Equal parts vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist, Sylvia Grape began making waves early on as a young folksinger in her Northern California hometown. Drawing upon influences such as Joni Mitchell and India Arie, Sylvia transferred her experience playing jazz saxophone and applied it to acoustic guitar, finding it much easier to sing when not playing a woodwind. Her original songs were eventually released on a demo album during her undergrad at UC Santa Cruz, a theme of mental health and creative catharsis quickly emerging. While pursuing her degree in Psychology, Sylvia earned a department Community Excellence award for her work combining music and horticultural therapy at a community farm.