Maureen O’Brien – Undercovered

Maureen O’Brien’s 6^th Album “UnderCovered” has been described as a quietly understated homecoming.  It  contains 11 original tracks plus a short prose against the acapella background of Mozart’s Dona Nobis Pacem. Typically, each song is message-driven as is typical of the folk genre, however this album cannot simply be categorised in the ‘folk’ category.  Once again, O’Brien blurs the boundaries between blues/jazz/contemporary folk/ folk-rock as she blends melodies, lyrics and tempo into an eclectic fusion of listening pleasure. She said at the time of its release;  “with this album I wanted to come back to an authentic sound – bring the music back home where it belongs, to the songwriting.

“Finally, I am at peace in my skin of Songwriter. Confident that I have nothing to prove.  My songs can stand the test of time for listeners who find what they seek…a song that has meaning to them alone.  What more can a Songwriter ask for?”

Style 
Contemporary singer/songwriter and touring performer, Maureen writes from the heart and sings it with passion. An interpretive vocalist, she has a rich, mellow vocal sound and selects material that best suits her vocal style. An evolving songwriter, her current work is a distinctive fusion of Jazz-Folk-Rock.

Performances
Maureen has performed in a variety of groups and duos as well as being an accomplished solo performer. Her performances occur in a wide variety of entertainment experiences such as:

• Tastings on the Terrace (Sunday afternoons in the  vineyards).
• Wine and food festivals.
• Music festivals.
• Restaurants, cocktail functions, ‘lounge bar’ music, restaurants, dinner/theatre shows.
• Dedicated concerts and Charity events/functions
• Parties and boutique music sessions.

Live performances with her support bands are dynamic. She likes to give her musicians ‘room to breathe’ so every performance reflects a freedom to explore different approaches to selected material. The line-ups vary as she selects musicians from an extensive pool of talent to suit individual gigs. Her solo performances are described as ‘warm and intimate’.

Material
As a songwriter Maureen writes from the heart and interprets from the soul. She has written and performed Classic Blues and Jazz, Folk-Rock, Jazz-Rock and Contemporary Folk and Blues genres. She has been a multi-finalist in the 1233 ABC Radio Newcastle Music Awards and her second album, Many Shades of Blue, was awarded the prestigious Trad&Now Magazine’s Best CD of 2006 in the Blues and Roots genre. Her third album, Luminous, and fourth album, Ebb & Flow,  received regular airplay throughout community stations across Australia via selection by AMRAP for Album of the Month awards. Tracks from Luminous have also been selected for airplay oversees.

She has recorded single and EP projects for fundraising events, and written and recorded Musical Scores for Theatre works.

Memberships
Maureen has been writing and performing for more than a decade and is a fully-fledged writer member of the industry association, Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA).

Performance History
As a full time musician and creative artiste, Maureen’s performance biography is too extensive to list here.  The fact that she is repeatedly invited back to perform at regular and annual events substantiates her establishment as a high quality entertainer.  If you are considering engaging her services, contact her direct for testimonials