folk music with a funky twang

5 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Folk Blues, FOLK: like Ani

Show all album songs: Womb to the World Songs


Details:
Growing up in the far north, Cairns was home for the first 18 years of life. With no immediate musical background from her folks, Sian showed early interest in music through her folks musician friends. Anything she could get her hands on including tin whistles, guitars, drums, harmonica's, although it was not until age ten she began learning the flute. By age twelve she was a classically trained Flautist, clarinetist, saxophonist and budding bassoonist. She was recognised to be versatile and a rapid learner. "I have two trophies, neither are for sport, one is glass for an eistedfod when i was 14, who's silly idea was that?"Age 14, out of shear frustration, she taught herself to play the guitar to the four chords of jewel's " who will save your souls" as she loved singing and the self proclaimed guitar extaordinaire across the street had no rhythm and fairly well sucked, so it was her or no one. From here on writing was therapy, a place to vent, to story tell, rejuvinate. It was freedom. To do what she liked with the music as she was now the composer, not bach, or mozart, and there was no-one waving a stick around. This became a hidden hobby for the next few years. High school is a war ground, one need not put themselves in a line of fire if less than perfect!
By 15 she became a teachers aides, taking woodwind workshops with kids from School of the air at Distance education camps over holidays. She'd won a solo eistedfod on flute, completed an exam, and realised one of two things.
" i thought i hated competition and judgment, but i later realised i was too lazy for the perfection of classical music, it's okay to compete and be judged when people think you're great, but it gets boring, and you have to work harder and harder to keep the standard, teenagers are more interested in learning social skills and being praised for having the hottest boyfriend"
She continued with her classical studies, making her way to lead flautist in the Cairns State High School orchestra, where they again took first place in the fortyearly state competition. The same year playing her first ever solo gig at the far north's Yungaburra folk festival, she took the prize of the under 18's best singer songwriter competetition in which she won time for her first recording. With this confidence, she decided to head to the big smoke and took off down to Melbourne just after her 18th birthday, returning to play at yungaburra every year after. " At this point I had a wake up call, you realise that everyone with any talent is there and wants to make it just as bad as you do, we all have our reasons, it's not just you that hopes triple j will think you're amazing and make your music career introduction a piece of piss"

Earliest influence was Texan artist Michelle Shocked where the roots of her folk, acoustic music began. In her later teens she discovered artists like Ani Difranco and Fiona apple (well suited to a typical angsty dark rebellious teen attitude) which further shaped her articulated guitar rhythms and powerfully sweet vocals. Her music has undoubtledly got that typical acoustic roots sound, but her influences and favourite artists are constanlty adding to her evolving performance. She now has hints of Jazz, soul, reggae and hip hop in her bass and rhythm driven tunes. Recently originating from artists like; the hill top hoods, India Arie and joss stone.

She since has played many venues in melbourne including The ESPY, The Empress, The Vineyard, The Dan o'Connel, Barbukka. In Sydney: The rose of Australia, Macquarie university, Kellie's, The Imperial Hotel, Brisbane: Troubadoor. Cairns: The inbox cafe, the Green Ant Cantina, Yungaburra folk festival, Johnno's Blues Bar, and later last year supported Ash Grunwald at the Barrier Reef Hotel.

currently a new mum, hoping to gain some massive new inspiration, and confidence, and organisational skills, a new EP is in the making, though a slow process with a bub.