Devils are not the only thing to come from Tasmania. Singer-songwriter Audrey Auld's heart is in Country, Folk and Americana music with a presence as big as The Outback her songs are the wry and poignant observations of a Tassie girl living in California and Nashville for the past 7 years Audrey calls it "Music with the dirt left on."
Auld is a memorable and uplifting entertainer. She's a spontaneous comedienne and a writer of humorous, provocative and soulful songs. A touring songwriter, Audrey won the 2006 MerleFest Song Contest and performed her winning song "Losing Faith" with Rich Brotherton (Robert Earl Keen) on guitar to a thrilled MerleFest crowd.
Auld's debut CD was released in 1999 to award winning acclaim in Australia. "Looking Back to See," which is a duet album with singer songwriter and guitar great Bill Chambers (Dead Ringers, Kasey Chambers), laid a foundation for Auld's next seven releases including "The Fallen" in 2000 which was nominated for Best Country Album in Australia. "Losing Faith" (2003) is a dark haunting release that put Audrey on the map in the US with Americana radio and she began touring the states, opening shows for Todd Snider, Fred Eaglesmith and Kevin Welch among others. "Texas," which came out in 2005, was also a Best Country Album nominee in Auld's homeland. It was recorded in Texas with Gabe Rhodes, a gifted musician and producer, and son of legendary artist Kimmie Rhodes.
By 2004 Audrey had married very well (to directly quote her), became a United States resident and was living in Stinson Beach just north of San Francisco. She quickly became a favorite on local stations KRSH, KRCB and KPIG, playing frequently for Sleepy John's local shows and touring the region.
While in California, San Quentin Prison became a regular gig for Auld via her involvement with the Bread and Roses organization. Her initial performance to a captive audience led to ongoing songwriting workshops with the inmates. This rewarding experience is what she misses most about leaving Stinson Beach.
It was in Northern California that Auld was introduced to guitarist extraordinaire Nina Gerber (Eliza Gilkyson, Kate Wolfe, and Karla Bonoff, amongst many others). The two musically fast friends hit it off immediately and their second show together was recorded and released in 2006. "In the House" is a stunning live release.
"Lost Men & Angry Girls" went to 1 on the Freeform Americana chart in 2007. This chart is compiled from the worldwide play lists of DJ's who play music for love, not money. The album showcases Auld's best writing to date and is proof of the heart and mind connection of her music and her huge capacity for compassion and humor in writing songs that everyone can relate to.
As Audrey Auld tours America, she delights audiences with folk songs from her homeland, and fans have requested that she record some of them. Her new EP Billabong Song (2009) is an acoustic collection of four songs that are an integral part of the fabric of Australian culture, a poem from 1908, plus one new song written by Audrey.
Recently Audrey's song, "I'd Leave Me Too" was featured on the FX TV show "Justified". This year also sees the release of her songbook, Write Out Loud.
2010 saw the release of Audrey's songbook Write Out Loud, a collection of lyrics and chords of her complete recorded works to date.
Today, Audrey lives in East Nashville with her husband, dogs and chickens, writing songs and touring. Her forthcoming album Come Find Me, produced by Mark Hallman in Austin, Texas, is due for 2011 release.
Career highlights:
* I'd Leave Me Too featured on episode 2 of "Justified" FX TV show
* Hole In My LIfe included on soundtrack of "The Good Guys" FX TV show
* San Quentin Prison - performance and songwriting workshops (BreadandRoses.org)
* Performing at the Carter Family Fold, Hiltons, VA.
* Singing harmony with Buddy Miller and band in Australia.
* Touring and singing with Fred Eaglesmith.
* International Songwriter Series (Australia) - with Jim Lauderdale, Kim Richey, Fred Eaglesmith, Jason McCoy.
* 2 ARIA Nominations (Aust. Recording Industry Assn). for self-produced and self-released albums on her own Reckless Records label.
* 4 songs cut by other artists (including Sunny Sweeney, Big Machine Records).
* 2 Golden Guitar nominations (Australia).
"Audrey Auld is a great singer songwriter. She holds a unique place in contemporary Americana/Roots music. I believe that this uniqueness is largely due to the fact that she is Australian. This affords her a totally different attitude as an artist than traditional American contributors to this genre. Audrey is one of the most honest original artists I know." ~ Fred Eaglesmith
"Audrey Auld's songwriting is honest, passionate and accessible. She's also one of the hardest workers I know. She has the most heartfelt contagious laugh I have ever witnessed and just thinking of her makes me smile. Having her near you will improve your day. She's a friend of mine, I love her dearly.give her a listen." ~ Mary Gauthier
"A singer-songwriter with smarts and a distinct vision who's capable of heartfelt sorrow or off-kilter humor''. ~ Austin Chronicle
"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
"Audrey is the real deal. I call her the Australian songbird. She has that wide-open sound & it's easy to relate to her music because she sings from the soul." ~ Jimmy LaFave
"The beauty of Audrey's work is that she understands the power of simplicity. Whether it be in a traditional country setting or on the more edgy tracks her voice stays honest and true." ~ Kieran Kane
