Rebecca Moore – Closing the Distance

Singer and guitarist Rebecca Moore is a highly original and imaginative songwriter whose musical style is described as traversing the plains between Led Zeppelin’s Battle of Evermore and Stevie Nicks’ Gold Dust Woman. In March 2011 she released the Closing the Distance EP at the Sydney Opera House supporting UK world music super group the Afro Celt Sound System.

Rebecca has recently returned from Europe, where she released her Closing the Distance EP at folk clubs and festivals. Rebecca was a nominee for the 2012 Musicoz World/Folk Award. In 2010 she was a finalist in the Toyota Star Maker Competition. She was nominated Best Female Vocalist and Top 5 Blues and Roots Award Finalist in the ABC Newcastle Music Awards. Amongst many other award placing/nominations, in 2001 she won the APRA Professional Development Award in the Rock category.

Driven both by her music and a strong social conscience, Rebecca is co-coordinating a series of concerts to generate funds for Burmese children orphaned by the devastating Cyclone Nargis of 2008. These orphans attend the Phaung Daw Oo Orphanage in Mandalay, which supports over 7000 children, and provides one proper meal every day for street kids. In 2010 Rebecca toured Australia towing a caravan 11,000 km on her own. This national tour raised over $7,000 for lost children of Burma. In total, the concert series and the donations from the tour combined, have gathered funds in excess of $15,000.

Some career highlights to date:

Nominated World/Folk Award 2012 Musicoz Awards

Recorded new album with Afro Celt Sound System producer Martin Russell in London 2011/2012

Raising money for Burmese Orphans through the Burmese Orphans Concert Series

Nominated Best Female Vocalist 2008 ABC Newcastle Music Awards

Finalist in the Toyota Starmaker Competition in 2010

Supported the Afro Celt Sound System at the Sydney Opera House 2011

APRA Professional Development Award in the Rock category

Nominated Top 5 Blues and Roots Finalist 2004 ABC Newcastle Music Awards

Grand Finalist Melbourne Songwriting Awards 2009

Winner People’s Choice Awards Good Folk Song Comp Melbourne 2006

Supported the John Butler Trio, Xavier Rudd and Archie Roach

Released The Uluru Concept Album, The Butterfly Catcher EP and the Closing the Distance EP

Played at The Falls Festival, Cygnet Folk Festival, Newcastle Blues Festival, Yackandandah Folk Festival, Cobargo Folk Festival and The Illawarra Folk Festival

Venues played: Notes Newtown, The Corner Hotel, The Basement, The Sydney Opera House

Rebecca is a performer and writer of distinct individuality and an inspiring creative presence. Her forthcoming studio album (due September 2012) has just been completed with Afro Celt Sound System producer/engineer Martin Russell in London. The album spans a decade of touring and songwriting. It features songs that highlight the beauty of ancient folk music traditions combined with powerful rock instrumentation and strong artistic vision. This record is a diverse mix of tracks including: Storm in the Weather featuring a string quartet; the jazz inspired Not My Island complete with Doo-wop girls; the folk rock Deep Down; the solo nylon acoustic lamentation The Roses Were Few, the country pop ballad Pretty Big Mess; and the Bill Monroe tune Rocky Road Blues featuring piano, mandolin and baritone sax. This album will be released on a national tour September-December 2012.

The ‘Closing the Distance’ EP is the third release from Sydney based singer/songwriter Rebecca Moore. It was launched at a fantastic gig at the Sydney Opera House supporting the Afro Celt Sound System in 2011. It features three songs: a solo piano track Arnica; the acoustic folk version of the song Behind the Stone, which was recently nominated for the World/Folk Award at the 2012 Musicoz Awards ceremony; and the Folk Rock ballad ‘Deep Down’ written about an annual musicians campfire gathering on the South Coast of NSW. The back cover photo was taken by Rebecca’s Grandfather Colin Totterdell.

EP Review by John Williams

Short EP, short review!

Rebecca Moore is a singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist with a social conscience who reached the Musicoz Awards finals in 2012.

The EP consists of three tracks, the first two of which showcase Rebecca’s talent as a solo artist.

The third track is performed with her band which consists of Dave Sparks (electric and 12 string acoustic guitar), Jonathan “Trappa” Travena (drums) and Robyn Martin (bass).

She shows her versatility when moving from the soulful ‘Arnica’ with her lovely piano backing then onto ‘Behind the Stone’ through to the third track, ‘Deep Down’ which has a rock feel with prominent drums and electric guitar.

Rebecca has an album in the wings and I would like to hear that as well before really commenting at length.

What I did hear on this EP shows a talented artist with an individual flair. What she covers on this EP shows a wide range of musical ability and a voice which is great to listen to.