Singer/songwriter and guitarist Ripley Caine was born in the windy city of Chicago. Her early interest in music was strong enough that she taught herself by trial and error, even when there was too much error and too much trial. In 1989, Caine began to perform locally. Her first real gig was at a place called the No Exit Café. She didn't only dip a toe into the world of performing that night, she jumped in head first, without even testing the water. Her first experience on stage found her entertaining a standing-room only crowd. Since that show, Caine has won audiences over in coffeehouses, clubs, festivals, and even a bookstore or two, just for good measure. Ten long years after her first tentative steps on stage and into the professional world of music, Caine finally saw the fulfillment of another debut: an album. Thrift Store Sweater was released in 1999 under the Psycho Queen Music label. Tracks like "Young Cat," "Final Kiss," "Make the Paint Dry," "Ernie," and "Paper Ride" offer listeners a pleasurable taste of rock, pop, and folk stirred into a sound that is all Ripley Caine. In 2000, she served up a sophomore recording, an EP, Corvair. She was awarded the “Producer’s Choice Award” at 2001's Access 2 Amsterdam music festival, and performed in Toronto at NXNE the following Summer. Her second full-length, Lover was released on Chicago's Sweet Pickle Music label in Fall 2002, and was well-received by the local press. ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide