The dancefloor-filling duo of 8o Bug and Spencer Nezey comprise the heart of West Coast club act Jupiter Rising. 8o got her start singing gospel (the daughter of missionary parents who traveled throughout the South, she wasn't allowed to listen to secular music until age 13). But no matter, as the training she got in gospel afforded her a vocal edge that few of her peers could match. She was a natural performer from an early age (at age six she made her first television appearance in front of thousands) and honed her vocal style throughout her teenage years. After fronting a short-lived rock band, 8o made her way to California and became entrenched in the bustling dance scene there. It was by happy accident that she ran into Nezey, a veteran musician from San Diego who had already been making inroads with his hip-hop/reggae outfit the Beats and funky side project Stereo Science. The two hit it off famously and began working in earnest on new material for the already formed six-piece band that 8o had assembled. Nezey's contributions proved to be more roadworthy than the band's existing material, so the six-piece was scrapped and the two set out as a duo. They soon grabbed the attention of Chime Records impresario/producer Marc Tanner (Madonna, Shawn Colvin), who signed them up and promptly got them into the studio. With additional production help from Jason Villaroman (Black Eyed Peas, Macy Gray), 8o and Nezey put the finishing touches on their self-titled debut in 2006. ~ J. Scott McClintock, All Music Guide