Leona Kristina Naess (also spelt Næss) (born 31 July 1974) is an English singer and songwriter.
She released her debut album, Comatised, in March 2000, which produced the single "Charm Attack" (Adult Top 40 #29).
Naess was raised in London, the daughter of Swedish interior designer Filippa Kumlin D'Orey and Norwegian mountaineer and businessman Arne Næss Jr. She attended the Purcell School in Hertfordshire, studying music composition, and later graduated from New York University with a degree in anthropology.
Naess began her music career performing in New York City venues and released her first album, Comatised, in 2000.
Naess soon found inspiration in the contemporary singer-songwriters Tracy Chapman, Sinéad O'Connor, and Edie Brickell, as well as in Joni Mitchell and Carole King.
[4] Her other early musical influences include Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and John Lennon.
Comatised produced the single "Charm Attack" (Adult Top 40 #29), which was also featured in the teen comedy film Whatever It Takes.
In 2002, Naess recorded backing vocals on Counting Crows album Hard Candy, primarily on the song "Black and Blue".
A song from this album, "Ballerina", appeared in the first season of the Showtime program, Weeds (2005), in the episode entitled "Dead in the Nethers".
[14] She has also toured with Eagle-Eye Cherry, David Gray, Travis, Ryan Adams, Emm Gryner, Hem, Josh Rouse, Ben Lee, Badly Drawn Boy, and appeared as part of the 1999 Lilith Fair.
Naess returned to the stage, performing at New York's Rockwood Music Hall in October 2016, her first show in over seven years.
[16] Naess wrote on her MySpace blog in January 2010 that she was pregnant, taking a break from music, and had "never been happier".