Wendy Rule
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Music
Press
If twilight has a voice, then that voice is Wendy Rule. TO hear her sing is to move from the comfortable world of electric light and synthetic darkness into someplace more primal. There's an implacable quality to that voice - a wilderness where nurture and terror combine. Wendy's art goes beyond the trite pretenses of Goth or Folkishness. Her voice can shift from maiden to crone in a single note, and although the emotional texture of her work seems melancholy, it's too rich to be so narrowly defined.
In person she cuts a flamboyant figure. A gypsy pirate mama with juicy curves and plenty of attitude.
- BBI Media
Every so often Melbourne throws up a singular talent, someone previously hidden amongst the well-established musical tribes, someone possessed of a unique vision. Wendy Rule, the vocalist, songwriter and visionary behind this remarkable album, is such and artist. - Furst Publishers
.Dark, sensual, sonic theatre...compelling stuff. – - ACP Magazines
Fans of this talented Melbourne singer find her little short of mesmerising… Rule drags you from one end of the spectrum to the other, plunging into dark despair before dragging you back into brilliant sunshine. - The Herald and Weekly Times
Blessed by a voice that purrs and soars…. - Fairfax General Magazines
Discography
Full Length Studio Albums
2010 Guided By Venus
2006 The Wolf Sky
2003 The Lotus Eaters
2000 World Between Worlds
1998 Deity
1996 Zero
Collaborations and Side Projects
2009 Beneath the Below is a River (with Craig Patterson)
2007 Meditations on the 4 Elements
2004 A Night of Jazz with Wendy Rule and Friends
2004 Deep Within a Faerie Forest (with Gary Stadler. Sequoia Records CA)
Other Works
2008 Soundrack for Short Film Hugo, directed by Nicholas Verso. Screened at Cannes, Rhode Island, and Palm Springs
film festivals. (Collaboration with Craig Patterson).
2000 An Underworld Journey (Video release of a musical/ theatrical performance)
1997 Live album ,
1996 Continental Isolation (three track CD single)
1999 Artemis (four track CD single)
Photos
Bio
Wild, passionate and empowering, Australian Visionary Songstress Wendy Rule, weaves together music, mythology and ritual to take her audience on an otherworldly journey of depth and passion. Drawing on her deep love of Nature and lifelong fascination with the worlds of Fairy Tale and Magic, Wendy’s songs combine irresistible melodies with rich aural textures and a rare personal honesty.
With the recent release in May 2010 of her latest full length studio album, Guided by Venus, Wendy has firmly established herself as one of Australia’s most uniquely gifted and prolific artists. With an extraordinary voice that moves from soaring heights to intimate whispers, Wendy explores all facets of the emotional world. Darkness and light, night and day, life and death are equally honoured.
Dedicated to a life of spiritual growth and healing, Wendy shares her insights and wisdom through beautifully deep and visionary lyrics. Each of her albums is a transformational journey that weaves together ancient mythological themes and Wendy’s own stories of love, loss, grief and joy. Her voice floats over otherworldly soundscapes of guitar, cello, piano, vibraphone, violin and percussion. The results are epic, unique and powerful. Her latest album, Guided by Venus, takes a more tender and introspective approach than her previous works. Dark and dreamy, it gently explores the oceanic realm of Love in all its many forms. A truly beautiful addition to her impressive catalogue of over a dozen releases, the album is an exciting celebration of Wendy’s evolution and growth as an artist.
But it is in her live performances that we are fully able to experience the full power of Wendy’s art. Every concert becomes a ritual, co-created by Wendy and her audience. From her intimate solo acoustic House Concerts, to her large scale events with a full band and string section, Wendy brings a unique magic to the stage. Dressed in beautiful costumes, she begins each concert with a blessing to the Earth and the 4 Elements before sharing her songs and the stories behind them. Always open and honest with her audience, she moves from intense passion to joyful playfulness, creating a deeply moving and sacred connection.
Since she first graced her High School stage at the age of 15, Wendy has been passionately dedicated to live performance. After honing her craft as a singer in various jazz outfits in Melbourne in her early 20’s, she went through a creative epiphany at the age of 25, after the birth of her son, and began writing prolifically. This led to her collaboration with long term musical partner and close friend, cellist Rachel Samuel. After various band incarnations and innumerable gigs in Melbourne’s thriving live music scene, her first album Zero was released in 1996.
For the next 5 years Wendy toured Australia extensively. In 2001 she stepped on to the international stage, with concerts across the UK, Europe and USA. Since then she has toured internationally at least once each year. 2010 will mark her 17th tour of the USA! With a steady flow of album releases, Wendy continues to take her music to her ever growing audience. Finding a strong and supportive fan base in America, she is now sharing her time between Australia and the USA.
Fiercely independent, Wendy has carved a unique path through the musical mainstream. Renowned for years amongst the world’s alternative spiritual communities, she is now deservedly gaining a much broader following. Her unique live performances and her beautifully atmospheric and richly emotive songs continue to entice an ever growing audience into her magical realm.
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