Shiraz, aka Raz, sparkling songstress, harmony-queen, multi-instrumentalist, producer and musical chameleon extraordinaire, cheekily refers to her amazingly eclectic, genre-hopping and genre-blending music as wtf-alt-indie-folk-pop-rock-country-blues with a touch of soul, a taste of swing, a tang of Latin and a trace of funk. Shiraz will take you on a journey that will raise your spirits, capture your heart, soothe your mind and stir your imagination.
Hints of The Beatles, Crowded House, Eva Cassidy, Michelle Branch, Carol King, Carly Simon, Sheryl Crow, Missy Higgins, Regina Spektor, Jewel, Des'ree, Katie Melua, Aimee Mann, Dido, Joss Stone, Duffy and Adele can all, at times, be heard and felt in her unforgettable songs and live performances. But mostly, what you'll hear, feel and experience is uniquely and unmistakably, classic and classy Shiraz.
Shiraz’s musical development probably began in the womb, listening to Bach, Mozart and Beethoven delivered via headphones strapped to her mother's belly (strange parents, indeed, Mr Lennon). Her classical training continued with the piano at age 8 and, inspired by Boots Randoph and Lisa Simpson, the alto saxophone at age 9.
At the tender age of 14, Shiraz was selected to perform a duet with the late, great Wilson Pickett at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in front of over 8000 people and with the even greater Ray Charles, the king of Cool, Soul and R&B, listening in the wings. One to tell the grandchildren about.
In 2005, Shiraz was a music captain at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School where she played sax in the Jazz Band, Big Band and Symphonic Winds. Hoping to channel Keith Moon, she also played drums in the sensational and sassy, all-girl pop-rock band, The Rich Bitches.
From 2006 to 2009, Shiraz completed a full-time university degree in Music, Drama and Education, topping her final year in both Music and Drama. During this period, she somehow found the time to learn to play the guitar, to form her own band and to write, record and release a self-produced, 10-song demo album. She also sang and played alto sax, piano and blues harp in The Affordables, a Blues and Soul collective of some of Brisbane’s finest musicians.
Hints of The Beatles, Crowded House, Eva Cassidy, Michelle Branch, Carol King, Carly Simon, Sheryl Crow, Missy Higgins, Regina Spektor, Jewel, Des'ree, Katie Melua, Aimee Mann, Dido, Joss Stone, Duffy and Adele can all, at times, be heard and felt in her unforgettable songs and live performances. But mostly, what you'll hear, feel and experience is uniquely and unmistakably, classic and classy Shiraz.
Shiraz’s musical development probably began in the womb, listening to Bach, Mozart and Beethoven delivered via headphones strapped to her mother's belly (strange parents, indeed, Mr Lennon). Her classical training continued with the piano at age 8 and, inspired by Boots Randoph and Lisa Simpson, the alto saxophone at age 9.
At the tender age of 14, Shiraz was selected to perform a duet with the late, great Wilson Pickett at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in front of over 8000 people and with the even greater Ray Charles, the king of Cool, Soul and R&B, listening in the wings. One to tell the grandchildren about.
In 2005, Shiraz was a music captain at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School where she played sax in the Jazz Band, Big Band and Symphonic Winds. Hoping to channel Keith Moon, she also played drums in the sensational and sassy, all-girl pop-rock band, The Rich Bitches.
From 2006 to 2009, Shiraz completed a full-time university degree in Music, Drama and Education, topping her final year in both Music and Drama. During this period, she somehow found the time to learn to play the guitar, to form her own band and to write, record and release a self-produced, 10-song demo album. She also sang and played alto sax, piano and blues harp in The Affordables, a Blues and Soul collective of some of Brisbane’s finest musicians.
In 2010, Shiraz and her band staged a series of highly acclaimed, showcase gigs in Brisbane (Indooroopilly Hotel, The Zoo and Brisbane Powerhouse).
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2011 was literally a washout, a year of living out of a suitcase, after being flooded out of house-and-home by the great Wivenhoe Dam Fuck-Up.
But 2012 saw Shiraz back in her rebuilt home studio writing and recording a collection of 24 new vintage and cellar reserve songs for release over the next few years, beginning in 2015. You can watch and listen to all her new recordings here: Videos
But 2012 saw Shiraz back in her rebuilt home studio writing and recording a collection of 24 new vintage and cellar reserve songs for release over the next few years, beginning in 2015. You can watch and listen to all her new recordings here: Videos