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This folk inspired trio from Brisbane incorporates: Damien Murtagh (vocals, acoustic guitars and ukulele), Fflur Collier (vocal and percussion) and Simone Coleman (bass). Their music invites the listener to experience eloquent lyrics delivered through beautiful harmonies, floating over an earthy acoustic sound.
Sans Grenadine have been practicing in Damien’s lounge room in one way or another for over 4 years. Now it is time for the trio to get out of the house and into the music venues throughout Brisbane and beyond…
A long-time music devotee, Damien wrote his first song on a borrowed guitar, in a hotel room in Cork, Ireland. It was inspired by his frustration of being unable to meet an Irish person while out-on-the-town in Galway (he suspects they were all backpacking in Australia).
His first Woodford Festival experience inspired him to start writing music. The waves of talent and musicianship washed away the delusion that song writing was the domain of superhuman demigods. He promptly decided he had to learn an instrument, and the guitar it was.
Damien writes well-crafted and tender songs which weave effortlessly into the listener’s ear and linger. He is strong guitarist with a distinctive stage presence, which many of his friends attribute to his background as a teacher. If you can keep 30 adolescents wanting to learn, you can keep a room full of punters consumed in the performance.
Damien and Fflur first met at friend’s place in Maleny. At the time, Damien was part of a duo, which rapid expanded to a trio upon hearing Fflur’s stunning vocals. Her ethereal voice soars, lifting and caressing all listeners along a wondrous aural journey.
Fflur is a feisty redhead who grew-up singing along to vinyl copies of Fraggle Rock, ABC compilations for kids and the Stranglers. For her fifth birthday she was given Cyndi Lauper’s ‘She is So Unusual’ and hasn’t looked back. In a beach shack over tequila shots she formed her first band Drunken Funks with her old friends, Danni and Megs. Their first, and only, gig was at a talent quest in old castle theatre restaurant in Tugun, Gold Coast. Although the band didn’t last long, Danni is still an immense influence on Fflur. Music is a necessity for her. She connects with the way that musicians and poets use words and music to transport you another place and time, allowing you to feel.
The latest addition to the band comes in the form of Simone Coleman, a bassist who loves her low b sting on her five string bass. One night in Simone’s lounge room, Fflur and Damien knocked out some songs. The next day Simone rang asking if they wanted a new member. Simone adores the primal nature of her instrument. Living between rhythm and melody the bass gets in her guts and impassions her. She has vast, and decidedly un-folk-like, influences ranging from Korn to Marvin Gaye. When she first brought her bass to rehearsal there are an instant comfort and Sans Grenadine was born.
Fflur and Damien have performed together in different musical incarnations at the Powerhouse Sparks Bar, Indie Temple, Tongue and Groove, South’s Leagues Club, the Wow Festival as well as a number of chalkboard sessions at the Woodford Folk Festival.
In April, Sans Grenadine recorded their debut EP, under the watchful eye of the award winning Roz Pappalardo (Women in Docs). They're looking forward to releasing it.
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