Simone Keane   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Sings, writes, plays guitar, tells stories

Smooth, sultry ballads with an edge best describes Simone Keane's eclectic style of song writing.  Her fusion of sassy blues, swinging jazz, beautiful melodies and a touch of light opera affect her listeners deeply.

Roar – The Beast Unleashed!!!

The 2007 release of Moon Tunes, her debut CD, marks the culmination of ten years of song writing and a lifetime of tragedies and triumphs. 'After hiding in my bedroom for many years composing and softly singing to myself, I decided to unleash my musical beast on the public.'

Truth and beauty lie within this musical beast. Ballads such as 'Life's Ocean' and 'Spun Out' transport the listener into a world of stories about love, mystery and nature.

Moon Tunes was produced by Lez Karski (Jeff Lang, The Triffids, Yothu Yindi, Midnight Oil) who also plays lead guitar on the CD.  Marie Limondin of Denmark outfit, Mandala, features on violin.  It was mixed and mastered by Kim Lofts at Blue Manna Studios.

 Raw…

The Moon Tunes recording sessions took place in a very old building, which once served as a cottage hospital, and is now Albany's Vancouver Arts Centre.  Some believe the building is haunted. 'The reverb, acoustics, pretty much everything you hear on Moon Tunes is the real deal – all natural – nothing synthetic or over produced.  That's how I like it. Alive. Raw.'

Keane's musical background lies in theatre.  'I used to love escaping into the world of performance, but one day song writing took a hold of me and became less of an escape and more of an exploration of myself and human beings in general.  When there's just you and your guitar, there is no escape from who you essentially are, but in the end, we are all set free by the power of song!’

Her live performances take her audiences on several journeys. 'One minute I could be singing a lullaby, the next a high energy, sassy blues number with a touch of light opera. I love diversity in music. Billy Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Janice Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Kate Bush, Bob Dylan, Little Richard, Mazzy Star, Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Radiohead…too many to name.’

Keane has performed as a guest singer with popular jazz swing outfit Clarkes Gray Vest, and supported Double Entendre on the final leg of their 2008 Australian tour.  She has also performed with Denmark outfit Mood Swings, featuring trumpeter Dave Rastrick, and performed with the multi-talented Mal Webb  at the Denmark Festival of Voice.

One of Keane's most memorable moments was performing on stage and jamming with award winning blues artist Ash Grunwald, at a musicians residency called Recipe for Jam.  'That was such a rewarding esperience.  I had to audition and was chosen to collaborate with some incredible talent for sixteen days.  I learnt so much.  That was when I was discovered by Lez Karski who said he'd like to produce an album of my songs'.

Following the release of Moon Tunes  Keane was invited to perform live on Perth's RTR FM.  'I was blown away when I was told Life's Ocean (track three) was already receiving airplay and could I do a live to air stint. That was very cool!'

Keane collaborated with renowned jazz guitarist Rod Vervest for the 2007 Sprung Writers Festival.  'It was an honour being invited to perform with Rod. He is a true master of his craft'. 

Following Sprung, Keane performed with Rod Vervest, Peter Grayling and Dave Clarke at Jazz Marsala in Albany, as well as the Great Southern Wine Festival.'

'Although I enjoy performing solo, I also love collaborating with other musos for that full band sound.'  She currently performs with renowned musician/producer Lez Karski,Saxophonist Evan Holmes, guitarist/bassist Tim Turnbull, Violinist Jude Iddison, and drummers Joel Barter and Bronton Ainsworth . 'These guys are incredible.  The south west of WA has an amazing smorgasboard of talent.  They bring so much to my tunes it gives me shivers when I perform with them. I am honoured when we play together'.

Currently living in Albany on the south coast of Western Australia, Keane is recording a full length compilation of more original tunes due for release mid 2009. 

'I am anticipating something very special - it'll have a full band sound - Andrew Clermont on violin and mandolin, Ashleigh Evans on cello, Evan Holmes on saxaphone, Andrew Sumner on keyboards, Bronton Ainsworth on drums, Dave Rastrick on trumpet, Lez Karski on lead guitar, Tim Turnbull on bass, Joel Barter on percussion, Bob Lipinski on harmonica...lots of swinging sassy tunes you can dance to, and of course some lovely soul stirring melodies such as 'Two People's Bay'. 

'It's a lot of work creating a full length album, but when I listen back to the final mix it makes it more than worth while. Its like, Wow! These babies started as simple tunes I wrote in my lounge room. And they are all my babies, every song I write.  They'll be with me forever...'

Check gig link for Keane's next peformance.