"Can I get your autograph? Black ink on a photograph."   Listening to the strains of “Already Famous,” you can’t help but be reminded of the sound of Ziggy Stardust. Selena Mars’s deep, slightly raspy voice layers over the song’s instrumentation in the same way that Ziggy Stardust’s voice came slow and easy over the music of “Space Oddity.” But whereas Bowie’s Ziggy came out of a self-proclaimed arrogance, Selena Mars’ music is inspired by other people.

“Relationships are a big thing for me,” says Mars.

Inspired by Aretha Franklin, Bjork and Mary Jo Blige, Mars started writing music when she was around 17. In 1999, she dropped out of FIT, where she was studying fashion and photography. She went on tour with a band as a back-up singer and dancer, but when the band was dropped from the label, her first tour was over.

“It was weird. The record sales just weren’t there. It made me think that the industry is very fickle,” says Mars.

Selena Mars met her current bass player in a neighborhood bar, who then introduced her to her guitar player. While in the studio recording her first EP, “Empty,” Selena’s mother passed away in a car accident. “It was a really difficult time when I recorded [Empty.] It was hard to get out of bed some days… it was the right time for me to be doing it. It was kinda therapy in a way.” Mars believes that the accident changed the tone of the album for the better. “I was in such a different place emotionally that it’s impossible not to come through.”

Selena has collaborated with Derek O’Brien of Social Distortion, Chiba Antoine (Beck/Destiny’s Child), Talvin Singh (Madonna/Bjork), Imani Coppora and Chris Flam (Public Enemy/Korn.) Though she says it’s mostly a partnership, the hardest part of collaboration is the negativity when people don’t understand her vision.
“You have to trust yourself…even when you’re collaborating with other people,” says Mars. “I really think now that less is more. It’s really about the song. Usually you end up meeting somewhere in the middle, so we’re both happy.”

At 27, you can catch Mars in venues throughout New York City. She also continues to do commercials and print modeling. Mars is hard at work on her first full length album, but has her sights on another tour.

“I really wanna go on tour, to be honest. Take 5 months and go on the road -- that’s the short term -- and see where it takes me.” Though she is still unsigned, she admits that being a signed artist would “have it’s good points.”

Mars may have a bit of David Bowie’s sound, but certainly not his Ziggy bravado.

“I’m real in what I’m doing. It’s honest,” she says.

With her soulful voice and eloquent lyrics, I think listeners would agree.

To hear more from Selena Mars, check out her Music MySpace at
http://www.myspace.com/selenamars or her upcoming show at The Delancey in New York City on July 15th.