In the beginning, they were 'Verborgen,' an acoustic trio with Xyra on vocals and dreadnought, backed by Spanish guitar and grand piano. The trio recorded a demo that soon got the attention of a National Public Radio (NPR) announcer, receiving immediate listener response.

Within a year, Xyra solicited four additional musicians - a cellist, multi-wind player, and rhythm section, also adding electric guitar to the mix.

Donning the self-ascribed genre, ‘Cabaret Rock Nouveau’, the 7-piece debuted in the DC area as ‘Xyra & Verborgen’. Soon thereafter, The Philadelphia Music Conference (PMC) invited them to play a showcase with A&R rejoinder.

The band released three CDs on their self-label Riding the Dragonfly, followed by in-house performances at Tower Records and notable concerts to include the venerable Blues Alley.

All three works garnered international airplay and favorable reviews, worldwide – the last two receiving a Grammy nomination. In 2001, The Kennedy Center added them to their official roster of artists.

Albeit they had hits in Eastern Europe and pockets of fans around the globe, Xyra’s muse called for yet another approach. A smaller, experimental offshoot of the group soon emerged. Xyra called it THE LINE_ after a Nico tune also known as 'Saeta'.

Now known simply as XYRA, esoteric, non-conformist influences espoused by THE LINE_ resonate in the material Xyra writes and performs, to date. She released her 4th CD, 'Through the Dark Glass Shining’, on January 1, 2005.

Under the canopy of ‘Goth Art Rock’, (a genre coined on Public Radio International (PRI) by music critic, Mark Jenkins), the work includes select players from various facets of the project.

Venues ~ NPR/PRI, The Philadelphia Music Conference (PMC), IOTA, JAXX, Blues Alley, BLACK CAT, The State Theater, Washington Area Music Association (WAMA), benefits, ‘live’ performances on WRNR FM (ABC), and Downtime in NYC - among others

Media ~ NPR/PRI: featured on ‘Talk of The Nation’, USA Today, United Nations Magazine, WETA FM,WRNR FM (ABC), Pacifica Radio, Voice of America (VOA) - Radio Brazil, WAMU FM, Radio FEDRA, The Washington Post, Washington City Paper, and The Washington Times - among others