Nicky Mehta saunters through the door into an Osborne Village cafe and settles down for a spirited conversation about the last four years. Those years have been kind to her, seeing her grow from a fresh-faced, untested folk singer to one of the most in-demand musicians in Winnipeg

But as much as Mehta's talent and passion have brought her this far, hers is a story that almost didn't happen. Mehta, who has sung since childhood, had never picked up a guitar or written her own material until four years ago, while she was working towards a Masters in Cultural Studies.

"At the time, I was in university. I never thought I'd play music; it wasn't in the stars," Mehta recalls. "I just wanted to try and find out what I was meant to do to help other people. I thought the degree could do that, but I realised that a lot of stuff gets locked up in that academic world."

From the first chords Mehta strummed, she knew the passion was there. "Even though I came to it fairly late, it seemed to me to be the right thing. It was instinctual. I think that life leads you where it wants you to be."

After spending two years playing in folk-rock band Good Blind Soul, and later as part of the duo Wellspring, Mehta was ready to strike out on her own in 1999. Since then, she has graced the stages at the Winnipeg Folk Festival and most recently at the premiere Spiritfest event at the Forks; clearly, her star is on the rise.

Mehta has built her name not only through her own performances, but by lending her talents to support others in the folk community. Singer-songwriters like Rick Unruh, Sam Baardman, and Cara Luft have benefited from Mehta's vocals and musicianship on their albums.

"This is a very tight community, one that supports its artists," she says. "It's pretty cohesive."

Now Mehta's got something of her own to crow about; her debut album, Weather Vane. Recorded at Private Ear with producer Lloyd Petersn, the album explores every facet of Mehta's thoughtful songwriting and rich melodies. Of the disc's 11 tracks, seven feature her band (which includes fellow folk diva Christine Fellows and the ubiquitous Daniel Roy on drums), and the rest are solo. "In terms of production and arrangement, it's very rhythmic. It runs the gamut from sort of up and vibrant songs, and swings to songs that are very soft."

While some fans have categorised Mehta's songwriting as "depressing," the songwriter herself feels another vibe. "My songs try to find hope in unexpected places. My feelings are that a lot of difficult situations offer opportunities for joy, self-understanding, growth. That's where people are really living, moving through those situations. It's amazing that people live through them. So I think they are joyful songs, celebrating aspects of life."

Releasing Weather Vane signals more to Mehta than just another major milestone in her career; it has solidified her dedication to her muse.

"I don't think I had made an emotional commitment to my career until now. This CD marks that... me taking it seriously. It's scary, it's exciting. I've made a full commitment now."