They were just declared the Best New Act of 2010 by Rolling Stone, but Grace Potter & The Nocturnals have been working together for years. The group focused on taking the time to nurture their craft and develop an identity -- and it worked. Now all eyes in the music industry are on them as they release their latest self-titled album.

Raised in an arts-loving family, Grace Potter grew up playing music. She began studying theatre at St. Lawrence University and singing at local open-mikes. Fellow student Matt Burr saw her perform, and eventually convinced her to form a band together. They brought on some of Grace's friends and formed Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. After Matt graduated, Grace and most of the other band members dropped out of school and moved into her parents' home to practice and perfect their music, and eventually, they created their own self-released album.

The album received praise and even led to offers from record companies -- but the band declined. They decided to build a base audience by touring around the country. Their stellar performances garnered many fans, and after one more self-released album, they eventually signed with Hollywood Records. Two albums followed, and their profile kept getting higher. Their music was featured on commercials and television shows -- and Grace even appeared on an episode of "One Tree Hill" where she performed two songs.

This summer, the band released a self-titled album. Ellen couldn't wait to get them back on the show to perform one of their popular songs, "Paris." You can check out their performance here.

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