She graduated from State University of New York at Purchase with a degree in studio composition.

Her album Batten the Hatches was self-released in 2005. In 2006, a song from that album, Fuck Was I, appeared in the second season premiere of Showtime's Weeds, resulting in Batten the Hatches being re-released on April 10, 2007 with new artwork and an extra track, Drinking Song on the Canadian indie label Nettwerk. "Fuck Was I" was also released on the soundtrack album Weeds: Music from the Original Series, Vol. 2.

In addition to her solo career, she is in the band The Robot Explosion, a side project with fellow musicians and friends Bess Rogers, Andrew Futral, and Saul Simon-MacWilliams. She also takes part in an online podcast through MySpace with Bess Rogers and Andrew Futral, titled 'Once More With Feeling' (named after the musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer).

Youngs released her second album, Transmitter Failure, on May 26, 2009.

She recently toured with Regina Spektor (whose phone message also appears on Voice On Tape) and has opened a few shows for Amanda Palmer.

Youngs covered Have You Forgotten by Mark Kozelek for American Laundromat records' upcoming charity CD Sing Me To Sleep - Indie Lullabies due out in Spring 2010. Tanya Donelly, Dean & Britta, Say Hi, Julie Peel, Stars, The Real Tuesday Weld, and others are contributing to the project which helps children with cancer and rare blood disorders.

Jenny Owen Youngs (born November 22, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter from Montclair, New Jersey.