Clarity of voice and verse come naturally to Swedish singer-songwriter Tekla. "I don't like to talk about myself" claims the calm artist who currently lives in Stockholm. "I don't want to tell people any of my secrets, I want to keep them to myself. Instead, I want them to listen to my music."

Many of Tekla's secrets are revealed in the eleven tracks found on her North American debut album, Somebody Else. The Nettwerk release features haunting, lush pop melodies and forthright lyrics that honestly and powerfully examine love and denial. Tekla's ardent rich voice adapts itself to almost any aspect of music, from the compelling dance beats heard on the single "Somebody Else" to the moving slowed-down acoustic guitar she plays on "No One Else". Her style is vulnerable, yet commanding.

Prior to Somebody Else, Tekla released two critically acclaimed records in Sweden - both written and sung in Swedish. But something was still amiss for the singer--her best work still lay dormant within her soul. To try and reach it, she took a long reflective break that resulted in the monumental task of writing and recording in English. "I felt that I needed to make a fresh start. I thought if I changed the language it would be something new for myself. I was a bit fed up with writing in Swedish. Where I'm from (a small coastal town in the south of Sweden) there's a thick dialect - like Scottish is to English - and I wanted to get away from that." Tekla emerges in the evolved, fully compelling form of Somebody Else.

TeklaÕs stunningly direct singing and lyrical style brings comparisons to other female artists like Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos and Madonna. Yet unlike her American counterparts, the Swedish native is not intent on proving a point, changing anyone's perspective or ruling an empire. Instead, she simply embraces an innate desire to express herself in song. "I just write about things I feel," she explains. "I never think about it before I write it. My lyrics are very very simple and I use very simple words." Simple maybe, but potent nonetheless.

Tekla insists that music takes up all of her time. "Not just recording but with sitting down to play the guitar and sing - I do that a lot," says the singer whose diverse influences include everyone from The Beatles and Texas to the Egyptian singer Oum Kalsoum and Swedish folk singer Zarah Leander. "I always felt music was a world I could go into even as a child - a fantasy world where I would make up musical fairy tales in my head. My songs are very important to me . . . my way of expressing myself.