Soul Stirrers, she started crooning, recording some early originals as the Hotel Ghost, performing others as Basket of Figs. Eventually, she completed a 12-cut demo, one of which found its way to British-based producer Jim Anderson. When he invited her to record overseas, the university jig was up. Spx spent her tuition money on a flight to London, initially telling her family she was on vacation. "I had a return flight scheduled, but when I didn't get on that flight, my dropping out became, errr, somewhat obvious," she says. "So questions were asked, and I just answered them honestly. My parents were as disappointed as any parents could be -- that their child had not only left school, but moved to a completely different country." Anderson became Spx's manager, and -- with old P.J. Harvey alum Rob Ellis -- retreated to a rustic studio in Wales, where they stripped to their  essence sepulchral studies like "Holland," "Blank Maps" and "Winter Solstice."