biography   A force on the stage with her trademark black custom telecaster and eccentric humor, Audrey Howard delivers a show that mesmerizes. Audrey's stage presence is natural and electrifying, and her rock tunes are undeniably catchy. A long-time student of jazz and rock, Audrey's guitar playing rivals that of her idols - Kurt Cobain and Jimmy Page. Her liquid voice envelopes you as she invites you into her world of love's frustrations and the refusal to toe the line. Audrey Howard was born in the humble town of Greenfield, Massachusetts. Reared on classical lp's, Bob Dylan, and her mom's singing and piano playing, Audrey took to the keys at a young age. In high school she starred on the stage in the school plays and musicals. At Northwestern University she majored in acting and played eclectic roles like Rosalind in the Bard's "As You Like It" and Rosalie in John Guare's "Written on the Body." Meanwhile she was discovering a new passion - playing the guitar and writing songs. Soon she was performing her raw, emotive folk-punk tunes in the college union and in Chicago cafes. After school she packed up her cat and moved to the fabled land - San Francisco. There she bought a four-track and recorded her first cd - the bedroom recorded, bare-bones ep., "Mischief." (2000) "Mischief" was put on the juke at her local pub and her first hit, "New Strings" was in heavy rotation. She then formed the punk-pop trio, "Strumpet." The band produced "Phase" (2001), a 4-song ep. "Chatter" - the punkish, anti-media bombardment rant from that ep - remains one of her most popular songs, often inspiring the whole audience to sing along. Next she went into the studio to record a full-length album. The result, "Summer Thunder" (2003), is a gorgeous pop record which delves into her personal world, from relationship missteps, to the horrors of working in an office, to the death of her father. Co-produced and recorded by Garth Webber (Miles Davis, Robben Ford), 'Summer Thunder' is a complex and engaging piece. Audrey currently plays out solo and with her energetic and talented band, "Audrey Come Lately," featuring Lisa Young on drums and Brandon Chaves on bass, keys, and samples. "Audrey Come Lately" is set to release their first album, "Kismet," a full-length album of fresh rock and pop jems, in July 2005 at San Francisco's Café Du Nord.