Clare Reynolds
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | SELF
Music
Press
Ask Clare Reynolds where she wants to be in 30
years’ time and she doesn’t hesitate. “Releasing
album after album and doing world tours,” she
enthuses with the same passion she puts into
song.
The 25-year-old is living her dream, with the
contentment to prove it. Celebrating her first
album, Inside My Head, at her parents’ Sunshine
Beach home where the singer/songwriter grew
up, Clare soaks up the good times while her
focus remains fixed on her next move – trying
her hand (and her voice) in the United States
with boyfriend Daniel McGahan.
The self-described “relaxed Avril (Lavigne)”
and her beau, whose angelic voice you may
remember when he sang To Change This
World from the back of Steve Irwin’s ute at
the Crocodile Hunter’s memorial tribute, met
when Clare left school and was accepted into
the prestigious Queensland Conservatorium of
Music, known as ‘the Con’, in Brisbane.
The vote of confidence from Queensland’s
music elite came just two years after Clare had
started singing “seriously”. The lyricist credits
her parents, Jim and Feve Reynolds, for the
opportunity, explaining it was at the end of
Year 10 when she decided her future was in
music. The family initiated a switch of schools
from the sports-oriented Sunshine Beach High
School to Matthew Flinders College in Buderim
which had a strong music program.
“They’ve been so amazing,” the proud
daughter says wholeheartedly as I recall
the catchphrase she has on her myspace
homepage, ‘Live with passion’.
After graduating from Matthew Flinders
College, Clare, who had developed an interest
in musical theatre, auditioned for Queensland’s
foremost music school as well as QUT Drama.
She says she was “blown away” when she
became one of the youngest students at the
Con, studying classical and operatic voice.
Alongside vocal training, she found another
love that would outlast her four-year music
degree.
It has been nearly nine years since Clare
met second-year guitar student Daniel, who
produced and played most of the guitar on her
new album, and five years since she left the
Con. Together, they have managed to make a
living out of their passion in Brisbane – Clare
has had a long-standing residency with the
Sebel, formerly Carlton Crest, in Brisbane, while
Daniel has done a lot of work for the Irwins and
Australia Zoo – since. They have now sold their
cars to fund their trip to the US.
Keen to tap into Daniel’s new-found fan
base – more than 300 million people heard
him sing in the international broadcast from
the Crocoseum – and use the contacts they’ve
created in the industry, the pair will spend three
months in LA, Nashville and New York.
Clare, who describes her sound as “a relaxed
Avril with elements of Sheryl Crow and bits of
Jewel, Sarah McLachlan and Coldplay” (while
others will detect a hint of Natalie Imbruglia), is
delighted to have a new CD to take with her. “I
feel really inspired when I hear it,” she says. “The
title, Inside My Head, really works because it is
all of my thoughts in the last five to six years.
I’m really honest with what I say and how I sing,”
Clare says, unable to hide the stars in her eyes.
To hear Clare’s album, visit
www.myspace.com/clarereynoldsmusic
- Elizabeth Moore
Does the world have any more room for angel voiced songstresses? I certainly hope so because debut album “Inside My Head” by Clare Reynolds is a testament to what a sweet voice can do for your mood and heart. Think Sarah Maclaughlin but a tad bit more upbeat. The album has been five years in the making as Clare took time to live life and share her very real experiences with us. Her songwriting is clear and simple. Her voice is steady and beautiful. This is not an album for bitter hearts and minds. It’s for those that have learned from and are made happier by life’s lessons. The tracks that stood out to me were ‘Inside My Head’, ‘Time to Love’ and ‘Garden of Hope’. “Inside My Head” is a wonderfully strong first effort.
- Unsigned the Magazine - Corbyn Bricie May 2008
Wow - "Inside My Head" is an outstanding pop/adult rock CD that features the tremendous vocals of Clare Reynolds. Clare uses pitch-perfect vocals delivered with excellent emotion to provide a set of outstanding tracks. Her voice has a very enjoyable and natural quality. The musicianship and production on this CD match the quality of a top big-name CD, and are well-matched with Clare's vocal talent. This is a commercial, radio-ready CD that has a "wow" factor that we find in the initial independent recordings of some of today's big-name artists. The title track is a beautiful piano-based song that effectively uses dynamics and a powerfully-soft ending, to deliver a strong message. "Come Back" features a melodic and memorable chorus, nicely subtle harmonies, and a nice rhythmic groove. "Time for Love" is a powerful song with excellent depth and dynamics, on which Clare uses her impressive vocal range and a strong countermelody to accentuate the message. If you enjoy discovering outstanding vocalists, or enjoy pop/adult rock music that is appropriate for all ages, you will love this CD. - RadioIndy.com
Discography
'Inside My Head' - independently released in September 2007.
'Colour My Heart' - Released July 2011
Photos
Bio
Everything you need to know about Clare Reynolds is in her songs. She thinks in feelings and sees the world in stories. And then puts it into songs that make you feel you’ve been understood.
Her second album Colour My Heart is another independent release from this Australian singer/songwriter.
A lot has happened since Clare’s debut album Inside My Head. One song from the album was played on the hit TV show, Private Practice, and another was picked up for the official trailer of an Uma Thurman movie. There was a very romantic wedding to her Producer partner, Daniel McGahan (keep an ear out for a hidden song on the new album and you’ll feel like you were there). And then there was more travelling, some songwriting awards, and creative escapades with songwriters in London, Los Angeles and Nashville.
The album’s had quite a journey already. Tracks were written and recorded everywhere from a Nashville hotel room, a friend’s apartment in London, a Brisbane studio, and in a tropical hideout in the Noosa Hinterland amongst the sounds of the rainforest (and koalas mating at night!).
Some of the tracks took an internet ticket to London where Cliff Masterson, who has worked with Kylie Minogue, James Morrison, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber & Michael McDonald, was able to work his magic with the string arrangements. Also thanks to the internet, other tracks took the sound cloud to producer/songwriter Michael Flanders in Nashville where he laid down pedal steel and slide and sent them on their merry way home again.
‘Freedom’ will almost certainly become a theme song for anyone dreaming of a brave new beginning. The infectiously quirky pop of ‘I Love You’ is bound to become a favourite pick-me-up. ‘My Heart Aches For You’ captures the pain of lost love. ‘Save Your Heart’ was co-written with Eric Paslay who has been described as “what the future of country music sounds like.” Surprisingly, they’ve made a Nashville guitar seem like a perfectly matched backing singer rather than just another musical instrument. The piano-and-vocal stripped back elegance of ‘Where’s The Time Gone’ puts Clare’s soulful vocals centre stage and showcases her ability to write lyrics that are precisely what you’ve been thinking.
Colour My Heart will undoubtedly be one the most-played albums in your iTunes library. Check back here regularly to find out where to hear it live as Clare heads out on the road in the second half of the year.
- On January 15th 2009 Clare's song 'Don't Give Up' was featured on US hit TV show, ABC's 'Private Practice' and was a 3 minute feature montage. It is one of most watched shows in the US and on Thursday night was seen by over 9 million Americans on it's first airing alone. Other artists featured on the show include, The Foo Fighters, Amiee Mann, Wilco, James Blunt and SIA.
-In March 2008 Clare signed a licensing deal with Undercover Tracks, a Californian based licensing company for F&TV Sync.
-Clare has been selected Top 10 Best Live Artist in the Australian MusicOz Awards 2008.
-Clare has been awarded winning Finalist Runner-Up in the POP Category of The UK Songwriting Contest. Her song 'I Won't Break' scored a 9/10 by the International judges and has beaten over 6500 entries. Reynolds' was the only Australian songwriter in her category and one of the only Australians in the top 40 finalists across all categories.
-Clare has supported prominent Australian artists, Wendy Matthews and Vanessa Amorosi in 2008.
-The winner of SongwriterUniverse 'Song of the Month Contest for April 2008.
To read the feature article in the SongwriterUniverse online magazine written by industry guru Dale Kawashima. http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/contestwinner57-123.htm
-She was invited to showcase at the New Music West Festival in Vancouver Canada, where she performed 2 shows in May 2008.
-She was a nominee in the 2007 LA Music Awards which she attended in Hollywood.
-Semi-Finialist in the 2007 International Songwriting Competition where she was up against the likes of Abby Dobson, Kara Grainger, Lior Eskimo Joe and Clare Bowditch.
-She was featured as 2007 Runner Up for the "We are Listening UK" International Singer/Songwriter Awards.
-Received an Honorable Mention Winner in the 2007 USA Unisong International Contest.
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