Rie fu (舩越 里恵/Rie Funakoshi; born January 11, 1985) is a Japanese singer-songwriter born in Tokyo, Japan. She is a graduate of the University of the Arts, London. From the age of 7 to 10, Rie fu lived in Maryland, United States. She was greatly influenced by The Carpenters and female singers/songwriters such as Sheryl Crow and Michelle Branch. Rie fu started writing songs in high school with her piano and guitar. Within a year, her talents were recognized by Sony, who released her first single in March 2004.