Polly Jean Harvey, born October 9 1969 in Weymouth, Dorset is a British singer and songwriter. She has recorded as a solo artist under the name P. J. Harvey, but she began her career as part of a trio also named P. J. Harvey, releasing an album in 1992, Dry.

1993 saw the release of two further albums in quick succession, Rid of Me with the original trio and, later in the year, a solo-release 4-Track Demos.

Having broken up the original band, and with Harvey refusing to sign to any of the bidding major labels, a solo career exploring the collaboration of other musicians began with To Bring You My Love (1995) which quickly became a staple of alternative rock. After Is This Desire (an album that had been poorly received critically and commercially) was released in 1998, Harvey reunited with her old bandmates for Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. The album recorded in Dorset and New York was a big success and took the Mercury Music Prize that year.

She also recorded an album Dance Hall at Louse Point with John Parish under the name Polly Jean Harvey, and has since gone onto to produce Tiffany Anders' Funny Cry Happy Gift.

Outside of the better-known musical career Polly Jean Harvey appeared as Mary Magdalene in Hal Hartley's The Book Of Life, is an accomplished sculptor and has had poetry published.

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