Short Bio
From the cafes of Amsterdam, to the beaches of Angourie. From singing back-up vocals with a tongue-in-cheek country band, to performing world music tunes at the Basement in Sydney with an a Capella group. From solo, duo and full band ensembles in country and inner-city pubs, to local and interstate Folk and Arts Festivals. Julie-Ann to Gypsy Rose and back again, she has really covered some musical ground. Whatever the country or the gig, her sweet, soaring melodies and powerful lyrics, mysticise and seduce her audiences.
Julie-Ann is a Sydney based singer/songwriter, her music is a delectable mix of new and progressive folk, married with deep, powerful lyrics and captivating rhythms. The sound is "organic and unconfined", "intimate and soulful". Her live performances have been described as - "engaging and mesmerizing, sweet but powerful". "Delivered with an energy and intensity, and a pureness which envokes much emotion". Julie-Ann's songs have a timeless, almost haunting feel, and a vocal warmth that reflects a unique, seductive grace.
On her debut EP - Goin' Somewhere released in early 2004, Julie-Ann offers a personal reflection of a journey inspired by life, love and relationships.
In early 2005, Julie-Ann found some wonderful and talented musicians that came together, and spent 18 months showcasing her songs with a full band. They spent a short time in the studio recording a live, 7 track EP, simply titled - Gypsy Rose. This EP was a re-working of a few tracks from the first record, along with some of Julie-Ann's new material.
Gypsy Rose performed live at the Marquee Club for the MusicOz Awards, at The Harp at Tempe, The Coogee Arts and Music Festival, and a Music Festival at Yamba, called - Surfin The Coldstream.
Julie-Ann is now travelling the solo road once again. After visiting Europe last year and travelling through Turkey and Africa for a few months, she is now working on some more new material and looks forward to performing solo again, live and intimate!
Julie-Ann: Bio
Long Bio
"A combination of folky ballads and sweet soaring melodies, create a sense of ease, with movement and passion. Delivered with an energy and intensity, inspired by life, love, relationships and a journey into self-discovery".
Along the way, inspiration has been sourced from many different areas, including her love and respect for singer/songwriters such as –
Carole King, Neil Young, Heather Nova, David Bowie, Jeff and Tim Buckely, Rickie Lee Jones, Elvis Costello, Chrissie Hynde, Joni, Dylan, Nina, Ella, Nick Drake........and so many more that are all equally inspiring.
Julie-Ann spent her youth growing up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. Her love of music and singing began at an early age, but didn't start to manifest until later on in highschool, when she picked up the guitar and discovered her voice! Most weekends were spent jamming in someones garage, and although Julie-Ann did some concerts during her school years, and played some gigs on bass in a local band, her real performance years were yet to come!
“There was a very poignant moment when I was about 13. I was visiting my sister and her husband up on the central coast, they had a friend over, he took out his guitar and started playing a Jim Croce song. He then went on to play Elvis Costello’s – Alison, and at that point, I saw myself playing guitar and singing emotion-driven, folk-oriented songs. I recognized that this would be a huge part of my journey in life”.
"My perception or grasp of life and reality is always spiritual and emotional. This is what I portray through all of my songs.
I don't always set out to write this way, but seem to end up taking this organic approach to music and life. From here, the songs take on their own shape and form. When I'm performing, I am taken to a place where I feel unconfined and free of structure, that's where the true essence of the music lies. It is somewhere I can go, where nobody else can influence or control me, a place where I can truly be myself".
Julie-Ann started writing in late 91. Early 92, she headed overseas, where she spent time in Amsterdam, London, Paris and Belgium. She performed at a few cafes in Amsterdam, and had a small, but interesting taste of Europe.
When she arrived back in Australia, she moved North to the small coastal town of Angourie. Which is where she spent the next four and a half years. This time was spent writing, surfing and playing music, in a duo and band situation. They played around Byron Bay, Bangalow, Lismore, Grafton and Coffs Harbour. Many a Sunday afternoon in summer was spent performing some original and some cover tunes at The Pacific Hotel at Yamba. One of the earliest support gigs was with the band "Osa Bisa".
At this time Julie-Ann was also involved in Public Radio. She presented a music program, featuring new and local talent, and co-presented a children’s program called Green Eggs and Bacon. This show was eventually picked up and aired nationally.
In 1996, Julie-Ann headed back to Sydney to join another band. They did a few gigs, including The Kings X Festival, then disbanded shortly after. She took a break after this, continuing with her modelling career, which had been on-going since about 1986. Two and half years later, she began writing and performing yet again.
Julie-Ann played her first solo, original gig called - "Green Butterfly" in 1998, as a support act to "A Big Fat Country", at the Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills.
Julie-Ann went on to perform regularly with the original, tongue-in-cheek country band, doing her solo set and then joining them for back-up vocals.
Around this time Julie-Ann’s song “Prism” was chosen as the theme song for a local short film production.
Another important influence was her time with The Intonation’s Choir. She performed a capella, a diverse range of world music, with solos and performances at The Basement, Sydney.
Finally releasing a 5 track EP in 2004, this record was a very personal endeavour, to consolidate an individual songwriting and vocal style, that had been influenced by her many musical ventures.
The past 3 years has seen Julie-Ann make the progression from solo, to duo, to band, offering new perspective to her music along the way. The songs were given new dimension and atmosphere by John “Willow” Williamson on electric guitar, and then taken to another place again, with the introduction of a rhythm section. What became was - "Gypsy Rose".
They produced a 7 track record live in the studio, and performed live at the Marquee Club for The Musicoz Awards, where Julie-Ann's song - "My Life In G", came in the top 100 in the country category, for 2005.
Other gigs include - The Manly Boatshed, The Harp at Tempe - supporting Sophie Seafino and Violesque, The Coogee Arts and Music Festival - supporting Arabesk, and at an Arts and Music Festival in Yamba, on the far north coast, called - "Surfin The Coldstream".
Julie-Ann's solo and duo performances include – The Pacifc Hotel at Yamba, The Excelsior at Surry Hills, The Hopetoun Hotel, The Brittania Hotel, The Bat n Ball Hotel, The Carriageway Café at Bellingen, The Basement, Club Acoustica at Candy’s Apartment and La Bar, Poptarts at The Empire Hotel - Annandale, The Charlton Bar at Manly Pacific Hotel – for ANBOPA(Association of Northern Beaches Original Performing Artists), The Sands Hotel at Narrabeen, The Harp at Tempe and the Umina Folk Festival on the Central Coast. The Illawong Hotel - Evans Head, Zucchini Flower Cafe at Bondi Beach.
Julie-Ann also performed under the ANBOPA banner, as part of ILLUMINATI, for the Manly Folk and Arts Festival. As well as The Arthur Boyd Arts Festival at Bundanon.
After a recent tour that took her from - Hong Kong to Europe, and way off the beaten track, through Turkey and Africa, she is settling back in to take the solo path once again.
"This trip has been the fuel feeding my new material, and these new songs will complete the record I have planned for later this year".