Penelope Swales
About Penelope Swales from Auckland
Singer and songwriter Penelope Swales is at the cutting edge of contemporary folk in Australia. Like a musical journalist, she constantly tours Australia and the world. Described by Sydney's Drum Media Magazine as "The most authentic voice to come out of Australia in the last 15 years", she combines wry and often outrageous humour with her deep passion for people and issues. Her spoken word material swings from anecdotes bordering on stand-up comedy to an astute presentation of deeply challenging and thought-provoking ideas. She pokes sly fun at our failings while celebrating with insight and compassion our attempts to build a better world and our capacity for love, courage and sensuality.
Swales has just completed her 5th tour of the US, playing festivals, folk clubs and house concerts from New York to Kentucky. American audiences love the Australian-ness of her material - songs and stories about real people in modern Australia. "There are many parallels to be drawn between the Australian experience and the American one" she says "but it's different enough to give people a fresh sense of perspective, and look at things in a new light."
Swales' latest studio album "Monkey Comfort" was number 6 on the Australian Independent Blues and Roots charts for two months and has garnered an number of 4-star reviews. More recently at the behest of fans she released "Archive Vol 2: Songs from the Borderline" which showcases the best of 3 early releases that have been unavailable for over a decade.
In concert and in the studio, Swales blends the best of old and new. Not only does she sing a cappella and with guitar, but by applying a footswitched on-the-spot sampler to both vocals and guitar she builds live, hypnotic soundscapes over which she delivers a shatteringly incisive commentary. Acoustic Trance might best describe this.
In the last 5 years Penelope has toured in Japan, Britain, the United States, Canada, China and New Zealand. Highlights include a headline gig at New York's Estfest Women's Music Festival and a standing ovation for her formal showcase at the North East Regional Folk Alliance in New York State. Her favourite event of recent years was giving workshops at the MiDi School of Music in Beijing. She was described as the pick of the 2000 Port Fairy Folk Festival by Melbourne's Inpress Magazine.
She is also know for her work as singer, guitarist and instrument maker for Cabaret-Style Festival band Totally Gourdgeous
For further information email:
penelope@penelopeswales.com
ph/fx +61 3 5968 1625
US Management: Leo Music
julia_reinhart@yahoo.com
DISCOGRAPHY
- Between Light And Dark (1993)
- Returning on Foot (1995)
- Homemade Wine (1997)
- Live At Woodford (1998)
- Justifying Your Longings to the Doctor (1998)
- “Archive” demo's out-takes and one-offs 1995-2000
- Monkey Comfort (2003)
- "Archive Vol 2: Songs from the Borderline
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... and again, and more of the same !!
xxooxx
love 'ya, c0mfy ! ... and love your just Totally Gourdgeous performances !!