Tracey Anne Thorn (born 26 September 1962) is a British singer and songwriter. She is best known as a member of the duo Everything but the Girl from 1982 to 1999. She was in the band Marine Girls from 1980 to 1983, and since 2007 has been active as a solo artist. Early life The youngest of three children, Thorn was born in Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire. She grew up in nearby Hatfield and studied English at the University of Hull, where she graduated in 1984 with First Class Honours. She later took an MA degree at Birkbeck, University of London. Music career Stern Bops (1979–1980) Thorn began her musical career in the punk-pop hybrid group Stern Bops playing guitar and providing some vocal backing. Marine Girls (1980–1983) Thorn then formed Marine Girls as primary songwriter, playing guitar and sharing vocals. The band released two albums (Beach Party in 1981 and Lazy Ways in 1983) and three singles. The group disbanded in 1983. Everything but the Girl (1982–2000, 2023–) Thorn met Ben Watt at the University of Hull where they were both students, and both signed as solo artists to Cherry Red Records. Their first album together was Eden, released in 1984. Everything but the Girl released a body of work that spanned two decades. Their biggest chart success came in 1995, when DJ Todd Terry remixed a song from their Amplified Heart album. "Missing" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, topped the charts in countries such as Canada, Denmark, Germany and Italy and peaked within the top ten of the charts in many countries, including Australia, France, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden and the United States. Everything but the Girl was inactive from 2000 to 2022. During that time, Watt played on some filmed performances of Thorn's solo work and on her 2011 recording of the xx's "Night Time". In November 2022, Watt and Thorn announced on social media that they had recorded a new album as Everything but the Girl. The album was scheduled for release in spring 2023. Solo career and collaborations (1982–present) Thorn's first solo work was a mini-album entitled A Distant Shore (1982). A re-recorded version of the track "Plain Sailing" was released as a single, and was included on the Pillows & Prayers Cherry Red records compilation album. In the 1980s, Thorn contributed guest vocals and backing vocals for The Style Council