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Bloomington, IN, band the Mary Janes sports a disparate range of influences, from country legends like Hank Williams and the Carter Family to indie rock godfathers the Velvet Underground. Singer/guitarist Janas Hoyt, who was born and raised in Indianapolis, leads the Mary Janes. After a stint in New York in the '80s, Hoyt returned to Indiana and joined the Vulgar Boatmen, the songwriting and recording partnership of ex-Gizmo Dale Lawrence and Robert Ray. She was a backing vocalist in that group from 1992 to 1994 and formed the Mary Janes as a side project with Boatman violist Kathy Kolata in 1993. After a several-year delay due to label entanglements, the group released its debut, 1999's Record No. 1, which received much critical praise. During the late '90s, Hoyt sang on two albums by fellow Hoosier John Mellencamp. The group's sophomore effort, Flame, came out in March 2001. ~ Erik Hage