MONIQUE CLARE EPK

Wielding a cello and strikingly crafted vocals, Monique Clare delivers intrepid, cathartic and mesmerising indie-folk. Having toured internationally with The Maes and played with everyone from Kate Miller-Heidke to Eminem, her 2022 debut ‘Sight’ tracks a journey through trauma and pain to beauty and love, and has earned her a QLD Music Award and four stars from Rhythms Magazine.

SHORT (75 WORDS)

Wielding a cello and strikingly crafted vocals, indie-folk songwriter Monique Clare embodies the cathartic lyricism of Björk with the rhythmic energy of Crooked Still. Her disarmingly candid stage presence is born from years of international touring with The Maes and session work for everyone from Kate Miller-Heidke to Eminem. With a smile as wide as the Cheshire cat's, and an audacious tendency to reveal her deepest secrets onstage, her live show is adventurous and mesmerising.

MEDIUM (125 WORDS)

Wielding a cello and strikingly crafted vocals, Monique Clare delivers indie-folk laced with chamber pop. Driving rhythms collide with intricate cello lines; heart-tugging harmonies are woven through compelling vocals. Raised by classical musicians, steeped in folk tradition and influenced by artists like Björk and Joanna Newsom, her live show is mesmerising, cathartic and offbeat. Monique's intrepid nature has seen her teach cello in war-torn Afghanistan, lead groups up a dark mountainside for sunrise concerts, and jump on stage to play with world-class artists from Kate Miller-Heidke to Eminem. Having spent 2021 crafting and releasing international collaborations through Global Music Match and Folk Music Canada, her debut album ‘Sight’ was released in 2022.

LONG (169 WORDS)

Wielding a cello and strikingly crafted vocals, indie folk songwriter Monique Clare embodies the cathartic lyricism of Björk with the rhythmic energy of The Waifs. Driving rhythms collide with heart-tugging harmonies; compelling vocals are laced with intricate cello lines. Her disarmingly candid stage presence is born from years of touring the US, UK, Ireland and Canada with The Maes and playing cello for everyone from Kate Miller-Heidke to Eminem. Featured on ABC’s The Music Show, described as a “laudable and overdue debut” by Listening Through The Lens and earning her a QLD Music Award, her debut album ‘Sight’ was released in 2022 and tracks a journey through trauma and pain to growth and love. Monique's intrepid nature has seen her teach cello in war-torn Afghanistan, lead audiences up a dark mountainside for sunrise concerts, and represent Australia at the World Expo in Dubai. With a smile as wide as the Cheshire cat's, and an audacious tendency to reveal her deepest secrets onstage, her live show is offbeat and mesmerising.

FULL (386 WORDS)

Wielding a cello and strikingly crafted vocals, Monique Clare delivers indie-folk laced with chamber pop. Driving rhythms collide with intricate cello lines; heart-tugging harmonies are woven through compelling vocals. Her lyrics speak to the ruminations of her generation and dive deep into the universal experiences of love and loss. Her disarmingly candid stage presence is born from years of international touring with The Maes and session work for everyone from Kate Miller-Heidke to Eminem. With a smile as wide as the Cheshire cat’s, and an audacious tendency to reveal her deepest secrets onstage, her live show is cathartic, adventurous and mesmerising. She draws listeners into her storytelling, sifting through the raw, the imperfect and the unspoken. Always seeking connection, she craves the rush of an intimately honest performance.

Raised by a singer and a pipe organist who shared a mutual love of Bach, Gregorian chant and French Impressionist harmony, Monique grew up in a habitat of choirs, surrounded by immersive walls of sound. On top of this musical upbringing is an array of experiences as a multi-genre session musician. From touring internationally with Melbourne outfit The Maes, to being a hired gun for world-class artists such as Kate Miller-Heidke, The Whitlams, Katie Noonan and Eminem, to accompanying legendary fiddle player Darol Anger, she’s absorbed a set of entirely divergent genres and approaches to music. Playing on stages like the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Woodford Amphitheatre and the Orkney Folk Festival with these artists has given her an unshakable stage presence that she carries into her own shows. Monique's fearless and intrepid nature craves adventure, from teaching cello in war-torn Afghanistan to leading groups of listeners up a mountainside in the dark for mountaintop sunrise concerts.

2021 saw Monique represent Australia at the World Expo in Dubai, record and release an international co-write with Amanda Rheaume in a project supported by Folk Music Canada, and produce collaborations with musicians from around the world as part of Global Music Match. Her album ‘Sight’ was released in 2022, debuting at #11 on the AIR independent charts and featuring on ABC’s The Music Show.

PHOTO GALLERY

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QUOTES

“Bold, clever and vivid… icicle sharp vocals”

- BMA Magazine

"Her raw and honest lyrics (spoke) to each person in the audience".

- CutCommon Magazine

“Monique takes her years of music training and her brilliantly quick and creative mind and delivers a performance that is stunning to fans of any music genre. Her songs are intimate and soaring - both sonically and lyrically, and her stage presence is pure joy".

- Matt Smith, Folk Alliance International president

"Absolutely delicious"

-Wendy Harmer, ABC Sydney

"Beautiful, dark, and alluring"

- Nkechi, Triple J

“A unique sound that is getting much attention”

- Bellbottom Magazine

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2024 Danny award recipient at Celtic Connections, Scotland
2024 Official showcase artist at Showing Roots, Ireland
2023 Australian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Album Of The Year
2023 National Live Music Awards finalist for Best Live Instrumentalist
2023 Queensland Music Award for Contemporary Classical Song Of The Year
2022 Interviewed on ABC’s The Music Show
2022 ‘Sight’ debuts at #11 on the AIR independent albums chart
2022 Festival appearances: Queenscliff Music Festival, Caloundra Music Festival, River Folk Festival, Tablelands Folk Festival, Rockhampton River Festival, the Goats Acoustic Sessions, Brisbane Festival.
2022 Featured in an interview on ABC’s The Music Show
2021 Invited to perform at the World Expo in Dubai
2021 Invited to co-write and release a song with indigenous Canadian artist Amanda Rheaume, in a project funded by Folk Music Canada
2021 Selected by Sounds Australia to participate in Global Music Match
2020 Official showcase artist at Folk Alliance Exchange Conference, Geelong
2020 cellist and backing vocalist for Kate Miller-Heidke at Eurovision: Australia Decides broadcast live on SBS
2017-2020 solo performances at Woodford Folk Festival 2017, Port Fairy Folk Festival 2018, the National Folk Festival 2018, Blue Mountains Music Festival 2018, Fairbridge Folk Festival 2019, Mullum Music Festival 2019 and Cygnet Folk Festival 2020
2019 cellist and backing vocalist for The Maes on tour in Australia, Canada, the USA, UK and Ireland
2019 cellist for Eminem at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
2019 Official showcase artist at Folk Alliance International Conference, Montreal
2018 Official showcase artist at Folk Alliance International Conference, Kansas City
2018 Toured internationally as part of The Maes, including Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Orkney Folk Festival
2017 showcase artist at Australian Music Week
2017 Ros Hales Award for Women in Music
2017 Released debut EP, which exceeded its target through a Pledgemusic campaign
2017 Folk Alliance Australia Young Artist of the Year
2017 Grant recipient from the Williamson Foundation for Music, to attend Sierra Fiddle Camp in the USA
2017 QUBE Effect finalist
2012-2017 performances at Woodford Folk Festival, the National Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, the National Celtic Festival, Dorrigo Folk Festival, Newstead Live Music Festival and more with previous projects the Mulberry Collective and Rhiannon & Monique
2015 Grant recipient, QLD Gov Individuals Fund & Australia Council Development Grant, for professional development in the USA
2015 Vada Jefferies Prize winner, for best performance of solo Bach (Queensland Conservatorium)
Griffith Award for Academic Excellence in Bachelor of Music
2014 Performance at the Sydney Opera House in the Australian Youth Orchestra
2013 Golden Fiddle Award for Youth Achievement, as Rhiannon & Monique
2012 Folk Alliance Australia Youth Artist of the Year, as Rhiannon & Monique
2011 Australian Society for Music Education composition competition winner: sacred music division

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