. ▁Her ▁voice ▁was ▁described ▁by ▁P itch f ork ▁as ▁one ▁" you ▁would ▁follow ▁straight ▁into ▁H ades ", ▁and ▁also ▁" text ured ▁and ▁ang el ic , ▁with ▁just ▁a ▁hint ▁of ▁pain ▁captured ▁within ▁her ▁ir ides cent ▁fal set to ". ▁The ▁Boston ▁Glo be ▁said , ▁" She ▁has ▁a ▁voice ▁that , ▁in ▁myth ological ▁times , ▁could ▁have ▁l ured ▁men ▁to ▁their ▁death s ▁at ▁sea , ▁an ▁into xic ating ▁sop rano ▁d rench ed ▁in ▁gau zy ▁re verb ▁that ▁hits ▁bell - clear ▁height s , ▁ling ers , ▁and ▁tap ers ▁off ▁like ▁rings ▁of ▁smoke ". ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Mar issa ▁Nad ler ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁Need ham , ▁Massachusetts . ▁As ▁a ▁te en ager , ▁she ▁taught ▁herself ▁to ▁play ▁guitar ▁in ▁a ▁style ▁similar ▁to ▁finger pick ing , ▁playing ▁a ▁steady ▁bass ▁pattern ▁with ▁the ▁thumb ▁and ▁filling ▁out ▁sync op ated ▁rh yth ms ▁with ▁the ▁index ▁finger . ▁It ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁having ▁an ▁" un orth odox , ▁dus ky ▁sound ". ▁Also ▁while ▁in ▁her ▁te ens , ▁she ▁began ▁to ▁write ▁songs ▁as ▁a ▁h ob by . ▁She ▁studied ▁painting ▁at ▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁School ▁of ▁Design , ▁where ▁she ▁obtained ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁illustr ation ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁and ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁art ▁education ▁a ▁year