Most Interesting People 2015: Marina Strah

Why she's interesting: It all started with a guitar and a video camera. When Strah posted her cover of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" on YouTube, she couldn't have expected to win Ryan Seacrest's online cover contest in October. Now the video has more than 32,000 views and Strah is working on her first album with Jukebox Heroes, the band her father is in.

Fan favorite: Strah, a Kent State University graduate and Westlake native, won the competition between eight other artists after three voting rounds on RyanSeacrest.com. "The crazy thing is that I didn't actually submit my video. They just picked it out of all the covers on YouTube."

On a roll: Just two days before winning the cover contest, she took top honors at the statewide Ohio's Got Talent contest as the only acoustic performer in a sea of hip-hop acts. "That was a ridiculous confidence booster."

Secret's out: Strah kept her songbird side to herself until her high school talent show in 2011. "I was playing guitar accompanying a friend of mine, and we were going on for sound check. I said to him, 'Hey, would you mind if I tried singing a little bit?' and he was like, 'Well that's fine, but do you even sing?' I literally told no one." Since then, Strah's been posting videos of acoustic covers of artists ranging from Bill Withers to Maroon 5 on her YouTube channel, strahmusic39.

From PC to TV:Strah describes her own material as Amy Winehouse mixed with a classic pop sound. The exposure from her Ryan Seacrest win led to an appearance on WKYC's morning show, where she showcased her first original song, "Stop Time." "Every single song I've written is either about a relationship or just emotions that I'm feeling in that exact moment. I just pick up a pen and start writing."

In the family: Her dad, Rick, the drummer for Jukebox Heroes, taught Strah the drums when she was 12 years old and continues to be a mentor. The band, too, knows all of her original songs and plays with her at the Rusty Barrel in Westlake and Local Tavern in Mentor. "It's really nice to have him and the whole band there. It's like a second family, a whole bunch of dads supporting me."

Music obsession: Strah's sing-into-the-hairbrush playlist right now is Ariana Grande's new album My Everything. "Her range is not human. She has such an old-school sound, almost an R&B, bluesy, soulful sound, but it's still so current."

WRite stuff: Strah knows how powerful music can be. "You're writing about a certain incident or relationship that's specific to you, but someone else hears it and it triggers their own memory. Everyone can have their own story for one song. I think that's neat."