Aimee Allen

by David Jeffries Most victims of a major label's demise end up devastated both careerwise and emotionally, but singer/songwriter Aimee Allen is just too diverse an artist to let that happen. Raised in Missoula, MT, Allen grew up embracing all types of music, listening to everything from the Pixies to Eazy-E and later growing especially fond of Rickie Lee Jones' style of songwriting. She eventually left Montana for Los Angeles and did the usual mundane, odd jobs while shopping her demo. Small acting roles in MTV's Undressed and the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful came later. They were better gigs, but when Elektra Records called with an offer, her dreams had come true. She began working on her pop-punkish debut album, I'd Start a Revolution If I Could Get Up in the Morning, and toured with the band Unwritten Law, but then Atlantic Records absorbed Elektra and Allen's recording contract became one of the many casualties. Instead of disappearing, she became involved in many different projects. With Unwritten Law's Scott Russo she recorded the indie album Sitting in a Tree, credited to Scott & Aimee. She also helped write tracks for Unwritten Law's 2005 album, Here's to the Mourning, including the single "Save Me," which had her sharing the credit with hitmaker Linda Perry. While she didn't appear in the film, her performance of the song "Cooties" played during the end credits of the 2007 film Hairspray and also landed on the soundtrack. That same year, Kevin Michael and Lupe Fiasco recorded a version of Allen's "We All Want the Same Thing" for Michael's debut album.