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With reviews like ‘a voice that could peel the pain off walls’ Mike McClellan it’s evident that country starlet Jess Holland is one of those musicians to watch out for.

Stepping out of the shadows of her band to record her debut solo release, this 2011 Voice of Urban Country winner at the Urban Country Music Festival and Top 20 finalist in the 2011 Toyota Star Maker Competition has already been making waves on the country scene.

Jess isn’t a new face on the music scene; she’s been honing her skills for years, and comes from music royalty. Her grandfather was a founding member of well-known bush band The Stringybark Band, so it’s no surprise that Jess felt a resonance with country music. As a three-year-old, Jess taught herself to play the piano, and by the age of nine she was performing in musical groups in her home town of Mudgee.

In 2009 Jess participated in a compilation CD recording, Pick of the Bunch showcasing McGee’s new single, When you know, along with other local talent from the Central West. The following year, Jess took the definitive step and launched her solo career as a country music artist, touring Central Western NSW and Southern Queensland. Stepping out on her own was a brave step, but a natural progression for Jess which allowed her to showcase her versatility as an artist.

Jess kicked off 2011 with a great start to her solo career, being chosen as a Top 20 finalist for the Toyota Star Maker. Soon after Star Maker, Jess began to establish herself as a country music artist and continued to increase her professional status amongst the industry.

She continued to tour around Central Western and Northern NSW, supporting artists such as Ladies of Jazz (Paulini, Christine Anu and Grace Knight), Luke Dickens, Uncle Bobs Jug Band and Adam Kilpatrick. In her television first, she performed at the wedding for Scott Warby on Channel 9’s show Farmer Wants a Wife.

Earning the title of 2011 Voice of Urban Countrywas a great stepping stone forward for Jess. This accolade allowed her to not only record her debut album, but also star in her debut video clip for My Kinda Town.

In August 2011, Jess recorded and released an acoustic EP, Test for a Cowboy. Soon after, she was accepted into and graduated from the 2011 CMAA Country Music College in Tamworth.

Jess released her debut solo album in November 2011, titled ‘Introducing Jess Holland’ then won a performance place at the 2012 Telstra Road to Discovery competition to wrap up an incredible year of achievements.

http://www.jessholland.com.au

These guys won the Manly Fig's hearts last year. Breathtaking original music reminiscent of the beauty of James Taylor, some honey from KD Lang, a lyrical spice of Cohen washed down with some Waits-like humour. An acoustic candle that flickers between Folk and the silhouette of Jazz. Tony King has a reputation for setting fire to a 12 string with his solos, while Kris Ralph melts hearts with her rich, mellifluous voice and nylon string guitar.

Tony is an accomplished composer, electric, acoustic (steel, nylon, 6 & 12 stringed) guitarist, bass player on fretted & fretless Instruments and is gifted with a smooth, creamy voice. He is also a Producer and Film composer.

1987: Tony wrote the longest running Australian Political radio satire How Green Was My Cactus fFor which he was nominated for an Awgie for Best Radio Comedy).

1988-89: he produced an album of his original songs, the result was a beautiful soulful piece, After The Tone.

1991: Tony won an ARIA for writing the highest selling single.

1992: Moonlight Cactus was released and sold out of it’s first pressing by word of mouth.

1995-96 Tony worked with Phil Scott, George Washington, and co-wrote with Gullifer Smith (A Touch of Paradise)

In 1997 Tony composed the score for the Feature film Wanted. Burbank Animation Studios chose Tony to score their series of six Animated Videos beginning with The Secret of Camelot, Mulan, The Three Little Pigs, The Littlest Mermaid and Moses The Prince of Egypt. More projects for Burbank, D4 The Trojan Dog, Silent Night and The Canterville Ghost  based on a story by Oscar Wilde and the classic Anna and The King - all of which were screened internationally. Close Contact, tele-movie score written and composed by Tony has been screened locally and internationally on Channel 7.

Full of the Moon, Tony & Kris’ second Album of original songs was reviewed by Drum Media:“Hauntingly Beautiful...Together they have combined their talents to produce a stunning array of diverse songs".

2002: Tony went to Ireland to co-write an Album Gypsy’s Kiss with Andrew Strong (of The Commitments) then toured Scandinavia with Andrew’s band in conjunction with the release of the album. It reached the top twenty in Denmark and Sweden.

2001 –2003: Tony continued to produce and co-write with Andrew Strong in Ireland and co-wrote and produced an Album ”The Dream” with Elizabeth Geyer.

2005-2007: Tony released a series of compositions made exclusively from the sounds of wine, wine glasses, bottles, barrels, corks popping and called it The Wine Music. It was the most requested piece of music on ABC Classical FM radio. Tony and Kris successfully launched The Wine Music in the USA and then in Europe. Tony used 100% of proceeds from sales of The Wine Music to build wells in Ethiopia in a project called "Wine into Water".

2006: Tony co-wrote a song with Louise Perryman, Kris Ralph and Bill Risby for Louise's solo album. The song "Genius of Love" won Song of the Year.

2007: Tony recorded, mixed, performed on and produced Kaye Tuckerman's debut album "Siren".  

2008: Tyran Parke enlisted Tony to record and produce his debut CD. Tony played guitar with the brilliant Chanteuse, Camille O'Sullivan from Ireland. The Dark Angel played to sell out audiences at The Sydney Opera House.

2009: Tony was Awarded Australian Songwriter of the year. He won an unprecedented 3 categories
Billy's Dream for best lyrics; When we're Old in both the open and folk/acoustic categories.

KRIS RALPH

Kris is an accomplished Singer/Actor who plays guitar, percussion, and paints. Gifted with a mellifluous singing voice, she has been performing on stages all over Australia since she left school.

Starting at the Riverina Trucking Company for 4 years, she moved to Sydney where she starred in The Department with Tracy Mann and Max Gillies, The Madras House with Peter Carroll and Hugo Weaving, The National tour of Stepping Out with Nancy Hayes, Rowena Wallace and Colette Mann, Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers with Christina Amphlette and Russell Crowe.

Kris formed her own Band The Other Woman with Genevieve Lemon. Although the band’s life was short-lived Kris continued to sing with Genevieve, culminating in performance at the Sydney Opera House in “A Month of Sundays”.

She has co-written songs for Beautifully Mad’s albums, Let Them Fall , Mandarin Sky (Australian Songwriter’s Award in the Inspirational Category).

Kris and Tony won the 2006 Best Song Award in the Open category of the Australian Songwriters Awards with Genius of Love.

2007-2010: Kris has been working on original songs and painting commissions for private clients. A major work was commissioned in 2009 for the celebration of the Merimbula Jazz Festival Band, headed by John Cursley. It was 3.2 metres wide x 1.6 metres high.

www.beautifullymad.com

www.myspace.com/beautifullymad2

The Loungephonics so impressed Steve (your Fig mc) at the North Manly Bowlo that he invited them to play at The Fig.

They are a classic soul and blues band dedicated to reviving the legendary soul and blues sound of stax,mussel shoals,texas and all points between.The Loungephonics has the classic line up of drums,bass,guitar and vocals, then add the red hot sound of what we affectionately call The Marrickville Horns and you've got a recipe for some real down home hip shakin soul.

The fact that most are graduates of The Con goes some way to explaining their musical virtuousity. To see their impressive individual credentials click here.

Bring your dancing shoes.

http://www.theloungephonics.com.au