ministry youth group, under the name "Revive." Performing in church broadened Bailey Rae's musical horizons, and her love for making music was solidified after the church youth leader offered to lend her the money to buy her first guitar. In her mid-teens, she was highly influenced by Lenny Kravitz, also exploring rock through listening to legends Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Bailey Rae studied English language and literature at the University of Leeds, where she graduated in 2000. Music career 1998–2003: Beginnings Bailey Rae formed an indie group called Helen, which was inspired by similar acts such as Veruca Salt and L7. "It was the first time I'd seen women with guitars. They were kinda sexy—but feminist. I wanted to be like that, at the front of something." The group played many gigs around Leeds and, whilst unable to attract offers from any UK labels, were eventually approached by US-based heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records, home to acts such as Slipknot, in 1998. This deal disappeared before it was even signed, however, after the bassist became pregnant and the group disbanded. "[Was I] Disappointed? I was gutted! I had no idea what to do next." In the three years after she married her first husband, Bailey Rae began working on solo material—this time steering away from her indie past and embarking on a more "soulful" path. She collaborated with Leeds-based funk group the New Mastersounds on the track "Your Love Is Mine," which featured on their 2003 album Be Yourself, released by One Note Records. The following year she again worked with another Leeds-based group, Home cut Directive, on the song "Come the Revolution", which was the first single from that group's debut album. 2004–2008: Corinne Bailey Rae In 2004, Bailey Rae got a breakthrough when she was signed by Global Talent Publishing and then approached by Craig David's mentor Mark Hill, from the duo the Artful Dodger, to appear on his new album better luck next time under his new alias, the stiX. The resulting collaboration, "Young and Foolish," was released in April 2005 and brought Bailey Rae to the attention of the major record label bosses. Bailey Rae released her debut single, "Like a Star", in November 2005 and her first album, Corinne Bailey Rae, in February 2006. It debuted at number one in the UK and entered the top ten of the U.S. Billboard 200, peaking