The project of singer and actress Rain Phoenix--of the famous Phoenix family which includes brothers River and Joaquin, and sisters Liberty and Summer--Papercranes was formed in Los Angeles in 2004. Growing up as part of the Children of God international cult, the Phoenix family spent time proselytizin--often through performance--in South America, only to return to the states when the Phoenix parents thought their children could find success in the entertainment industry. While her brothers pursued acting, Rain formed the band Aleka's Attic, which she convinced her brothers to join. Though the band received a fair amount of success, the release of its full length album was put to a halt when River died tragically from a drug overdose. Rain then toured with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and R.E.M., as a backing singer on tours devoted to the memory of River. Since then, Rain has starred in a few prominent films and developed the band Papercranes, a folk-tinged psych solo project that enlists Rain's musician friends to play instruments when the band tours.
