SOURPUSS

Short lived 90s band that released one single ''Solvent'' and one EP, 'Tabouli' on the Fellaheen label. In 1995 the band played a set at Australia's Summersault Festival. The band was made up of Brody Dalle on vocals/guitar, Cobina Crawford on bass, Sarah Barber on guitar and Sheridan on drums.

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BIANCA LEW

Bianca Lew was a drummer with 90s bands Snowblind, The Sugargliders and The Steinbecks.

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SUSANNAH STEWART-LINDSAY

Susannah Stewart-Lindsay was a guitarist with Adelaide-based band, Rewind on the Paranoid Side. She later joined indie rock band, Nice in 1991. The band released two albums, 'Nice' and 'Apple Pie'

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CAROL ROHDE

Carol Rohde is a keyboardist/vocalist who played with Sydney-based synth pop and techno band Boxcar during the 80s/90s. She later recorded an album 'Coooooeeeee!!!' in 2004 under the name Carol The Crooning Cowgirl.

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SHAUNA JENSEN

Shauna Jensen is an Australian singer. She has been a member of multiple bands including Purple Vision and Flake (she sang lead on the song "Teach Me How To Fly"). She was a cast member of Australia's Jesus Christ Superstar and appeared on the Original Australian Cast Recording album in 1972 and she toured nationally with the Long Way to the Top concert tour. Shauna released a single on Big Time Records ''My Man / Send Your Love'' in 1979.

Shauna has performed backup vocals for many acts such as INXS, Jimmy Barnes, Billy Thorpe, Powderfinger and Hugh Jackman and she provides the vocals for many advertising campaigns. She has toured in the USA, the UK, New Zealand and Australia. She sings on a number of tracks on the 1985 Rebel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. 1997 saw the release of Shauna Jensen's debut CD, 'Something Real'. By January 1998 she had won the award for Best Female Vocalist at the inaugural Goulburn Blues Festival, a festival which rivals the Blues Festival at Byron Bay. Shauna runs an extremely successful music teaching business in Sydney. Her client list includes singers like Kate Ceberano, David Campbell, Bardot, as well as groups like that formed during the highly successful television series Popstars.

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MAE PARKER

Mae Parker, (nee Maryanne Laffy, 1959), is no stranger to the Melbourne live music Scene. Having been raised the youngest of eight children; and heavily influenced by four older brothers, (well seated in the music industry), Mae had her feet well-planted in music, at a very early age. Though she studied piano and drums, it wasn't until her late 20's when she discovered her true instrument of choice, her voice! Since 1988, Mae has enjoyed a long career as a singer/performer/percussionist onstage and in Melbourne studios. She first started singing in the band, Hot Club, with her late brother, Peter Laffy. And moved on, with the likes of, Rock Steady, Wendy Stapleton, Russell Morris, Wilbur Wilde, Frankie J. Holden, The Vanilla Supremes, Mae Parker and The Heartbeats, Steve Howson, Scat, Big n' Horny, The McKay Sound, Brian Mannix, Bobby Valentine, The King Bees, Shane Laffy (brother) and many more. She starred in her own Bette Midler Tribute - A Divine Madness and was soloist to 13-piece bands. Her repertoire is as eclectic, as it is versatile, a collection of genres, including but not limited to, Pop Rock, Classical Rock, RnB, Soul, Big Band, etc.

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JOSIE JASON

Josie Jason was a guitar virtuoso who played in Jimi the Human, Spectre 7, Mother, Goddess and fronted Josie Jason and the Argonauts. Jason was also a session player, guitar teacher and mentor. A goddess of Melbourne rock she was farewelled with a spectacular funeral service in the Esplanade Hotel's Gershwin Room after losing her battle with cancer aged 49 in 2011.

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CATHIE TRAVERS

Cathie Travers has been a musician since the 70's. She's worked as a singer-guitarist, keyboard player in rock bands, a classical' pianist, avant-garde keyboardist and exponent of digital technologies in music, and is currently one of the most highly regarded accordionists in Australia. Cathie has performed with a variety of artists, such as Robyn Archer, Midori Takada, WASO 20th Century Ensemble, Adelaide Chamber Orchestra, Nova Ensemble, Chrissie Parrott Dance Company, Magnetic Pig, 2Dance–Plus, Skadada, Roger Smalley and Fieldworks – all at national arts festivals (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth), for ABC radio programs and numerous WA arts events.

Travers' career as an accordionist commenced late in 1992. Since 1997, when she finally had the good sense to take some lessons, Cathie has written a number of works which include accordion and electronics. She has featured as composer, performer and/or music director for numerous theatre and dance works, ensemble and orchestral performances - around Australia, in the Asian region, USA, Canada & the UK. During 2016 Cathie was Principal Accordion on tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra to Europe & the USA.

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CHRISTINA CALERO

Christina Calero has been in the music business for over thirty years. She has toured extensively throughout Australia and a little in LA, where she lived for three years and recorded with some of the biggest and best in the industry. Working with people such as Marius de Vries (Moulin Rouge, Madonna, Bjork) Carmen Rizzo (Seal, Coldplay, Fiona Apple) and Jamie Muhoberac (Seal, GooGoo Dolls, Bob Dylan).

The start of her career saw her joining punk band The Mothers as a bass player in the late 80s. She can be heard on the EP '12 Incher'. The Mothers disbanded in 1989 and in the early 90s she joined the trio Kaktus Mantras who released a couple of EPs. In the late 90s she formed a duo called Povi with Carmen Rizzo that produced an album of mellow electro pop. In 2012 she worked with Marius de Vries session vocalist session for King Kong The Musical. Some of her musical works have also appeared on film scores, including Liberty Stands Still featuring Wesley Snipes, My New Best Friend, Free Enterprise and various compilation albums alongside artists such as Sarah Macloughlin, The Chemical Brothers and William Orbit. She was also a radio presenter on Bay FM Radio in Byron Bay

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NORMA O'HARA MURPHY

Norma O'Hara Murphy was born and raised in the Murray Valley region of Victoria. Her mother's family were pioneers of the area. She is a third generation Irish/Australian. In 1982, O'Hara Murphy recorded her debut album in Coffs Harbour. 'Rodeo Queen' was released on the Country Records Label and was a finalist in the Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA). In 1985, O'Hara Murphy recorded her second studio album in Sydney. 'Vanishing Horsemen', was released on the Selection Records label. In 1986, she won her first Golden Guitar for "How The Firequeen Crossed The Swamp" and the Tamworth Songwriting Association Award for "Stumpy". In 1987, O'Hara Murphy released 'River Gums & Mallee Dust'.'

In 1988, O'Hara Murphy signed with Festival Records and wrote and produced her fourth studio album, 'Colours', released in 1989. In 1990, 'Closer Now' was released. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1991, the album was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Country Album. In August 1991, the compilation 'Norma's Best 'was released featuring the single "The Banks of the Bogan", which peaked at #147 on the ARIA Chart. The album peaked at number #132 on the ARIA Chart. In 1992, O'Hara Murphy recorded 'Winds Of Change' at Enrec Studio. Her sixth studio album was released in 1993. The song "Barbwire & Bamboo" was nominated for a golden guitar in the heritage category, while "Tamworth (the song)" won O'Hara Murphy the Golden Guitar for Best Female Vocal Award.

In 1995 O'Hara Murphy moved to Larrikin Records and recorded her seventh studio album, 'Sweet Rain'. In 1999 she produced and released the live album, 'Live in Bundaberg', through her own label Gumleaf Music. The album was recorded at The Brothers Club with Bundaberg musicians. Shortly after O'Hara Murphy took a break from recording. The beginning of the twenty-first century O'Hara Murphy concentrated more on writing. She wrote and produced another two Golden Guitars winning songs, performed by Slim Dusty in 2001 and 2003.

In 2010, O'Hara Murphy returned to the recording studio and released 'Whiskey Gully Road' on Bony Mountain Music. The title track was a finalist in the 2011 QMusic Awards. "Goin' For Glory" won the Stan Coster Bush Ballad Songwriting Award. In 2011 O'Hara Murphy released her ninth studio album, 'The Celtic Connection' (volume one) and she was a Finalist at the Celtic Awards in Glen Innes. A second Celtic Collection followed in 2013. In 2014, O'Hara Murphy won Australian Celtic Artist of the Year. In October 2014, O'Hara Murphy released her eleventh studio album, 'Solid Gold', and was a return to country music. O'Hara Murphy was a finalist at the 2016 CMAA. In 2017, O'Hara Murphy released 'Sweet Love'. In December 2019, O'Hara Murphy released her thirteenth studio album, 'Bloodlines'. The album was nominated for Australian Celtic Awards in 2020.

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JANE SAUNDERS

Jane Saunders was born in 1966 at Windsor, New South Wales. When she was young her family moved to the Blue Mountains in which she described the area as ‘pretty, picturesque with not many neighbours’. A track from her promotional tape was used on a compilation, 'The Best Of Australia', and she was subsequently signed to ABC Records. She wrote several songs on her debut album 'Stranger To Your Heart' released in 1994. ''Life In A Small Town'' was nominated for Song Of The Year in the Australian Country Music Awards. Her producer was John Kane of the Flying Emus and she has worked with John’s sister, Genni, and Shanley Del as Saunders, Kane and Del, a country harmony group that owes much to the trio album by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. On her second album 'Poetic Justice' released in 1999 she did poetic justice to Bob Dylan’s ''I Threw It All Away'' and the Byrds’ ''Ballad Of Easy Rider''. She also released her first gospel album 'In His Hands' and her last album 'Reflections' is a compilation of Jane's music including duets with Greg Champion, Anne Kirkpatrick, Brent Parlane and more.

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ANA CHRISTENSEN

Ana Christensen a pop rock and country/folk rock singer was born in California in 1960. She moved to Australia in the late 1970s. Ana first started singing in Townsville in 1980, first as a soloist then with Michael Heytman as a duo. She also worked in various bands and groups. In 1986, Ana won Female Vocal, Gospel Solo, Bush Ballad Duo with Michael and the overall Grand Prize at the Charters Towers Country Music Festival. This resulted in a tour with Freddy Fender and Ayr’s Saddle Tramps in June 1986. In 1987, Michael and Ana once again won the Duo at Charters Towers, and Ana also took out first place in Female Vocal. Also, in 1987 she sang in the Rogues Piano Bar at The Townsville International and also enjoyed taking part in various plays and musicals. 

Her career really took off with the release of her debut album, 'Deep In The Night, in 1988 on RCA. The single ''Afraid Of The Dark'' was lifted off the album. In early 1990, she signed to CBS. Through CBS, she released the album 'Brave New World in 1990 and the single ''Isolate Your Heart'' which reached #66 on the charts. She did not issue another album until 'Not All Monkeys Are Right Handed' in 1994. Ana moved to be with her family in the United States and left the music industry. She currently lives in rural Tennessee where she works on a dairy farm and vet clinic.

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THE BOYETTES

The Boyettes were a three-piece garage rock band formed in the 90s. The band comprised of: Jo Boyette [Jo Ward] on guitar and vocals, Maria Boyette [Maria Sokratis] on bass and Claud Boyette [Jackie Vidot] on drums. They released one self titled EP on the Wig Wam label. Recorded after their very first gig, it captures an energy and stripped back sound that does them proud against the classic garage rockers they cite as devotees, a sound they describe as primitive. The Boyettes also scored some impressive support slots, playing alongside Japan's 5,6,7,8s and Bored! They disbanded in 1999 with Jo joining Liz Dealey with the band The Ramonas, an all-girl Ramones 'cover' band. Maria formed the band, Mystaken with Stewart Tabert, drummer with The Philisteins and Freeloaders.

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TANIA KERNAGHAN

Tania Maree Kernaghan (born 18 July 1968 in Albury, New South Wales) is a country music singer. She is the sister of Lee Kernaghan and daughter of Ray Kernaghan. During her career, Tania has amassed hit singles, numerous awards, sell out concerts and record sales in the hundreds of thousands. In 1992, Kernaghan released her first single, "I'll Be Gone". Her first album, 'December Moon', was released in January 1996. It was nominated for Best Country Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 1996. The album was certified Gold by ARIA in 1997 and Platinum in 1998 and got to #30 on the national charts. At the time of releasing her fourth album 'Higher Ground' in 2005, Tania started her own record label, KCR. Tania is an accomplished and well-known horsewoman and an acclaimed keynote speaker which she presents at various functions across Australia. She has released seven albums over her career. She has also performed at the renowned Grand Old Opry in Nashville

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TERESA BECK-SWINDALE

Teresa Beck-Swindale is a Tasmanian composer, producer, and musician. She has contributed enormously to the life and soul of Tasmanian Regional Arts. Her album 'Against All Odds' is a record crafted of mellow rock, lounge jazz, and alt-country ballads. She was also a member of Tasmanian band Kyron Howell and Liquid Nails.

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MARGOT SMITH

Margot Smith (1966-2011) was a singer songwriter who had a strong connection with The Church. Her first album, 'Sleeping With The Lion' was partly produced by Steve Kilbey and her second, 'Taste', features work from Peter Koppes, Tim Powles and Steve Kilbey. Margot had a voice that never went where you expected it to go: dodging, swooping, feinting; loud when you thought it would be soft; soft when everything pointed to loud. She had the look of a gypsy in mourning: pale skin often offset by blood-red lipstick, long dark wild hair, piercing eyes.

Fame proved cruelly elusive and yet, even when singing to small, sometimes inattentive audiences, she performed as if she were in a packed arena: gesturing dramatically and giving all to each syllable—playing to the bleachers, daring you to pay attention. Margot Smith was a classic rock star, dramatic and engaging, but at other times fragile, gentle and brittle. There was nothing artificial to her persona. What you saw was what you got. Margot’s third and last album, the long awaited 'Inhumainaine' was mastered just weeks before her passing. She died in 2011.

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EMMA TOM

Emma Tom [Emma Jane] was born in November 1969, and grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. She was the bass player for The Titanics. The band only lasted a couple of years (1999-2000) but they did manage to record two albums, 'Size Isn't Everything' and 'Love Is The Devil'. She also performed in another group - All Girl Band - a six-piece women's act specialising in performing classic cock rock in push-up bras. Jane has written ten books including Deadset, a first novel which won the 1998 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book for South East Asia and the South Pacific.

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JUDY CHIARA

Judy Chiara was a vocalist and keyboard player with metal band Avrigus from 1995 to 2006. She said ''Avrigus was a recording duo comprising of myself and Simon Gruer, formerly front man of Australian doom band, Cruciform. When we met in 1993, Simon introduced me to such bands as Anathema and My Dying Bride. We discovered that we both had the same sort of musical aspirations-- to blend heavy, multi-layered guitar sounds with classical-sounding orchestral arrangements and choirs. Simon handled all the engineering and most of the production; in other words, all things technical; guitars, drums some vocals and some of the keyboards, especially sound effects and samples. He was responsible for both of the ambient pieces on the album 'The Secret Kingdom'. I did most of the vocals and keyboards, all the piano sounds and acoustic guitar. Also, I wrote all of the lyrics and did most of the composition. The name "Avrigus" has no special meaning; it is a made-up name''.

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HELEN CATTANACH

Musician and vocalist Helen Cattanach was the bass player in Moler, The T Bones, The Escape Committee with Spencer P Jones. She is currently a member of Los Dominados.

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BRENDA GIFFORD

Brenda Gifford was born in 1968 and grew up in Sydney and Wreck Bay, near Jervis Bay, New South Wales. Beginning in the late 1980s Gifford played saxophone and piano as a member of the band Mixed Relations with Bart Willoughby. During the 1990s she contributed to Kev Carmody's 1991 album 'Eulogy (For A Black Person)', and taught music at Eora College in Redfern, New South Wales. She left her teaching job to focus on the band as it became more popular.

Mixed Relations toured internationally and gained local success when their single '''Aboriginal Woman'' reached #89 on Triple J's Hottest 100 in 1993. The group disbanded by the end of the 1990s, and after a break of several years, Gifford began a new career as a composer.

In 2016, Gifford participated in the AMPlify Indigenous Composer Initiative pilot program, which aimed to support the creation of new work by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander composers. The works were then performed by Ensemble Offspring in concerts between 2017 and 2018. This led to Gifford being commissioned by Canberra International Music Festival to create her Gambambarawaraga suite. The nine part suite, which takes its name from the word for seasons in the Dhurgha language, was performed at the festival in 2018. Songs from the suite were later included on the album 'Music For The Dreaming' which was nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Children's Album in 2019. The album contained new versions from Gifford's Gambambarawaraga suite performed by Ensemble Offspring with Kamil Ellis.

Gifford took part in the 2018 Composing Women Program with Sydney Conservatorium of Music where Claire Chase worked with Gifford and four other Australian composers in creating new works. The five composers then travelled to New York where their work was performed with Chase. Gifford's ''Mungala (Clouds)'' featured Chase on flute accompanied by traditional clap sticks played by percussionist Bree van Reyk. Gifford was also included in the 2020-2021 program and developed a new project with Sydney Dance Company. As part of her work she scored dancer Joel Bray's Wagan (Wiradjuri for 'Raven') which was performed in 2020.

In 2020, Gifford worked with Ensemble Offspring again when she became their inaugural First Nations Composer in Residence. In the same year she was also commissioned to create a new work Djiribawal to open the Canberra International Music Festival 2020. The work was later reimagined for performing with additional instruments and electronic soundscapes in 2021 and 2022. All concerts by Sydney Chamber Choir in 2021 opened with a performance of Gifford's Mother Earth/Minga Bagan, an acknowledgement of country commissioned by the choir. In her work at the National Film and Sound Archive she has curated notes and blogs for the NFSA website, and her work was used as liner notes for a reissue of Vic Simms' album 'The Loner'. In 2023, Gifford was the recipient of the Merlyn Myer Music Commission. She was awarded the First Nations Fellowship, at the 2024 First Nations Arts and Culture Awards

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