Jennifer Knapp

About Jennifer Knapp

Jennifer Knapp is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained prominence in the 1990s as a Contemporary Christian musician. Her rootsy and earthy style positioned her as a Christian equivalent to the sorts of secular female musicians then enjoying prominence via the Lilith Fair, a festival she was invited to take part in in 1999. She won the Dove Award for her song "Undo Me," released by Gotee Records, the label run by TobyMac of DC Talk.

While Knapp had achieved great success and popularity in Christian music, she was unhappy. She felt that the brand of Christianity practiced by the majority of her evangelical fanbase and peers bore little resemblance to her understanding of the religion. After the end of her recording contract in 2002, she withdrew from music and went on hiatus.

When she resumed her musical career in 2010, it was with the announcement that she.is a lesbian and in a relationship with another woman. Accordingly, she announced she had no expectation of returning to the Christian recording industry and that subsequent albums would be released on secular labels, though they still dealt with spiritual themes. She still performed at more progressive and inclusive Christian festivals. Her albums have been well-received by a secular audience, drawing comparisons to Brandi Carlile and Kathleen Edwards. Her 2014 album, Set Me Free, was released on Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records.