Anne Preven

Anne Preven (born February 25, 1965) is an American songwriter, music publisher, and record producer.

As a member of the alternative rock band Ednaswap, she co-wrote "Torn" which was covered by Lis Sørensen (Danish), Trine Rein (Norwegian), and Natalie Imbruglia (Australian).

The latter's version became a worldwide number one airplay hit, spending 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Chart in the US.

"Torn" has sold an estimated four million copies, received platinum certification in three countries, and was declared the "number one radio single of the 1990s" by radio personality Rick Dees.

As a songwriter, Preven has written for prominent music industry artists including Madonna, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Sinéad O'Connor, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Jordin Sparks, Zac Brown Band, Pnau, Andy Grammer, Lea Michele, Pixie Lott, and Westlife.

Preven was born in New York.

Her father, David Preven, is a psychiatrist in New York City, and she was a mental health-worker at age 17, where she spent time with depressed adolescents.

The experience provided the "psychotic and neurotic threads" in her songwriting lyrics, as well as her college major.

Preven graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College with a self-designed major: "psychobiology."

While at school, she sang with and was musical director of "the Opportunes," Harvard's co-ed a cappella group.

After Harvard, she returned to New York City, where she began writing her own songs.

While in New York City, she met Scott Cutler who was visiting from Los Angeles.

In 1991 she moved there.

Cutler and Preven formed a band with Rusty Anderson, Paul Bushnell and Carla Azar in 1993.

The band name, "Ednaswap," came from a nightmare Preven had about watching herself in a band with that name getting booed off stage.

The two co-wrote the song in 1993 with producer Phil Thornalley before they had a band.

Preven claims that the lyrics were written quickly.

Preven's first big cut was "Sanctuary", which Madonna covered for her 1994 Bedtime Stories.

Madonna was introduced to the song by a friend of Preven and Cutler, who heard an early version of it and thought "Madonna would love this song!"

Madonna's version came out before Ednaswap had even received a record deal, and the song deviated from Preven's idea.

Preven originally thought Madonna had ruined the song, going so far as to meeting with Madonna to plead for changes.

However, upon hearing the song as part of the whole album, Preven says she "understood what [Madonna] was going for."

Preven and Cutler's most famous cover was the song, "Torn".

Ednaswap signed a record deal in 1995, despite having only a few songs written and never having performed a full live set.

They played a short, acoustic set in Cutler's living room.

The short concert led to a recording contract, though the resulting self-titled album "shocked" Elektra Records.

While the acoustic set suggested folk pop, the result was alternative rock.

As Preven notes, "They thought they were buying a red car and we gave them a blue one."

The label did not promote the album and dropped the band.

The first album recording of the song came from Danish singer Lis Sørensen in 1995, who was introduced to the song by Thornalley.

The band signed with Island Records in January 1996 after its president, Chris Blackwell, saw the band play at the Roxy.

The band produced their second full-album, Wacko Magneto, with producer Dave Jerden in 1997.

The band promoted the album by going on to tour with No Doubt, Weezer, Failure, and Better than Ezra.

In 1998, they made a third and final, more radio-friendly album, Wonderland Park.

Ednaswap disbanded after the album in 1999.

After Ednaswap, Preven, Cutler and Coogan formed the short lived "Annetenna".

The band signed with Columbia Records and produced an album.

However, Columbia shelved the album after a company reorganization, and Annetenna subsequently disbanded.

In 2001, the band eventually released all the songs for free through their website.

Annetenna's song, "74 Willow," originally an Ednaswap song, was featured on HBO's Six Feet Under.