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Shiraz (yes!, it's her real name) cheekily refers to her Crowded House inspired music as wtf-alt-indie-folk-pop-rock-country-blues with a touch of soul. Hints of Carol King, Carly Simon, Sheryl Crow and Missy Higgins can also sometimes be heard in her unforgettable songs. Shiraz will take you on a journey that will raise your spirits, capture your heart and stir your imagination.

Shiraz's musical development probably began in the womb, listening to classical music delivered via headphones strapped to her mother's belly. Her classical training continued with the piano at age 8 and the alto saxophone at age 9. Shiraz was a music captain at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School where she played in the Jazz Band, Big Band, Symphonic Winds and pop-rock band, in which she played drums.

Over the last two years, Shiraz has written over 20 new songs and learnt to play the guitar, and all while studying Drama and Music full-time at university. The songs have already attracted the interest of a major record label and a hit US TV show. "My cousin plays guitar in The Jakes, a band from Irvine, California. We sent a demo CD of some of my songs to a local radio station. It then somehow found its way to a US record label and to one of the music supervisors of a TV show. It's early days yet, we're just talking, but things look promising." Ten of the new songs have recently been released as demos on her websites where fans are been invited to choose her debut single by voting for their favourite song.

In response to overwhelming demand and to promote her new songs, Shiraz will be performing with her new band in and around Brisbane in 2010. In the meantime, she can sometimes be found singing and playing the alto saxophone and harmonica with the blues, jazz and soul band, The Affordables.

Special Show Review
Once in a blue moon, before a single note has been played or sung, you just sense that you're in for a special treat. Such was the anticipation last night as the house lights dimmed and Shiraz (my God!, she's even more beautiful than her publicity photos) and her band of seasoned musicians and backing singers drifted on stage to whoops of delight from the packed audience of invited family, friends, fans and yours truly. Without much ado and clearly delighted by their rapturous reception, the band launch into the welcoming All Together Now, a jaunty and catchy number that sets the scene for an evening of sing-a-longs, toe-tapping, wit, humour and general joie de vivre. There is an emotional intensity and sensitivity to Shiraz's beautifully crafted songs that draws the listener in, making you want to connect. She knows the power of appearing to confide her innermost thoughts to you and only you. Her devoted fans hang on every achingly honest word, smile or nod knowingly at every secret allusion and sob at every tug of the heart strings. One of the many highlights of the evening was the audience participation on the mesmorising Move With You, a tribal three-part harmony led by Shiraz. In between songs, Shiraz casually chats to the audience as if they were gathered round the piano in the family home. Throughout the entire show, there is a magical audience connection born of an unmistakeable air of confidence and charisma. And Shiraz's musicianship was equally impressive, moving seamlessly from piano to keyboards, to saxophone, to guitar and harmonica and back to the piano, all magnificently aided and abetted by a band of equally brilliant instrumentalists and backing singers, who were in particularly fine form. After almost two hours of non-stop entertainment, the set ends with a single song encore, one of only two covers of the evening, a stirring rendition of Cat Stevens' First Cut Is The Deepest. What this new convert has just witnessed is the kind of show that, in a few years time, when Shiraz is playing to sold out arenas, I'll be able to say "I was there." - James Peters