Second Cup Café: Corinne Bailey Rae

Corinne Bailey Rae says the music on her self-titled debut album is "chilled out, acoustic, kooky, atmospheric and soulful."

Members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences say it's worthy of three Grammy nominations.

Rae visits Second Cup Café to perform songs from her debut.

The 27-year-old singer-songwriter almost had her big break as a teenager, when her rock band Helen landed a deal with Roadrunner Records.

Then her bass player got pregnant, the band fell apart and Rae decided to go to college instead.

She studied English literature at Leeds University and worked in a local jazz club checking coats.

Sometimes she would sit in with the band which inspired her to take her songwriting in a new, more soulful direction.

That led to another record deal, this time as a solo artist, and the release this year of her self-titled debut.

The album entered the Bilboard 200 chart at No. 17 in its first week.

Earlier this week Rae was one of the presenters at the 2007 Grammy Award press conference, where she learned she is nominated for best new artist and her single "Put Your Records On" is nominated for song of the year and record of the year.