Wendy Colonna may live and work in Austin these days, but one listen to her soulful vocals and her south Louisiana roots are obvious. Colonna grew up in Lake Charles and her music is a spicy stick-to-your-ribs Gulf Coast gumbo of soul and blues and funk. The first time I heard Colonna I thought of another sultry southern country soul singer, the great Rita Coolidge. But Colonna is hardly a one-trick pony, and even a cursory listen to her albums Red and Where I Belong reveals a complex vocalist reminiscent of a bevy of important female artists: the brash bluesy thing of Bonny Raitt, the pop genius of Carole King, the raw emotion and huge pipes of Joan Osborne, and the soul shout of Queen Aretha. It’s this kind of talent that brought Colonna acclaim as KGSR Radio’s new artist of 2005 and brings out A-list Austin players like Guy Forsyth and Shelley King when she records. “I’ve lived in Austin seven years now and feel very connected to the community, musical and otherwise. It’s a beautiful oasis for writing and swimming, and I feel that after years of travel I am finally seeing the fruits of my labor begin to bud and ripen in Austin. It’s a tough town full of lots of amazing music and loyalties, and I’m honored to finally be connecting with the people I’ve come to admire over the years.” Like her music, Colonna has lots of layers. A yoga instructor, Colonna is very spiritual and positive. But don’t think she’ a pushover. After working with emotionally disturbed teenage boys in a wilderness setting, the athletically inclined chanteuse can kick box if she has to. She’s also supported herself as a waitress in one of Austin's finest gentlemen's clubs. Bottom line? Colonna is a survivor, even in a town like Austin that is chockfull of aspiring singers and songwriters. “I really don’t know anything in life other than just getting up and dusting myself off after a blow, taking a few moments to connect with the great divine and realigning my intentions to move forward into the next moment. This business is tough. Life is tough. It kicks you hard in the stomach with flaky lame excuses, the most ugly and cowardly stuff, and you just have to realize that it’s not about you. It’s not about the music you make or the way you present it, it’s just the way of the world. I’ll spend all my resources on a project and a tour and look at an empty bank account, lose $2500 in potential gigs in a week and feel like I’ve hit the bottom. Then I’ll get an email from a fan who used my album to get through a life loss and I just go all soft and realize that success can be measured by innumerable things, including love and gratitude.” Colonna has a huge, expressive voice that works equally well in a quiet coffee house, in front of Austin’s acclaimed Strings Attached, or with a full band as she is on her newest project, Old New Borrowed & Blue. A groundbreaking collaboration between Austin’s Music & Entertainment Television, Front Gate Tickets, and Austin musicians and writers, the project allowed Colonna to perform with an amazing ensemble of Austin players. According to Colonna, being asked to be the feature artist for the pilot program was like a dream come true. “Austin has an incredible talent pool and it's refreshing to see some of the major, well-respected media players in this ever-evolving music scene taking notice and working together to create a multimedia format in which we artists have the opportunity to showcase our work elegantly and professionally. I'm so glad to be a part of this much needed outlet, and I can't wait to see where it goes for all the artists and companies involved.”