Sara Groves, a former high-school teacher in her native Rosemont, Minnesota, burst onto the gospel scene at the dawn of the new millennium with her fresh vocals and spiritual songwriting. She's been compared to the likes of Shawn Colvin and Rich Mullins; however, Groves defines her own musical demeanor. She cannot be limited to one exact label, for her contemporary Christian hooks also meld into delicate pop. Signed to Epic, Groves issued her debut, Conversations, in early 2001, followed by a string of successful albums including All Right Here (2002), Other Side of Something (2004), Add to the Beauty (2005), Tell Me What You Know (2007), O Holy Night (2008), and Fireflies and Songs (2009), the latter of which was crowned "album of the year" by Christianity Today. Groves' tenth studio album, Invisible Empires, was produced by Steve Hindalong (Leeland, City on a Hill, and Sixpence None the Richer) and released in October 2011. Two years later, she released a double-disc compilation of hits and favorites, The Collection, culled from her ten albums, in addition to a handful of brand-new songs. Nearly four years since her last album of original material, Groves released Floodplain in late 2015, followed two years later by Abide with Me. ~ MacKenzie Wilson