And you are?

A little bit of business that I should have mentioned up front...while most of us know each other, it might be nice for everyone to post a little bio as this thing gets rolling, because it's likely that eventually there will be some complete strangers on here.

I'll start.

My name is Julie Jurgens, and I've been writing songs since the summer of my sophomore year in college. I began learning how to play the guitar that spring, nearly flunking my class because of it (somehow chords and frets were more interesting to me than Into the Wild that spring.)

I was always a singer. As children, my sister and I would stage talent shows out in the drive-way next to our summer melon stand, and I would always sing and do a little dance-routine.

I didn't really become serious about being a performing songwriter until after I graduated and moved to Rock Island, IL. I began playing at a coffee house called Theo's Java Club pretty regularly, garnering nice compliments for my voice, mostly, and occasionally for my songs.

I went as far as I could go in old Rock Island, and in October of 2004 I moved to Chicago for the music and hookers. Mostly the hookers. But when I'm not soliciting prostitutes, I'm practicing my guitar and writing songs, and I like to think I've gotten better at it.

That's a bare bones beginning. I'd like to think more biography will leak out in conjunction with song lyrics.

And that goes for you guys, too. :)