Imogen Heap is back to solo again

Imogen Heap didn't want to be a rock-music or alternative-music star. She actually wanted to write movie scores.

"I wanted to write soundtracks," Heap said by phone from London. "I had no intention of becoming a touring artist. I wanted to compose."

The idea of writing for films came out of her love for classical music. "I was fascinated by classical music. I went to boarding school and played cello and clarinet. I played in the orchestra."

Things changed when she discovered a schoolroom with a bunch of cupboards. "In one of those cupboards was a computer. I didn't know how to work it, but accompanying the computer was a fat instruction manual. And my music teacher allowed me to fiddle with it. I think I was 12 at the time."

Twisting, manipulating and bending the sounds that were typed into the computer caught Heap's attention. "I got a lot of satisfaction doing that."

Still, her friends wanted her to play music with them. So she did. And that's when her course began to change. "I began to think about my future in terms of writing songs. And I began writing more."

After graduating college, Heap hooked up with singer/songwriter Nik Kershaw, who took her into the studio and produced the songs "Come Here Boy" and "Itchy." "That's when the music labels came calling. And things got crazy from there."

After playing concerts with The Who and Eric Clapton, Heap began a recording career with Almo Sounds. She released the album "I Megaphone," and then, after enjoying solo work for a bit, joined the band Frou Frou.

Now, she's back solo again with a new album, "Speak for Yourself," on RCA Records.

In addition, she managed to accomplish that lifelong dream of appearing on a movie soundtrack — "The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" features Heap singing her song "Can't Take it In."

"The soundtrack was a great experience," Heap said. "I had always dreamed of being involved in a recording session with an orchestra, and to be there seeing them play the music to the film was incredible."

Heap tours by herself, but refers to her computers, synthesizers and samplers as her "band." "I do have a live cellist come out for a couple of songs, but the rest is usually me trying to figure out how to cover up the electronic glitches. And that usually makes for an entertaining night."

If you go

What: Imogen Heap

Where: In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West

When: Saturday, 7 p.m.

How much: $15

Phone: 467-8499 or 800-888-8499

Web: www.smithstix.com

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com