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Birdy On World Cafe

Birdy is a 15-year-old singer from the U.K.
Courtesy of the artist
Birdy is a 15-year-old singer from the U.K.

British artist Jasmine van den Bogaerde — better known as Birdy — is probably best known for her 2011 cover of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love." The 15-year-old started playing piano at 5, began composing a few years later and won the Open Mic UK competition in 2008 at the age of 12. The win guaranteed the young artist a recording contract, but before releasing her debut, she'd already scored a spot on the U.K. pop chart with her cover of "Skinny Love," making Birdy a household name in the U.K. In November, she released her self-titled debut, which features re-imagined covers of alternative rock songs.

On her debut, Birdy covers artists ranging from The xx to Phoenix, but her talent extends beyond interpretation: She includes an original piece on the album. On today's episode of World Cafe, she talks about her original track and what it's been like to reintroduce herself to the world following her competition win, YouTube fame and chart success.

Copyright 2012 XPN