Susanna Van Tassel earned initial respect within the neo-traditionalist country scene during the early 2000s for both her songwriting and her singing. Originally rooted in California, Van Tassel moved from Santa Rosa to Austin, TX, in 1995 to further her career as a country artist. In Austin she polished her craft, infusing her neo-traditionalist songwriting style with a hearty dose of honky tonk and incorporating occasional old-timey songs into her performances, yet did so without seeming ostensibly retro. Following contributions to compilations such as Pushing the Norton and The Edge of Country, she debuted with a solo album in 2000, The Heart I Wear, and followed with another in 2002, My Little Star. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi
