Katie Noonan

Katie Noonan

Katie Noonan at Woodford Folk Festival 2010–11
Background information
Birth name Katie Anne Noonan
Born 2 May 1977
Origin Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Genres Alternative, jazz, opera
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, keyboards
Years active 1996–present
Labels Festival Mushroom Records
Associated acts george, Elixir, Maggie Noonan, Tyrone Noonan, Sia Furler, Tim Finn, Josh Pyke, Garage Days, David McCormack, Andrew Lancaster, Pound System, Katalyst, Passenger

Katie Anne Noonan[1] (born 2 May 1977) is an Australian singer-songwriter. In addition to a successful solo career encompassing opera, jazz, pop, rock and dance, she sings in the groups george and Elixir; performs with her mother Maggie Noonan; and, as of 2010, plays with her band The Captains.[2]

Early life

Noonan grew up with a strong background in classical music, with her mother Maggie being a well-known opera singer. She studied opera and jazz at the Queensland Conservatorium.[3]

Career

george

After graduation, Noonan began fronting the pop-rock group george, along with her brother Tyrone Noonan. Noonan founded george with her brother, with whom she shares lead vocals, in 1996 to enter a university music competition. After a series of successful independently released EPs, they signed to Festival Mushroom Records and released the debut album Polyserena in 2002, which debuted in the number 1 position on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) albums chart.[4] george won the Breakthrough Artist ARIA award in 2002 and performed the song "Breathe in Now" at the award ceremony.

Elixir

Katie Noonan performs with Elixir at the Woodford Folk Festival, 29 December 2011

Noonan founded the jazz trio Elixir in 1997, which released their debut self-titled album in 2003. Elixir's second album First Seed Ripening was released on 5 August 2011.[5] It won the 2011 ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album.

Katie and Maggie Noonan

Noonan released an album of jazz and operatic duets with her mother in 2009. Entitled Two of a Kind, the album was released by the ABC Classics label.[6]

Katie Noonan and Paul Grabowsky

Paul Grabowsky and Noonan teamed up for the jazz cycle Before Time Could Change Us. Consisting of words written by Dorothy Porter, the album tracks "the mysterious shifts and changes of a relationship."[7] The album won the 2005 ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album.

Broad

In 2005, Noonan was invited by Deborah Conway to take part in the Broad Festival project—together with three other Australian female artists they performed their own and each other's songs.[8] Sara Storer, Ruby Hunter and Clare Bowditch were the other female artists.[9]

Skin and Second Skin

Noonan recorded a solo album entitled Skin at Sydney's Linear Recording in 2006. Produced by Andrew Klippel, Skin was released on 11 August 2007, and debuted at number 6 on the ARIA 'Top 50' album charts and number 1 on the Australian ARIA 'Top 20' album chart. The debut single "Time To Begin" debuted at number 30 on the ARIA Top 50.

Following the success of the remix of "Time To Begin", Noonan collaborated with John Course and Mr Timothy. The collaboration involved the re-recording of Noonan's vocal tracks and a dance version of her solo album was released under the title Second Skin.

On 22 February 2008, Noonan was a support act for Cyndi Lauper at King's Park Botanic Gardens, Perth, Western Australia, and was invited on stage by Lauper to sing along to "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". Also in 2008, Noonan was featured as the vocalist in Telstra's "I Am Australian" series of advertisements.[10]

Blackbird: The Music Of Lennon And McCartney

Noonan released a jazz album of Lennon and McCartney cover versions in 2008 entitled Blackbird: The Music Of Lennon And McCartney.[11]

Katie Noonan and The Captains: Emperor's Box

The Katie Noonan and the Captains album Emperor's Box was created over a three-year period and is Noonan's second release for Sony Music. Noonan wrote all of the songs and collaborated with the following artists during the recording of the album: Tim Finn (Split Enz), Sia Furler, Don Walker (Cold Chisel), Josh Pyke and Australian writer/poet Tom Shapcott. The album was co-produced by Noonan and Nick DiDia (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Stone Temple Pilots, Powderfinger).[2]

Other activities

A National Office for Live Music was launched by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in July 2013 and, as of August 2013, Temperley is the state ambassador for Western Australia.[12]

In 2013, Noonan combined with the Sydney Dance Company and musicians from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and conductor Richard Gill to perform Britten's song cycle Les Illuminations at Sydney's City Recital Hall Angel Place.[13] This production was taken in 2014 to Brisbane's QPAC with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under Johannes Fritzsch.[14]

Noonan will be the official ambassador to the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2014.[15]

Personal life

Noonan is married to Isaac Hurren, her longtime partner and collaborator in Elixir. They are parents to two sons.

Discography

Solo projects

Katie Noonan and The Captains

george

Elixir

Katie and Maggie Noonan

Paul Grabowsky and Katie Noonan

Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp

Guest vocals, duets and samples

Soundtracks and compilations

References

  1. ↑ ""Homebrew" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Biography". Katie Noonan. Katie Noonan. August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  3. ↑ "Elixir featuring Katie Noonan" by Jeanti St Clair, ABC North Coast NSW, 30 September 2011
  4. ↑ Jo Roberts (19 April 2002). "Bach's Bastard Son". The Age. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  5. ↑ http://auspop.blogspot.com/2011/06/katies-ripe-new-elixir.html
  6. ↑ Dennis Martin (29 January 2009). "Maggie and Katie Noonan". ABC Local. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  7. ↑ Michael Dwyer (24 November 2005). "Katie Noonan and Paul Grabowsky". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  8. ↑ Elliott, Tim (19 August 2008). "Lady's Night at the Beckoning Microphone". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  9. ↑ "Broad 2005". Broad Festival. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  10. ↑ Telstra "I Am Australian" Ad campaign featuring Katie Noonan on YouTube
  11. ↑ "Katie Noonan – Blackbird: The Music Of Lennon And McCartney". Katie Noonan on Discogs. Discogs. 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  12. ↑ Paul Cashmere (28 July 2013). "Kevin Rudd Announces Announces National Office For Live Music". Noise11. Noise11. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  13. ↑ Discover Britten with Katie Noonan, performance details, Sydney Symphony Orchestra
  14. ↑ Performance details, QPAC
  15. ↑ 5 Minutes With Katie Noonan, Adelaide Fringe

External links