| Oh Susanna | |
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Oh Susanna performing at the 2007 NXNE festival |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Suzie Ungerleider |
| Also known as | Oh Susanna |
| Born | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Genres | Alternative country |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | MapleMusic, Outside Music |
| Website | www.ohsusannamusic.com |
Suzie Ungerleider, who writes and performs under the name Oh Susanna, is an American-Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter. Born in the United States,[1] she was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia[2] and is currently based in Toronto.
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Ungerleider chose to perform under the name Oh Susanna rather than her given name as a means of keeping her private and professional lives separate. She initially wanted to be a somewhat theatrical performer. "I had this notion, okay I'm going to try and wear these vintage clothes and I play this old Stella guitar, which is like this mail order guitar that blues guys used to play," said Ungerleider.[3] She released her first independent recording, a seven-song EP, in 1997. At approximately this time, she was inspired to relocate to Toronto after attending Blue Rodeo's Stardust Picnic festival.[4] In 1999, she released her full-length debut, Johnstown, and toured Canada and the United States with fellow musicians Veda Hille and Kinnie Starr, in what they dubbed the "Scrappy Bitches Tour".
She has since released four more albums, Sleepy Little Sailor (2001), Oh Susanna (2003), Short Stories (2007), and Soon the Birds (2011). Her recordings have featured guest musicians Luke Doucet, Justin Rutledge, Burke Carroll,[5] Bazil Donovan and Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo, Ruth Moody of The Wailin' Jennys, and members of Weeping Tile.
Of the inspiration for her songs, Ungerleider has said "A lot of that stuff comes from other people who have told me things. Some of it's totally made up".[6] She also says that her Western Canadian upbringing has inspired some of her lyrics.[7]
Ungerleider lives near Toronto's High Park with husband/drummer Cam Giroux and their five-year-old son. Her father, Charles, is a professor at Vancouver's University of British Columbia.[8]