AUDREY POWNE is an Australian singer/wrter and music multi tasker. Her career began when she fronted a band intriguingly named Leisure Centre. In 2018, she broke away and went solo and her debut EP ‘Bed I Made’ won plenty of support with one cut – a gorgeous ‘Flowers’ – winning huge backing from tastemakers like Jeff Young and Tony Blackburn.
Earlier this year we were told that Ms P was preparing a full album. The announcement came with the release of a single ‘Feed The Fire’ which turned up with eight mixes. That was flowed by ‘From The Fire’. Both these “fire” themed cuts were sumptuous soul/jazz affairs and we learned that ‘From The Fire’ was/is actually the title track from the promised album, which is finally being released this Friday, 26th April.
The set is a nine tracker and Audrey has written, arranged and produced the whole thing. On the long player, she also plays piano, Rhodes, organ and, importantly, trumpet. Indeed in Australia, she’s maybe best known as a trumpeter and she’s worked with acts as diverse as Maceo Parker, Midnight Oil, Jimmy Barnes, Masta Ace and the Grammy nominated band The Teskey Brothers. She’s also a big fan of the music of the late Roy Hargrove and you can hear his influence throughout the whole album – and especially on the lush, layered opening track, obligingly called ‘Overture’.
Elsewhere, music buffs will detect the influences of more of Audrey’s heroes and influencers – people like Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock, while on the vocals she delivers in a unique fashion – a gentle blend (maybe) of Astrud Gilberto, Nora Jones and even Kate Bush!
AUDREY POWNE; From The Fire’ is released April 29th via BBE Music.
