Brooklyn-based indie artist Bess Rogers has had a lifetime fascination with evolution. But it wasn't until 4 years of nonstop touring and three independent releases that the science of life began to creep its way into her songs. Her new record, aptly titled Out Of The Ocean, is a bold step forward for Rogers, and one that she has been eager to take.

Raised in a musical family (her mother played harpsichords that her father built), Rogers has been living and breathing music since she was 6 y...