Rebecca Barnard

Rebecca Barnard

Rebecca Barnard singing at Royal Theatre, Canberra, in December 2011
Background information
Born December 1960
Occupation(s) Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, Guitar
Associated acts Rebecca's Empire

Rebecca Barnard (born December 1960) is a Melbourne-based Australian singer, songwriter and musician. She was the lead singer of Rebecca's Empire from 1994 to 2000, and has forged a solo career since her debut album, Fortified, was released in 2006. Her second solo album, Everlasting, was released in 2010. Barnard has a versatile musical range, delving into rock, pop, and jazz genres.

Barnard grew up listening to Gladys Moncrieff, Fats Waller, Pinetop Smith, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong. At 14, she became acquainted with Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. Rebecca Barnard is the daughter of Australian jazz drummer Len Barnard (once a member of the jazz band, Galapagos Duck). Her uncle is Bob Barnard, who is an accomplished Australian jazz trumpet and cornet stylist.

Barnard featured in the following Australian bands The Escalators (1982-1984), Black Coffee (and the Beans) (1985), Wayback 5 (1986), Romance Without Finance, Peaceful Anticipation Social Aid and Pleasure Club (1990), Stephen Cummings Band (1986 and 1990–91), Triple Peaks (1991), and the Rebecca Barnard Band (1992).

When songwriting became a focus, she founded the band Rebecca’s Empire. The band toured extensively, supported Billy Bragg on his Australian tour, released three EPs and two albums (Way of All Things in 1996, and Welcome in 1999) and appeared on the Triple J Hottest 100 albums three years in a row.[1] At this height of popularity, Barnard had her own cooking segment on Triple J called Pot of Rock.

Rebecca’s Empire disbanded in 2000 when the duties of being a mother took priority (Barnard gave birth to a son, Harry, in 1996). During this time, Barnard appeared on recordings by Paul Kelly, Tim Rogers, Renée Geyer, Deborah Conway, The Meanies, Warped and The Audreys.

Solo career

She has recorded two solo albums, namely Fortified (2006)[2] and Everlasting (2010). Barnard is known for her personal and heartfelt lyrics.[3] Both her albums are on her own record label, Ladybird and distributed by Shock Records.

Fortified (2006)

Fortified was co-produced by Barnard and her then partner, Shane O'Mara, and recorded at their home studio Yikesville. Fortified featured various Melbourne musicians such as Lisa Miller (backing vocals), Tim Rogers (backing vocals), Peter Jones (drums), Michael Barker of the John Butler Trio (drums) and Snout’s Ross McLennan (bass). The album contains tracks penned by Barnard and co-writers including Dr. Rosemary Milne, who created the lyrics to the theme of Play School, on the song called I Hurt (a track about the dark side of love). Fortified features one cover song, the Bob Dylan song Boots of Spanish Leather. The album is lead with the exuberant track, Keep Smiling - a song that deals with a long-standing relationship (either family or a friend) and the feeling of being so close, disassociated, and feeling out of control as you get older ("who would have guessed, we would be such a mess...down the track").

Everlasting (2010)

The emotive Everlasting was recorded in New York (at Tony Bennett's studio) during a two-week stint of recording in 2008, with the help of jazz pianist Barney McAll, a long-time friend of Barnard and the first album without the assistance of Shane O'Mara. Rebecca Barnard co-produced this album with Barney McAll, which deals with issues of loss and love. The track Everlasting deals with the death of her father, jazz musician, Len Barnard. Everlasting includes some mature pop songs infused with jazz, such as Born In A Shirt (a Russian metaphor for being born lucky).[4] The tracks were all written by Barnard, except the track Seasong which is cover of a track by Robert Wyatt. The album has been predominately promoted by Barnard herself due to the lack of a promotional budget.[5] Everlasting was made with the assistance of a VicARTS grant. Rebecca has said "How incredible that we live in a society, where most of us are to be free to be. The government giving a 49 year old woman money to write and record music. There are thousands of women out there deserving of this. Women that struggle with the constant dilemma of creativity versus motherhood, hormonal weirdness, ageing parents, trying to be everything to everyone."[6] The album has received favourable reviews.[7]

Soundtracks

In 2013, Rebecca Barnard contributed to "The Boy Castaways" movie soundtrack with the song "I Know Where You're Going". The film featured Paul Capsis, Tim Rogers and Megan Washington. The film was directed by Michael Kantor.

Touring

Rebecca Barnard is known for her warm personality and humour, and she couples this with her emotive performances. She tours frequently (particularly in Melbourne), but also takes part in various festivals and gigs throughout Australia.

In 2015, Rebecca Barnard is touring with the band "Rebecca & The Romantics" where she is singing a selection of jazz standards.

Television Appearances

Rebecca Barnard has appeared on RocKwiz (an Australian music focussed TV show) in 2005, 2006 and 2009. She has also appeared on another music oriented music quiz show, Spicks and Specks in 2009. In 1998, Barnard appeared on the Good News Week show, hosted by Paul McDermott.

Philanthropy

Barnard has been a much loved figure of the Melbourne music community, where she runs songwriting workshops for girls in the Melbourne western suburbs.[8]

She is a founding member of the Mirabel Foundation, which works to assist children who have been orphaned and abandoned due to parental drug use.[9]

Barnard also conducts songwriting workshops with intellectually disabled adults in Ballarat (who have recently formed a band, the Funky Turtles) and at the Footscray Community Arts Centre with a Sudanese Choir.[10]

In 2011, Rebecca Barnard released a CD and download single called "A Mother Weeps" (with the Models Super Orchestra), featuring Cal McAlpine (drums), Mark Ferrie (bass), Billy Miller (lead guitar/harmony), Sean Kelly (rhythm guitar/harmony), Andrew Duffield (piano/harmony) and Jack Howard (trumpet/harmony). All profits of the single went to Cancer research. The motivation of the single, was due to the death of Gabby Larkin that died at the age of 16 from an extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer.

Discography

Solo Albums

Album Release Date Catalogue Number Producer AUS (ARIA) Chart
Fortified 3 April 2006 LADYBIRD1 Rebecca Barnard & Shane O'Mara -
Everlasting 7 May 2010 LADYBIRD2 Rebecca Barnard & Barney McAll -

Albums with Rebecca's Empire

Album Year Record Company and Catalogue Number Producer AUS (ARIA) Chart
Way of All Things 1996 Eternity Recordings/Polydor (Australia) 5279802 Shane O'Mara -
Welcome 1999 Festival B0000506O4 Shane O'Mara -

Collaborations

Rebecca has appeared on the following artists/various albums:

References

  1. ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/rage/guest/1999/rebecca.htm Rage, 25 September 1999
  2. ↑ "There's a bear in there... and some sex as well". The Age. 2 July 2006.
  3. ↑ "Rebecca Barnard tapping a song stream ahead of music feast by Julie Irwin". Preston Leader. 23 June 2011.
  4. ↑ http://www.uctv.fm/site/play/15-Rebecca-Barnard-USessions=USessions - Rebecca Barnard
  5. ↑ "Building an Empire". The Weekly Review. 23 July 2010.
  6. ↑ {Everlasting liner notes}
  7. ↑ http://www.thedwarf.com.au/nd/albumreviews/rebecca_barnard_everlasting = The Dwarf.com.au, Everlasting Review, 2 June 2010
  8. ↑ "Sing out sisters". The Age. 22 October 2007.
  9. ↑ http://www.mirabelfoundation.org.au/about-us/mirabel-its-people = The Mirabel Foundation
  10. ↑ http://wheelercentre.com/calendar/presenter/rebecca-barnard/ = The Wheeler Centre