In 2005 following the passing of her father, she continued to write and record her own material. She recorded her first EP, Strong Blood, in the spring of 2008, produced with Meshell Ndegeocello and Dougie Bowne. That summer, she was invited to present two shows at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. She continued to collaborate with musicians and producers like Marc Ribot, Robert Plant, Stephen Barber, Marianne Faithfull, Joe Henry, Craig Street, and Malcolm Burn among many others.