Bek-Jean Stewart entered the Australian music scene in the early 90's as songwriter and vocalist for Indie-pop band Eva Trout. Her band was signed by US label Trauma Records and toured both Australia and the United States over 1997-98. During that time her song, Beautiful South received significant radio play and the band appeared on GNW, VH1 and numerous US TV programs.
Bek-Jean's solo career was launched with Junior Years in 2007. Released in Australia and Europe through Laughing Outlaw, the album was lauded by critics: "A superb female rejoinder to Ryan Adam's 'Heartbreaker'," (David Cowling, Americana UK, June 2007).
Bek-Jean's other musical involvements include working with Perry Keyes & Give My Love To Rose, performing drums and vocals on Perry's recordings and live shows. She also played drums and sang on Grant Shanahan's album The Leisure Suit's "Into the Antipodes Sun".Bek-Jean has a powerful narrative style. Inspired by storytellers of a personal nature, Bek-jean drew her early influences from the likes of Neil Young, Leonard Cohen and Aimee Mann.
In a similar vein to these foundational exemplars, Bek-jean employs rich and beautiful melodies to tell stories of loss, love and redemption. The spirited, and at times joyous, style of her music often starkly contradicts the depth of content contained in the emotional landscape portrayed by her words. She uses her music as a vehicle to communicate her realities and intimate connections with the world around her, but also to tell stories that each and every person can relate to in some way or another.
Often referred to as Desolate and raw, her lyrics nonetheless transports people to the place inside the song. Bek Jean herself calls her songs 'poetry set to music'. It's undeniable. Her progression from "Junior Years", through her second solo album, "Winter, Summer Suburban Exile", and now to her latest album, "Amos v Ann", illustrates her skill in massaging the listener's emotions. "This woman is a hidden gem. She is poetic, full of heart and has the amazing gift to move people with her astonishing songwriting." (Jim Cain, Urban Wire
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