Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes
| Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Rock and Roll, Alternative |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Vanguard Records |
| Website | clairybrowne.com |
| Members |
Clairy Browne Camilla McKewen Loretta Miller Ruby Jones Gabriel Strangio Jules Pascoe Peter Bee |
| Past members |
Darcy McNulty Simone Page Jones Natalie Browne Nick Martyn |
Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes are a soul band from Melbourne, Australia that formed in 2009.[1]
The band is fronted by lead vocalist Clairy Browne and backed by Camilla McKewen, Loretta Miller and Ruby Jones (The Bangin’ Rackettes) along with Peter Bee (guitar), Jules Pascoe (bass), Gabriel Strangio (keyboards).
The band's debut album Baby Caught the Bus was released in Australia in 2011 and in the United States by Vanguard Records in 2013, and features the lead single "Love Letter".
Clairy Browne featured on the Paul Kelly lead 'Merri Soul Sessions' recorded in February 2014, singing vocals on two tracks.
Browne will release her debut solo album, Pool, on April 15, 2016 via Vanguard Records.[2] Pool was recorded in Los Angeles and executive produced by Amanda 'MNDR' Warner.
Formation (2009–2011)
The band originated in early 2009 when Clairy Browne approached bassist Jules Pascoe to help her put together a band for a show she was developing for Melbourne Rhythm n’ Blues club night, Sweet Jelly Roll. Pascoe and Browne had previously played together in Jacket, a hip hop band (2002-2004). The original lineup consisted of guitarist Peter Bee, Camilla McKewen, Simone Page Jones, and Clairy's sister, Natalie Browne, as backing singers and dancers (The Rackettes), saxophonist Darcy McNulty, guitarist Matt Witney (who later in 2010 left to join Mama Kin), Gabriel Strangio on piano and keyboards and drummer Nick "Ricky" Martyn.
Receiving strong reviews from this first show, the band went on to play to a sold-out crowd at the Forum Theatre as part of Melbourne Festival and to tour around Australia in support of The Cat Empire. In 2010, the band wrote, recorded, and independently released a five-track EP which featured the song "Bats", a collaboration with Martin Martini, a cover of Little Ann's "Lean Lanky Daddy", and three other original songs.
The band's live show quickly earned a reputation for being dramatic, fun and highly visual with their choreography and costume, taking them to many large festival stages across Australia including The Big Day Out, Perth Festival, Adelaide Festival, Golden Plains Festival, and Falls Festival.
Baby Caught the Bus (2011–2013)
In November 2011, the band released their debut record, Baby Caught the Bus, in Australia. Recorded at Sound Park Studios in Melbourne with producer Steve Schram,[3] the record moves through heart-wrenching, doo-wop wailing, drunken pianos, party hysteria and tough, hard hitting soul.[4] The album received strong reviews from local and national press, going on to be crowned album of the year on ABC Radio National.[5]
In July 2012, the album's lead single, "Love Letter", was featured in a television commercial for international beer brand Heineken.[6] The ad, titled "The Switch", was shot in Prague in earlier in the same year and features an appearance from Browne performing her own stunt, dropping down on a mechanical rotating stage as the scene transforms from dive bar into an opulent night club. Airing heavily in the USA, The Switch TVC won the band many new fans and saw Baby Caught The Bus reach #66 in the US iTunes Album charts and #4 in the Billboard Heatseekers charts[7] as an independent release.
In 2013, the band traveled to the United States to perform at the annual SXSW music conference in Austin, Texas,[8] in conjunction with a 28-date tour around the country that saw them perform in venues that included House of Blues, Mercury Lounge in New York City, and The Troubadour in Los Angeles. They planned to tour the US again from October 2013 to December 2013.
Baby Caught the Bus also received an official release in the United States on 21 May 2013,[9] with the band signing to independent label Vanguard Records.
In May 2013, the group won first place in the AAA category of the International Songwriting Contest for their song "Love Letter".[10]
In 2013 the song "I'll Be Fine" was used as the theme for ABC's comedy drama Please Like Me.
Love Cliques (2014)
On 5 August 2014, the band's second EP Love Cliques was released. It features the tracks "Jenny", "No Fear", "Heart's Desire", and "Paper Thin".[11]
Members
Current members
- Clairanne "Clairy" Browne – lead vocals (2009 – present)
- Peter Bee – Guitar (2009 – present)
- Ruby Jones – backing vocals (2011 – present)
- Camilla McKewen – backing vocals (2009 – present)
- Loretta Miller – backing vocals (2011 – present)
- Jules Pascoe – Bass Guitar / Double Bass (2009 – present)
- Gabriel Strangio – Piano / Keyboard (2009 – present)
Former members
- Darcy McNulty – Baritone / Soprano Saxophone (2009 – 2014)
- Simone Page Jones – Backing vocals (2009-2011)
- Natalie Browne – Backing vocals (2009-2011)
- Matt Witney - Guitar (2009 - 2010)
- Nick Martyn – Drums (2009 – 2014)
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | US | ||
| Baby Caught the Bus |
|
— | 167 |
| Pool |
|
— | — |
EPs
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Clairy Browne |
|
| Love Cliques |
|
Singles
| A-side | B-side | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| "She Plays Up to You" | "Frankie" | 31 May 2011 (independent) |
| "Love Letter" | "Whatta Man" | 21 May 2012 (independent) |
| "Vanity Fair" | N/A | 14 August 2015 (Vanguard) |
Split 7" singles
| A-side | B-side | Details |
|---|---|---|
| "Walk of Shame" (Clairy Browe & The Bangin' Rackettes) | "Second Best" (Saskwatch) | Released: 1 Jan 2013 (Northside Records) |
Awards
| Year | Award-Giving Body | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | ABC Radio National | Album of the Year[5] | Won |
| 2012 | International Song Writing Competition | Song of the Year AAA Category[10] | Won |
| 2012 | The Age Newspaper | EG Awards - Best Band[12] | Nominated |
| 2013 | APRA Music Awards | Blues & Roots Work of the Year[13][14] | Nominated |
| 2013 | Cannes Lions | Film Craft: Best Use of Music[15] | Nominated |
References
- ↑ Hughes, Hilary (21 May 2013). "A Good Ol' American Intro for Clairy Browne and the Bangin' Rackettes". The Village Voice. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ↑ "Clairy Browne Unveils Album Release Date And New Track". theMusic. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
- ↑ "Feature Record of the Week". PBS FM. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ↑ "Baby Caught the Bus". allmusic.com. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- 1 2 "Album of the Year". Radio National Album of the Year. ABC Radio. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ↑ Worldwide, TBWA. "The Secrets of Heineken's The Switch". lbbonline. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ↑ "Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes: Overview". Billboard Charts. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ↑ "Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes". SX schedule. sxsw.com. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ↑ "Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes". Vanguard Records. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- 1 2 "International Song Writing Competition - Winners". International Songwriting Competition. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ↑ "Love Cliques on iTunes". iTunes. Apple. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ↑ Al. "EG Awards 2012 Announce Nominations, Induct Weddings, Parties, Anything". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ↑ "Blues & Roots Work of the Year". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ↑ "Blues & Roots Work of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
- ↑ "Film Craft Lions". Cannes Lions. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
External links
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