As the 90's came to a close, Wendy DeBias decided it was time to put her reservations aside and grab a hold of a dream that has been with her since her days as a Chicago girl growing up on the Southside. "I chose to overcome my fear of what people would think or my own sense of limitations I had placed upon myself," says Wendy. "It was time to get with it, or grow old and regret never taking the chance."

And take a chance she did. Like most singer-songwriters who want to get their feet wet, she began playing open mics around Chicago. By the summer of 2001, she was opening shows for Maverick recording artist Michelle Branch, Freedy Johnston, and former member of the Story, the critically-acclaimed songstress Jonatha Brooke.

"As a child, music was an escape for me," recalls Wendy. Being the youngest of four, she was struck by the emotional impact of the records being played by her older siblings as well as the songs she heard on the radio. "I listened to everything that fell within the far-reaching realm of pop music, be it indie-rock, Top 40, hip-hop, whatever. There were very few bands I can say I devoted all my time to...I liked, and continue to enjoy, different types of music."

Being moved by so many artists and songs that became part of her world, part of her life, part of her escape, Wendy has created her own spirit that echoes with the elements that inspire her, and also draws from her own original creativity. What has risen to the surface for Wendy is a keen understanding of how to pour herself into her songs without sounding as if they are blatant confessionals. At first listen, Wendy's songs seem elusive, showered with metaphors that faintly echo her life experiences. Yet, they possess a bittersweet lyrical quality that tackles the emotional euphoria and sorrow of life and gives each listener a story that he or she recognizes and identifies as their own. Musically, her songs ring with the sound of indie rock, power pop, and folk. Wendy has found a voice she can call her own by appreciating her past, living in the present, and continuing to reach for the songs that call to her from the future.

"When I was a girl, music took me to places where I couldn't really go in everyday life. I identified with my namesake Wendy in Peter Pan. Like her, I wanted to experience adventure. Today, the music is still my escape, but not in the same way it was when I was a kid. Back then, I wanted to be somewhere else, I wanted to be someone else, but I didn't have the wisdom to know I could create my own adventures. With music I get to create the worlds I choose to live in and be who I want to be."

Wendy DeBias has embraced her own pop identity.