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Biography Audrey Auld wasn't raised in a white-bread Australian home. She was raised in the bush, in Tasmania, with no TV and no Pop radio, in a house filled with animals, siblings, books and live music; her own classical violin, dance classes, her dad’s jazz piano and her step-dad's Dixieland trumpet. Ayn Rand, Brahms, Satchmo and Peggy Lee were more at home than Jesus or the Beatles. “Mum and Dad didn’t want us to perceive
music as wallpaper. They taught us to listen and enjoy, with an
open heart and enquiring mind, to the layers of colour, emotion and
dynamics in music.” “The first time I ever heard country music was when my recently divorced mother and her girlfriends were having a party and were belting out “Stand By Your Man”. Even at ten years of age I sensed some kind of irony.” Then came the teen years, which collided with the punk explosion, spearheaded so colourfully by the Sex Pistols whilst the true angst was captured by Suicide, Bauhaus and The Birthday Party. Pogo and parties. Small towns like Hobart encourage individuality. Though an Art School teacher offered a cassette tape of great Country and Texas Music (Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Bob Wills, Patsy Cline, John Prine, Dwight Yoakam) Art School itself encouraged conformity and creative repression. So waitressing, hanging out with musicians and staying up all night offered the greater education. That path led to Audrey’s involvement in the
“Get Real” project – a project initiated by the excess
income of Dire Straits after a successful Australian tour, aimed at
educating 14 to 24 year-old people on AIDS and recreational poly-drug
use. It gathered together a bunch of Australian pop-stars (eg, Sean
Kelly, Kate Ceberano, Mark Hunter) to record a Neil Finn composition “We Are Young With Everything To Live For” accompanied by
a music video with 4 directors including Stephen Hopkins (who later
directed “Nightmare on Elm Street”) and Alex Proyas (“The
Crow"). The project attracted national media and government attention
and was deemed a success. Audrey’s role was to be part of
the working group who formulated the gist of the campaign (and to dance
like a fool in the video). Somewhere in there Audrey took a trip to the Kimberleys, in the North West of Australia, which stirred a longing in her blood. So she packed up her ute (pick-up) and took a one-way trip to Alice Springs in Central Australia. Though always an avid poet and prose writer, this is when the words and music came together in song. Sitting by a waterhole trying to write a Slim Dusty song. Along the way she raided the record collections of farmhouses, roadhouses and stations - taping and pillaging. Most of this music was new and strange to Audrey. It was honest and plaintive, upbeat and cornball-funny, so harrowed the bones showed through. It was country music. She dug out that old tape from Art School and re-listened. Returning to Sydney from the Outback, in search of like-minded musicians, Audrey found her voice and learnt the uplifting harmony of singing Acappella in a small group, led by Tony Backhouse. As the music of Gram Parsons, the Carter Family, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton unfolded in her life, it influenced her writing and singing. Audrey formed ‘The Cowbelles’, an ‘a-cow-pella’ trio. Subsequent Sydney-based bands were the Harmony Grits
and Audrey & the Rhythm Wranglers, both with a focus on swing music
and tight harmonies. Searching for a producer proved difficult as the popular
focus was on creating radio friendly, positive up-beat songs. There
seemed to be no one in the Australian country scene who appreciated
and understood the traditional country music, like that of Hank Williams,
Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline or Jimmie Rodgers. September 17th is Hank Williams’
birthday. It was at a party celebrating his birth and music that Audrey
met Bill Chambers, of the Dead Ringer Band and Kasey Chambers’
father. Audrey met Bill again, a few months later, during the Tamworth country music festival. She quickly realised that he was the person to produce her music. He knew the artists she listened to and he was passionate about traditional country music. She also discovered he was also one of Australia’s finest musicians. Bill offered inspiration and refinement to Audrey’s singing, playing and writing that only the honesty of a trusted collaborator can bring. He credits Audrey with doing the same for him. Her debut EP was released in 1997. It offered 4 tracks of hillbilly, swing, torch and honky-tonk unlike anything released in Australia before. “Audrey Auld is one of my favourite Songwriters. Not only does she have a way of telling it straight with passion, she’s totally fearless. She reminds me of Steve Earle. Scary! Audrey’s the real deal.” ~ Bill Chambers Realising there was a lot more music to explore between them, Bill and Audrey recorded “Looking Back To See”, an album of traditional country duets and close harmonies inspired by the Louvin Brothers, Loretta Lynn & Ernest Tubb and Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris. They soon realised there was no record label in Australia who’d want to release such an old-time record. So, they created their own label – Reckless Records - in 1998. They quickly discovered there was an audience eager for the music they created together. The album garnered rave reviews, won Best Independent Australian Album of 1999 and scored a story in the US Billboard magazine. Bill & Audrey have subsequently been credited for introducing a new wave of interest in traditional country music amongst Australian audiences and musicians. Their weekly “Hillbilly Jam” sessions in Sydney and Tamworth encouraged the hillbillies and roots musicians out of the woodwork and gave them an avid audience. As she was learning the ropes of running a record label, Audrey decided to write, record and produce a solo album. “The Fallen” was released in 2000 and received an ARIA nomination for Best Country Album, plus Gold Guitar nominations for New Talent and Female Vocal. It includes a duet with Texan singer/songwriter Dale Watson. The album is a departure from the old-time feel of the Bill & Audrey album, with a more contemporary, though still very country, feel. “Traditional yet cool, it should appeal right
across the age divide” Australian and
U.S. distribution and airplay ensued for Reckless. Canadian singer/songwriter, Fred Eaglesmith, was the next Reckless release, who now has a fast-growing audience of ‘Fred heads’ in Australia. Audrey has subsequently toured with Fred in Australia & the U.S., playing support and singing harmonies with him. Bill Chambers released his debut solo album “Sleeping With The Blues” on Reckless Records in 2002, garnering an ARIA nomination for Best Country Album. Audrey’s second solo album “Losing Faith”
was released in 2003. It reached #13 on the Americana Music Association
chart in the United States, based on airplay. The album features
duets with Kieran Kane, Mary Gauthier and Fred Eaglesmith. With a diverse range of styles and it's more a Roots music album
than strictly country. “Those investigating the non-mainstream fringes
of country will find much to enjoy here. An easy-flowing mix of dark
alt-country – out on the fringes with Lucinda Williams and Neko
Case – and more traditional sounds… a combination of ancient
and modern.” With Audrey’s marriage and relocation to the US in 2003 it seemed fitting to close a chapter with the release of ‘Reckless Records Garage Sale : 1997 – 2003” a sampler of unreleased and deleted tracks from Audrey and Bill Chambers with special guests Camille Te Nahu and Rick Carey, plus bonus tracks from Fred Eaglesmith, Mary Gauthier and The Yearlings. A tour of Texas in 2004 resulted in the recording of a live studio album "Texas". Her third solo album and the first release from Audrey since becoming a U.S. resident and adopting her married name. Recorded live in the studio with Texan greats Carrie Rodriguez, Gabe & Kimmie Rhodes and Darcie Deaville, along with members of Jimmy La Fave’s band and Audrey’s Aussie mate Bill Chambers. “Texas” is about people – Woody Guthrie, Harlan Howard, Billy Joe Shaver, Karla Faye Tucker, Dead Ringer Band, father, husband, and the universal family. It’s also about people gathering in the studio to capture the magic moment when, united by music, the here and now is transcended. 'Texas' received an Australian Recording Industry Assn. (ARIA) Nomination for Best Country album in 2005. "her cracked-earth vocals that gleam here and there like broken glass" After settling in Southern California in '03 it was only a matter of time before Audrey crossed paths with one of the greatest accompanists in the world, Nina Gerber. The magic created by the two was evident from the start and after hearing the recording of their second show together they realized they had something special. ‘In The House’ (2006) a live double CD is the result. "Second to her songwriting is her expressionistic phrasing, something that Lucinda Williams and Patty Griffin share. When she sins that "you'd leave me stra-a-nded," it feels as if her entire body were supported by tiny twigs, each slowly starting to crack. When this delicacy is augmented by Gerber's sprawling atmosphere of arpeggios, absolute chemistry is at play." ~ Gabe Meline, North Bay Bohemian
"honey voice, pure country" ~ Rolling Stone Australia “I just finished listening to “Losing Faith” and it levelled me - I had to crawl to the computer to let you know how much it moved me, even after only one listen. - I’m hooked.” ~ Eliza Gilkyson, singer/songwriter “Losing Faith is a fine body of work that I am
proud to have been a part of. The songwriting is very good, and the
cast of characters that Audrey has chosen to work with truly helps bring
these great songs to life. I love this CD.” “Audrey Auld is an adventurous and open-minded
performer. 'Losing Faith' sees her explore the spiritual dimension
of her life and relationships, while moving into new areas in her music.
Her courage has produced Audrey’s ‘Slow Train Coming’
and the best Australian roots music release of the past twelve months.”
“ Three of Americana's leading lights drop by to sing with her, and other big names abound. There's songs here that'll sound every bit as good on radio as any of Kasey's. And she looks damn sexy on the cover, (in a slightly gothic fashion).Both Audrey's voice and songwriting have rocketed into a whole new league since her 2000 solo debut, The Fallen, and its big hit, `I'd Leave Me Too'. She joins with Canadian star Fred Eaglesmith to produce the magnificent Iris Dement & John Prine-like `B-Grade Affair', while the Eaglesmith composed `You Did' is another standout. Fittingly, `Harmony', the Kieran Kane duet that closes Losing Faith, is, quite simply, beautiful." ~ Kim Porter, Forte Magazine “Auld has a roughly hewn tone to her voice, which ironically gives a sweetness to her songs. She has created a following and persona which is quite unique. Fortunately she steers away from the boring quotient of mainstream country, coming closer to Kasey Chambers and Gillian Welch. She sounds like a female Richard Buckner. The album is beautifully produced. The lilting title track makes for a deep and well-considered album. Losing Faith does just the opposite to the listener.” ~ Sebastian Skeet, Drum Media, Aust. “You do your thing so well. It seems to me you have had a big influence, & continue to do so, on Oz music. There are quite a few artists who owe a lot to you.” ~ Garth Porter, Producer |
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