• June 6, 1986
• In 2004, she became the youngest winner of the International Songwriting Competition when at age 18, her song "Hallelujah" took the grand prize.
• She is heavily tattooed, and there is one she regrets: the one on her lower back. She calls it a "tramp stamp."
• The backing band for her 2009 debut album Holy Smoke was The Cardinals, who were Ryan Adams' band. Adams had recently married Mandy Moore and was taking some time off, so the group took the gig as a side project. The Cardinals never reunited with Adams and disbanded soon after.
• She met Jason Butler from the band Letlive at the 2013 Warped Tour, where they were both performing. A year later, he took her on a trip to Hawaii and proposed. They got married the next day.
• The cover photo on Blood to Bone was taken by Leigh Jeffries and finds Wigmore drenched. Jeffries got the shot by throwing a bucket of water at Wigmore's face. Wigmore loved the result, especially since it presented her without makeup.
• She's from New Zealand, where she has been wildly successful. Her debut album spent five weeks at #1 in that country, and her next two albums each hit the top spot as well.
• Songwriting can be cathartic for Wigmore. In her Songfacts interview, she explained how it feels to write in which she expresses something meaningful: "It feels like the weight in my world gets lifted. It truly feels as though nothing is weighing on me, the problems are all solved and my mind, heart and soul all fall into alignment and are at peace for a moment."

Comments

More Songfacts:

Private DancerTina Turner

Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits wrote "Private Dancer," which went to Tina Turner when he realized it wasn't a song for a man to sing.

I Shot The SheriffBob Marley & the Wailers

Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff" deals with police brutality in the Trenchtown section of Jamaica, where he grew up. He felt that police assumed young men in the area were all criminals.

Hungry HeartBruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen originally wrote "Hungry Heart" for The Ramones, but decided to keep it for himself on the advice of his producer and manager, Jon Landau.

The Man Comes AroundJohnny Cash

The idea for "The Man Comes Around" came to Johnny Cash from a dream he had where he was in Buckingham Palace and the Queen said to him, "Johnny Cash, you're just like a thorn tree in a whirlwind."

Rock And Roll All NiteKiss

Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of Kiss wrote "Rock And Roll All Nite" as a "rallying cry for all of our fans." In later years, members of Kiss wrote songs separately.

Soul Bossa NovaQuincy Jones

The Austin Powers theme is "Soul Bossa Nova," written by Quincy Jones in 1962 - the same year the first James Bond movie was released.

Editor's Picks

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

Music Video Director David HoganSong Writing

David talks about videos he made for Prince, Alabama, Big & Rich, Sheryl Crow, DMB, Melissa Etheridge and Sisters of Mercy.

Kelly Keagy of Night RangerSongwriter Interviews

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.

Joe JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Joe talks about the challenges of of making a Duke Ellington tribute album, and tells the stories behind some of his hits.

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."