[1] She has released five solo albums: Red Shoe Rebel (2002), Original Soul (2004), Midnight (2015), Daylight (2019), and Mother Road (2023).

Both of her parents, Peggy and Sparky Potter, were involved in professional woodworking; her mother was also a piano teacher.

[1] While in college, Potter met Matt Burr, a drummer and her future husband, who convinced her to form a band.

[8] The group released its second album, This Is Somewhere, on August 7, 2007, on Hollywood Records and was the opening act for Gov't Mule on its October and November North American tour.

In July 2012, she joined The Flaming Lips during their show at The Lyric in Oxford, Mississippi, which was part of their attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Most Concerts Played in different cities in a 24-hour period.

[13][14] That same year, Potter and The Flaming Lips collaborated on a recording of "My Mechanical Friend", which she also wrote, for the companion soundtrack to Disney and Tim Burton's film Frankenweenie.

[18] In June 2015, Potter was the opening act for the Rolling Stones during the Zip Code Tour, and joined them onstage to perform "Gimme Shelter".

Potter's next solo album, Midnight, was released in August 2015 on Hollywood Records, produced by Eric Valentine.

Several notable artists contributed to the album: Rayland Baxter, Audra Mae, Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and the Tantrums, Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, and Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age.

[26] It features guest musicians Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius, and Benmont Tench.

The song "Falling or Flying" was featured on ER and Grey's Anatomy and appeared on Volume 3 of the latter's soundtrack.

In 2010, Potter re-recorded "Something That I Want" with altered lyrics for the end credits to Disney's animated feature Tangled.

[31] In 2019, the song "The Lion the Beast the Beat" was featured in the season 2 episode of Cloak & Dagger titled "Vikingtown Sound".

She previously lived in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, where she owned a 1920s Spanish bungalow that she refurbished; she sold the house in 2017.

[36][37] In June 2015, Potter was presented the "ASCAP Harry Chapin Vanguard Award" by WhyHunger for her work towards defeating world hunger.