving elements of religious satire. It was directed by Brian Dannelly and written by Dannelly and Michael Urban. It stars Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Eva Amurri, Martin Donovan, and Mary-Louise Parker...

, and what Sputnik

Sputnikmusic

Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...

 calls "an extensive touring backlog with artists such as the The Pretenders

The Pretenders

The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...

, Damien Rice

Damien Rice

Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....

, The Jayhawks, Howie Day

Howie Day

Howard Kern "Howie" Day is an American singer-songwriter. Beginning his career as a solo artist in the late 1990s, Day became known for his extensive touring and in-concert use of samplers and effects pedals in order to accompany himself...

, as well as special guest performer at the Jeff Buckley Tributes with artists Ed Harcourt

Ed Harcourt

Ed Harcourt is an English singer-songwriter. To date, he has released five studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, Here Be Monsters, was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize...

 and Jamie Cullum

Jamie Cullum

Jamie Cullum is an English pop and jazz-pop singer-songwriter. Though he is primarily a vocalist/pianist he also accompanies himself on other instruments including guitar and drums. Since April 2010, he has been presenting a weekly jazz show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast on Tuesdays from 19:00.- Early...

 in London and Ireland in 2004", Carla has become an internationally acclaimed vocalist, writer and performer. Developing her own label OfOne Music in 2005, and releasing the first independent project from that label in 2006 with Pure Things in Wild Places. "My Lover's Ghost" was released in 2010.

While she has been compared to female singers such as Mazzy Star

Mazzy Star

Mazzy Star is an American alternative rock band formed in Santa Monica, California, in 1989 from the group Opal, a collaboration of guitarist David Roback and bassist Kendra Smith...

's Hope Sandoval

Hope Sandoval

Hope Sandoval is an American singer-songwriter who is the lead singer for Mazzy Star and Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions....

, Heather Nova

Heather Nova

Heather Nova, is a Bermudian singer-songwriter and poet. She has released eight full-length albums and has found lasting success in Germany where two of her albums South and Storm have made their way into the Top-5 of German official album chart.-Biography:Heather Nova was born in Bermuda...

, and Margo Timmins

Margo Timmins

Margo Timmins is the lead vocalist of the Canadian band Cowboy Junkies. She is the sister of Michael Timmins, the band's lead guitarist and Peter Timmins, the band's drummer...

 of Cowboy Junkies

Cowboy Junkies

Cowboy Junkies are a Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band. The group was formed in Toronto in 1985 by Margo Timmins , Michael Timmins , Peter Timmins and Alan Anton ....

, it is Jeff Buckley

Jeff Buckley

Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...

who is most frequently mentioned by reviewers.

Carla is now based in Los Angeles. As well as pioneering her own unique sound, she regularly frequents the collaboration world, more recently teaming up with UK DJ's Loverush UK! for the release of "Give Me Your Love".

Selected discography

• "Self Titled EP" (1998)

1. "Enough"
2. "Momentarily"
3. "Piccolo Song"
4. "Good Lately"
5. "Duck Egg Blue"
6. "Kissing My Way"
7. "Something Beautiful"
8. "They Do"
9. "Untitled"

• Departure (2003)

1. "Heaven Is a Word"
2. "Wanderlust"
3. "Under"
4. "Love You Out"
5. "Enough"
6. "Departure"
7. "Like Mercury"
8. "Crimson + Gold"
9. "Make It Up"
10. "Even a River"
11. "Iodine Red"

• Pure Things In Wild Places (2006)

1. "Driftwood"
2. "Into The Night"
3. "Ghost Road"
4. "June"
5. "For The Moon"
6. "Edge Of Joy"
7. "Dovetails"
8. "Love Come Down"
9. "Ships"
10. "Space"

• My Lover's Ghost (2010)

1. "Second Best"
2. "Free"
3. "My Lover's Ghost"
4. "Something"
5. "You Can Follow Me"
6. "Shine"

External links

• Allmusic bio and review of Departure