Born in Iowa, Laurel Sprengelmeyer spent her formative years in the States before relocating to Canada, where she became a key figure in Montreal’s indie music scene. Rechristening herself “Little Scream,” she started writing songs that vacillated between intimate folk and cinematic rock, creating a unique sound that earned her comparisons to Orenda Fink and Leslie Feist. Little Scream’s buzz quickly grew, resulting in a record contract with Secretly Canadian and the approval of local acts like Stars, Arcade Fire, and Bell Orchestre. Members from all three bands lent their help to her full-length debut album, The Golden Record, which was released in early 2011 to strong reviews. ~ Andrew Leahey