Modernizing the harmony vocal pop of '30s and '40s groups like the Andrews Sisters, London's Puppini Sisters took the name of Marcella Puppini, who founded the act after being inspired by the music in the film The Triplets of Belleville. Puppini, a native of Bologna, Italy, moved to London in 1990 to study fashion and quickly became immersed in the city's music scene. Though she had a career at Vivienne Westwood's design studio, she left to focus on music, and in 2003 earned a music degree at Trinity College of Music. Jazz was her passion, and Puppini spent time as the musical director and orchestra conductor for the Whoopee Club, as well as leading her own quartet. For the Puppini Sisters, she enlisted vocalists Stephanie O'Brien and Kate Mullins to fill out the group's three-part harmonies. Producer Benoît Charest, who worked on The Triplets of Belleville soundtrack, collaborated in the studio with the Puppini Sisters, and their debut single, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," arrived in 2006; that summer, their full-length debut, Betcha Bottom Dollar, was released. Spring 2007 saw the U.S. release of the album on Verve. Also in 2007, the trio released its similarly retro-inclined sophomore effort, The Rise & Fall of Ruby Woo. In 2010, the band released the holiday-themed album Christmas with the Puppini Sisters. In 2011, the Puppini Sisters returned with their third studio effort, Hollywood, featuring covers of classic film songs. Emma Smith replaced O'Brien in the trio's lineup in September 2012, and this edition of the Puppini Sisters released The Highlife in March of 2016. ~ Heather Phares