Biography

 

In 2010, Katy Wren presents her much-anticipated debut album, following the digital release of her debut EP Letters Unsent in 2007.  The new album entitled Human features a rich collection of sassy hip swinging grooves, lovelorn ballads, stirring folk-pop featuring lapsteel hooks, sweeping backing vocal layers, and gorgeous strings; reminiscent of folk pop of the late 60s and early 70s, and even eastern inspired trance-like meditations set to organically created, hypnotic electronic pulses.The album was co-produced by Katy Wren and Nick Mainsbridge (Max Sharam, Ratcat, The Triffids), and is truly a diverse and yet thematically unified affair; and one that immediately captivates a listener.

Says Katy Wren of Human: "With this album, I was exploring the idea that ‘we’re all human’, we’re all ultimately the same, and that we want simply to love and be loved, no matter what mask we wear at different times. I chose to reach out to people with the thought of ‘well, who are we really?’ and at first; the record name Universal Human, became the fastest way for me to start planting that thought in people’s minds. Then I realized that just the word Human said it all”.

 On Human, Katy Wren writes all the material and handles all lead and harmony vocals as well as playing guitar, banjo, bowed sitar and writing all of the record’s arrangements, including all string arrangements and accompanying melodies. Guest players include Leon Kelly (Greenland), Shetdog Stephens (Erratic), Dave Marsalis, Greg Royal, Damian Press & Chris Kolias (Expatriate), Sam Hawkesly, Rob Shannon, Paul Miskin (Tall Tales & True), Mary BudimIr (Deprogram) and many more. The album also features two tracks that were co-produced Katy & Damian Press (Expatriate,  Ginsberg Studios) – including the second single to be released from the album; Summertime Science, as well as production contributions from Daniel Denholm and co-write/ arrangement contributions from Leon Kelly.

 Katy continues, “The album crosses a sonic landscape taking in the musical styles I’m currently passionate about to reach a cohesive whole. Some of the production benchmarks we used included music by Mazzy Star, Martha Wainwright, Imogen Heap, Nitin Sawhney, Feist, Ryan Adams combined with some classics like Percy Faith, George Harrison, Bob Dylan & Norah Jones. We started slowly tracking the album around 2007, so it’s been a sometimes long but nevertheless exciting process. And now I’m happy to let go, it’s free to go out there and communicate with other humans, goodness knows I’ve communicated with it enough!”

 Human was recorded and mixed at Sydney’s Q Studios, Big Jesus Burger,  The Anthouse, Sun Studios, Nick Mainsbridge’s BeatRoute Studios, and Damian Press’s Ginsberg Studios between 2006 and 2008.

Katy Wren’s co-writes and session work

A respected and prolific session singer within the music industry, Katy Wren sang backing vocals on Jimmy Little's 2001 single Bury Me Deep In Love which appeared on his album, Resonate. She also sang on another version of the song alongside Kylie Minogue for the Corroborations album of black and white Australian music. More recently, she contributed backing vocals on The Whitlams’ album, Torch the Moon. Katy Wren regularly sings for TV commercials and film soundtracks and recently held tenure on Friday nights performing with the house band on ABC Television’s Strictly Dancing.

Katy first came to the attention of Sydney’s music lovers after as vocalist for Iliad, an understated and moody band that drew on a mixture of rock, folk and blues. A favourite on the live circuit, Katy gathered praise with Iliad, including, “An awesome display by the female singer whose voice was mountainous, windswept and wonderful,” from Beat Magazine.

When Katy Wren isn’t working on her own solo material, she can be found singing and performing with many well regarded Sydney bands including Greenland & funk and dance group; Erratic. Signed to Phantom Records, the band recently released their third album with Peter 'Reggie' Bowman (Preshrunk, Southern Sons). The lead track from Erratic’s 2005 EP Escalar was co-written by Katy and received wide airplay on Triple J and FBi radio. Sydney’s 3D World Magazine said of Katy’s contribution to Erratic’s second album, Realist 2008: “Her fiery, sexy voice, with its rap/sing song style makes the song the stand out on Realist. The attitude she oozes when she spits "that's right baby, I'm a natural wonder" will definitely have you hitting repeat.”

Jazz

Katy Wren also plays regularly as a member of the The Blue Moon Quartet, a meeting of two very different but very compatible musical personalities, Katy Wren and Bobby Gebert, pianist, composer, musical director and one of Australian Jazz’s founding fathers. The Blue Moon Quartet rose from the ashes of one of Sydney’s favourite Jazz bands - Giant Steps, who held down the job as house band at Sydney’s The Opera Bar from 2002-2007 as well as starring at hundreds of private and corporate affairs during their 15 year history. Now with the welcome addition of Katy Wren on Vocals, a new collection of songs and a new name, The Blue Moon Quartet continues the residency and delivers a new sound to Australia’s musical landscape.

Film

Always keeping busy with a multitude of musical projects, Katy Wren also composes and produces original soundtrack music for short films and television commercials. Katy's score music has crossed many genres from classical to brit pop to very quirky and very creepy. This has included music for a number of projects written and directed by Tropfest finalist: Annabel Osborne as well as up and coming Director; Pauline Findlay which have been screened at film festivals in Sydney, Melbourne, Canada, UK, France and the US. Katy’s TV commercial composition and performance work includes music for Mitsubishi and Birds Eye.

Tertiary Education & Growing Up

Before attaining an Associate Diploma studying performing arts; acting, dance and theatre as well as film making/directing at UNSW as well as various short acting diplomas at NIDA, Katy started composing, performing and recording all her work at home at 5 years old with whatever media was available(usually a tape recorder!). Wren’s teenage years were fuelled by an eclectic range of influences from Nina Simone, Robert Johnson, Led Zeppelin and Bjork through to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Kristin Hersh, PJ Harvey, Radiohead and Smashing Pumpkins. But it was her parents' & grandparents’ record collections that launched Wren’s interest in music. Henry Mancini, Ennio Morricone, Burt Bacharach, George and Ira Gershwin, Peggy Lee, The Beach Boys, John Denver, Glen Campbell, Joni Mitchell, Ricki Lee Jones, Johnny Mathis, Doris Day and The Eagles figured heavily in the mix alongside Santana, to which Wren auspiciously learned to sing by vocalizing the guitar parts!

Live audiences are taken on an exquisite journey with both Wren’s solo and ensemble band performances. Her mesmerizing voice carries the listener away to a peaceful world of dusty mornings, rainy afternoons and starry nights.