Suzannah Espie was born in England, brought up in WA and found
herself in Melbourne at 18. Studying composition at LaTrobe
Uni, she graduated with distinction and has spent the subsequent
years forgetting most of what she learned.
" Everything I sing is from my heart, " she says, and those lucky
souls who have floated on Suzannah's sound through the days of GIT
and The Last Word would certainly swear to that. Ms Espie sings her
songs honestly, with art but no artifice, and her voice is so rich
and satisfying, so musical, that little else is needed. Her original
songs brim with soul and country attitude, mixing her keen eye with
her gentle heart; they ring with conviction and warmly wrap the
listener in tenderly observed, sweetly rendered experience.
Suzannah and pianist Andrew 'Big Boy Lemonade' Ogburn received Australia's
highest blues accolade recently, winning the MBAS Blues Performer of the Year Award and flying to Memphis, Tennessee, to represent their country
amongst 200-odd finalists from around the world. Although not
reaching the last round, judges in the competition praised the duo
warmly and commended Suzannah's performance on a number of levels.
Whilst in the USA, Suzannah was able to visit the church of soul
legend Al Green, and witnessed a service there, which she says, "
reminded me of how much the sheer joy of music means to me."
Currently touring and recording with The Last Word, a five piece band
equally adept in the fields of country, blues and soul, Suzannah will
release her second album this year, and plans to tour Australia and
to return overseas to promote it.
About "A Few More Days"...
On A FEW MORE DAYS, hear the intriguing new voice of SUZANNAH ESPIE, a voice that is at once as smooth as a Southern Belle's taunt and as strong as a front bar fist.
Some may have heard of Suzannah Espie as one of the three-part harmonisers from country-rock outfit GIT. The Gitgals recorded several successful albums earlier in the naughties, including the centrepiece FLOWERS, amd a collaboration with US guitar legend Bill Kirchen on SATELLITE. GIT were festival favourites in Australia and toured several times in the US where, for one South-by-Southwest in particular, the band was the toast of Texas.
Now, SUZANNAH ESPIE has emerged as an astounding singer and songwriter in her own right. Her performances are mesmerising: you are lulled by a softness in her voice and then punched in the nose with its sassy strentgh. And the songs themselves are also strong. Suzannah has credits on the sountrack to the film LOOK BOTH WAYS and the TV show LAST MAN STANDING. Alongside her band THE LAST WORD, Suzannah's songs have acquired both the grittiness of the inner-city and the openness of country Australia.
"On a Few More Days (her) voice is a real surprise. (She sounds) like a white soul singer." Inpress Magazine
"Suzannah's songs are the standouts. Just check out "I Don't Know if You're the One" - a stunning piece of work" - Jeff Jenkins, Triple R
"It's not easy to deliver such traditional, cry-into-your-beer type stuff with enough personality to prevent it from sounding stale and awkward. Thanks to Espie's golden tonsils, A Few More Days pulls it off, gracefully bridging the span between a rural Tennessee beer barn and a Melbourne pub." Rhythms Magazine
"Suzannah Espie has proved beyond a doubt at ther album launch...that she's got one hell of a voice and she's not afraid to use it. Ranging from gentle ballads to flat-out soul belters that blew the lid off the joint. Suzannah and her band, the awesomely talented, tight and just right Last Word turned on one of the gigs of the year!" Cheap Thrills Magazine
"The live takes errupting with vitality, Espie's voice swings between commanding and tender as she stamps her identity on a selection of covers and originals" Inpress Magazine
I am back in Melbourne on Wednesday night for a very special
performance with the immortal Victoria Williams. We are playing The
Empress Hotel in Fitzroy. It starts at 8:00pm. So come on down and
spend an evening with us before Victoria bids Australia a reluctant
fare-the-well and heads back home to the beautiful expanse of the
Californian desert …
My debut single ROLLIN' IN THE HEY is currently #83 on the Music Row Breakout Chart and is poised to move into the top 75 WITH A BULLET!!!. Request it at your local radio station today and CLICK ON THE ALBUM COVER BELOW TO BUY THE ENTIRE CD FOR A LIMITED TIME FOR ONLY $5.00.
Hi there, we're heading over to Melbourne town this Saturday 4th July for a show at Northcote Social Club with Skipping Girl Vinegar. Hope you can make it!
BLACK ROBOT Debut CD!! Featuring the singles "Baddass", "Cocaine" and "I'm in Love".
ALREADY AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.com!!! & your digital copy on iTunes!
Early reviews say: From the opening AC/DC inspired groove of “Cocaine” , a wickedly arranged cover of J.J. Cale’s narcotic classic, Black Robot serves instant notice with their self-titled debut that not only do they have it, they damn near destroyed the laboratory to get it. This mechanical/musical beast was conceived and constructed for the divine, ultimate destruction of brain cells, ear fibers and false perceptions about what it truly means to rock as if our very survival as a race depended on it. -Lonn Friend
I'm really excited to have uploaded to myspace my first
video! It's called 'A Day At The Country
Show'. I'd love you to check it out and
let me know what you think.
I'm really excited to have uploaded to myspace my first
video! It's called 'A Day At The Country
Show'. I'd love you to check it out and
let me know what you think.
Haha! Soon as you want it! It's full on. It's called Always Too Soon and you will rock it's arse off. Hope you do it cause you'll do it justice. It's high drama tho. It's about death, letting go of this life & venturing into the next. I guess you could say it's a soul song about the soul. The soul journey. Cant get much more soul that that baby
Hi suzannah - fantastic interview on Twang and gorgeous singing. I am so loving your music, totally entranced by your voice. Congratulations on the well deserved success of your fabulous new CD. love, Rosie
Congtats on awesome launch Espie! You truly deserve it, girl. Awesome album. Got a real thrill when I heard it was a success. Sorry I couldn't be there but by the sound of it I wouldn't have been able to fit in the door! xxx
You slayed us a few weeks back Suzannah. There were real tears in hard-bitten punters' eyes. Bloody knockout. Can't wait for the Junes next month. Much love, Ben, Liss and Darcy Quinn and the Junkyard locals
Thanks coming over and visiting JAZZ BLUES FLORIDA, Florida’s online guide to live jazz and blues! We need all the good friends we can find to support good music, so sure to come back again to see what is happening. Our other friends are the best of performers, venues and fans, so take a look and make a lot of new and interesting friends…Please stop by and check us out at www.JazzBluesFlorida.com for state-wide show and club listings